Usability Testing for UNC School of Journalism and Media
Role: UX Researcher (usability testing)
Timeline: February 2023
Problem
The advising department at the Hussman (MEJO) school sought to improve their website, specifically its mobile version, so that students could easily find answers to common questions on their own. This way, with bandwidth freed up, the advising team would more available to help those with specific requests.
After sourcing and conducting 6 usability tests, my colleagues and I detailed our key findings and recommendations in a comprehensive slide deck — the final product of approximately two weeks of thorough work.
Methodology
The purpose of the usability tests was to analyze the efficiency of the information hierarchy and mobile interface, as well as identify the strengths and weaknesses of the site.
Users were first offered time to describe initial impressions of the site via free exploration, then given a series of prompts and tasks to complete.
These tasks asked the user to navigate the site without using the search function, and some tasks were intentionally made to be dead-ends. Lastly, we allowed users to reflect on the overall test, asking if they had any lingering thoughts or frustrations.
Summary of findings
👏 Positives
Consistency: the site is consistent with UNC branding and thus recognizable.
Advising: academic advising is easy to find.
Nav bar: blue navigation bar commonly said to be handy.
😬 Minor problems
Directory: incomplete directory categories.
Aesthetics: images, copy and graphics are not engaging.
Info overload: too much information in too many places.
🚨 Major problems
Outdated info: worksheets for both Journalism and AD/PR are for 2021.
Useless tabs: some tabs provide little if any useful information.
Page inconsistency: no clear/consistent layout for each web page on the site.
🌋 Catastrophic problems
Mobile use: website is not optimized for mobile viewing.
Semester info: no information offered about semester-specific courses.
Course-specific info: syllabi, professors and similar info missing from the site.
Recommendations
Optimize for mobile: reformat text to eliminate extra white space and ensure images are not cut off.
Restructure site info: organize content for cleaner and more logical presentation, including placing most vital info at the top of each page and refining content for less overwhelming experience.
Reorganize navigation tabs: rename tab names, remove incomplete tabs, and add drop-down options into "catch-all" tabs.