Tree Test Findings Report

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Problem:

The client used analytics and user feedback to determine that their users were not able to easily find the information they were looking. The client wanted to know the best approach for uncovering why users were not finding answers to their questions. Research objectives included determining what issues users were facing while trying to find information on the site as well as whether or not users were able to quickly and accurately navigate to the correct area of the site while completing tasks.

The Research:

I conducted a tree test (also known as a reverse card sort) with 30 participants. The tree test was a fantastic way to test the site’s information architecture without visual distractions influencing the users. Participants were asked to think out loud as they attempted to complete realistic tasks using the tree structure. They were also asked to demonstrate where in the tree structure they would click in order to find information such as discount Disneyland tickets, auto insurance discounts, etc. This feedback was recorded via the UserTesting platform.

The Results:

The tree test results showed that 0 out of 30 participants were able to complete all tasks successfully. The average percentage of tasks successfully completed was 54%. The test also showed the client which tasks were the most difficult for users (such as finding discount Disneyland tickets). I was then able to conduct a card sort for the client, where they learned where users expected to see certain types of content.

• Industry: Automotive Services
• Date: January 2016
• Methodology: Unmoderated Remote Tree Testing

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BumpMe Mobile App Prototype

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The Problem:

When an airline sells its seats, it often overbooks a flight anticipating that there will be cancellations or no-shows. Overbooking holds a risk because if that perfect situation does not happen, which is a common occurrence, then airline employees attempt to convince passengers to voluntarily bump themselves to a later flight through incentives. Where the problem becomes much more significant is when there are not enough volunteers, in which time passengers will be bumped from the flight they already paid for- involuntarily.

The Solution:

The answer to this problem is the mobile app, BumpMe. I created the BumpMe prototype using Axure. BumpMe works with the airline to allow consumers to view flight details and voluntary bump incentives in order to pre-emptively volunteer to bump themselves from a flight should they feel the incentive is worth it. BumpMe is also set up to report data of app usage back to the airline so that they can collect valuable data in order to optimize their voluntary bump offerings.

• Industry: Airline
• Date: May 2016
• Service: Interaction Design

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Eye Tracking

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Eye tracking provides objective data that shows the human behavior behind usability problems. Eye tracking can be used to evaluate interfaces for usability and to determine the user experience.

Eye tracking can be used in many different ways, including:

• Storytelling
• Heat Maps
• Live viewing
• A/B Testing
• Benchmarking
• Metrics

I am trained on all Tobii Pro eye tracking hardware and software solutions, including:

• Tobii Pro Glasses 2
• Tobii Pro Lab
• Tobii Pro Studio
• Tobii Pro X2-60
• ...and more!

The image above is displaying the Tobii Pro Glasses 2 setup at the Overstock. com usability lab, which I set up and run myself during my time as a Senior UX Researcher.

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Research Test Plan

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The Problem:

This Fortune 500 client in the Pet Retailer industry needed help establishing a baseline for usability. They wanted to determine what the usability issues with their site were as well as what problems those issues were causing. The client was concerned that users were unable to complete typical tasks such as searching for pet food or signing up for repeat deliveries.

The Solution:

I designed and conducted a qualitative, unmoderated, remote usability study on desktop. The client was extremely pleased with the results and ease of user testing and I then ran the same study on mobile devices to establish a baseline for mobile usability as well.

• Industry: Pet Retailer
• Date: March 2016
• Service: Test Planning and Implementation

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Personas

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The Problem:

I needed to create personas based on my user research. These personas needed to be based on field research and real people, to tell a story and to help “paint the picture” as to why users do what they do.

The Solution:

I created 3 personas to help everyone involved in the designing and building of the service understand and relate to the users. These personas were used to communicate research insights as well as user behavior or focusing on certain types of users.

• Industry: Academic
• Date: October 2013
• Service: Persona Creation

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Augmented Reality Research

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In September 2017, Overstock. com announced the release of their new augmented reality (AR) app for Apple devices.

An AR app allows the user to visually place a selected item into a space as it is viewed through a mobile device. Images within Overstock.com's AR app can be moved, rotated and viewed from 360 degrees, allowing views from different angles and in different lighting. Users can also place multiple products into the AR environment, allowing them to see how they look with each other.

Before the launch of this feature, I spent months working with the Director of Product Development and their team to ensure the feature would be as user-friendly as possible. The product that was launched is almost a completely different experience than what was first tested because of all the changes made based on user feedback!

The report above shows the user research findings from testing and comparing the AR experience of IKEA, Houzz, and Overstock. These findings directly influenced the final design of the Overstock app.

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Benchmarking Study

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The Problem:

This Fortune 500 company in the Footwear industry wanted to conduct a large competitive study to determine how their website (desktop and mobile) compared to 8 of their closest competitors. The client wanted to compare task difficulty on their site against their competitors and to identify areas for future research.

The Solution:

I conducted a qualitative, remote, unmoderated 180 participant study on both desktop and smartphone. Participants were split into 9 groups of 20- each group viewing 1 of 9 websites. Every participant was given the same tasks and follow up questions. The client learned what their competitors were doing that impressed users as well as what they could do to improve the usability of their site.

• Industry: Footwear
• Date: March 2016
• Service: Benchmarking Study

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User Testing Brain Training Apps

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I designed and conducted a study on the top two brain training apps on the market. Lumosity and Elevate claim to help people improve critical cognitive skills and I wanted to find out if these apps were user-friendly for those who might need them the most- those 55+.

With my colleague Guan, I set out to understand how seniors would use these apps, what aspects of the apps they enjoyed, and whether or not they’d continue to use either of the apps. For this study, we recruited six participants who were over the age of 55, who had never tried brain training applications, and rated themselves as “average” for their experience with technology.  As part of the onboarding process, both apps asked participants to perform a series of tasks to help customize the app for each individual, and we observed as users completed a survey about their goals of brain improvement, played few sample training games, and registered for an account.  

• Industry: IT Software and Services
• Date: December 2015
• Service: Article Writing, User Research

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Moderated Usabilty Session Video

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Click here to view the video

This video is a recording of an in-person, moderated usability session. I acted as moderator, and the participant was using the Overstock augmented reality (AR) app for the first time.

The screen recording was captured via the use of a tool called "Mr. Tappy", which attached the mobile device to the stand via a magnet. The overhead camera recorded the screen regardless of how the user was holding the device. The laptop camera captured the user's facial expressions and body language while GoToMeeting recorded and broadcasted everything live so that developers in an adjacent room could follow along with the research sessions.

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IDIA Master’s Thesis

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To earn my MS in Information Architecture and Interaction Design, I needed to complete a thesis project. My project included designing a mobile app that could help to solve the issue of airline flight overbooking and then user testing that design to ensure that the mobile app was user-friendly.

The thesis document includes a literary review, competitive analysis, two prototype revisions, and user testing results.

• Industry: Airline
• Date: May 2015
• Service: User Experience Design and Research

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Usability.gov NASA Research Report

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During my internship with the GSA, we offered product testing to all government agencies. We would meet with stakeholders to discuss research goals and to explain the benefits of usability testing. This project was for NASA’s mobile site. We did a moderated, in-person usability study of the NASA mobile site with 3 participants and reported the 3 highest priority usability issues back to the team, along with recommendations for improved design based on user feedback.

• Industry: Government
• Date: 2013
• Service: Moderated Usability Testing

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White Goods (Appliance) Competitive Benchmark

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Overstock. com was facing very low sales in the White Goods (large appliance) area even though the user experience of shopping for White Goods was comparable to other sites. I conducted a competitive benchmark to determine what was causing low sales.

The research project compared the experience of shopping for White Goods on Overstock's site as well as 7 of their largest competitors' sites. Amongst other things, the user research revealed that the majority of Overstock customers did not even know that large appliances were sold on the Overstock site. The research also showed that large appliances were only found on the top navigation under "Home Improvement" while 97% of users would look for appliances under "Kitchen". By implementing changes based on this feedback, the team was able to dramatically increase sales in the following quarter.

• Industry: Home Goods
• Date: February 2017
• Service: Competitive Benchmark

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