Usability testing design strategy
the lighthouse circle
project overview
The Client
The Lighthouse Circle is a non-profit organization that assists individuals that have been given a life-altering health diagnosis connect with a community of others with a similar condition. Individuals are able to find the tools they need to log their journey, share their story, and find resources and support. Knowing that the users will be coming to the The Lighthouse Circle website and user portal with already difficult circumstances, the organization wanted to ensure a high level of usability.
The opportunity
Conduct usability testings on the current state of The Lighthouse Circle’s website to identify key elements that can heighten the visibility of the organization’s value and increase the users ability to navigate the portal to find resources and support from other members.
Methods
Heuristic Analysis
In-lab Usability Testing
Remote Usability Testing
Deliverables
Usability Review Report
Findings and Recommendations Report
Interactive Prototype
Research
The context
Each member of the design team completed a usability evaluation to fully understand the goals of the client, the website, and the users. After defining a set of heuristics, I thoroughly interacted with the website to construct a Usability Review Report highlighting key user tasks and usability issues. The team’s insight inspired a white-boarding session that defined a set of evaluation goals that aligned with both The Lighthouse Circle and its intended users.
The execution
Primary tasks and testing scenarios were drafted to inform a usability test script. Nine remote testings over the BlueJeans Network and four in-lab testings at Fathom Consulting were conducted for a total of thirteen participant evaluations. Screening for participants included a preference for a connection to a friend or family member that had been diagnosed with a life-altering medical diagnosis. 13/13 met this criteria.
the DATA Synthesis
As a team we had gathered a plethora of research data, but what does it all mean? Creating an affinity diagram allowed our team to group the data and find common themes. This form of synthesis defined the severity of usability issues and informed potential opportunities for growth on The Lighthouse Circle’s website and user portal.
Design
Upon completion of the usability testings and data synthesis, I organized the data into three main categories relating back to the clients initial goals. I created lo-fidelity sketches in order to assist with understanding of how design elements could be utilized to create a better understanding of the value of the client’s product and eliminate usability issues.
deliver
The Findings and Recommendations Report above was presented to the client to articulate the proposed enhancements both visually and in a language that could accelerate the the execution of the organization’s goals and aspirations.
An interactive prototype is in progress as the next steps of the project. Stop back soon to check it out!