Elaine DeRubbo
Conducting UX Research and Usability Testing of an education site before the addition of a new Learning Management System Module
Lessons Learned:
When conducting user research, either for usability tests or participant interviews, it Is very important to get both a diverse set of interviewees and also to capture the target audience of the overall product or service. I observed how important it is to build out a full interviewee data set in order to get enough information to make informed design decisions.
Role:
UX Researcher
Tools:
Videoconferencing apps, Otter.ai, Excel
UX Methods Used:
Heuristics Evaluation, WCAG Testing, Persona Development, Test Plan Development, Cognitive Walkthroughs, Usability Testing (Moderated and Unmoderated), Five Whys, Interface Audit, Site Mapping, User Scenarios, Synthesis of Findings
Overview:
Mully Lingua, a Washington DC-based small business that offers language & cultural immersion experiences for kids, had a very exciting opportunity to update the current design of their website as they prepare to add a new learning management system module to more effectively serve their students. I was asked by Mully Lingua to conduct a usability test to review the site organization, understanding of service offerings, and to provide an understanding of what is working for users before adding new content to their site. I focused specifically on the component of the site dedicated to attracting adults to apply and teach at Mully Lingua.
Outcomes:
Prior to conducting usability tests, I conducted heuristics and WCAG evaluations of mullylingua.com. With a basic understanding of strengths and potential opportunities for site growth, I created proto personas of different types of users for the platform to understand the thought process behind some of the basic actions that would need to occur on the website. Drawing off the proto-personas created, I developed scenarios and user stories to capture the motivations or intended accomplishments that people may have that would encourage them to join Mully Lingua as a teacher. I conducted 11 usability test interviews on Mully Lingua to test the process and functionality of gathering information about and applying to and to identify the needs and wants of a website for most typical users. Following the usability tests, I synthesized findings to identify four key recommendations for improvements to the teacher application portal. I also suggested a number of overall redesign recommendations to make the entire website more usable and easy-to-understand.