Exhibits Development Group

Comprehensive Usability Evaluation

 

Overview

Methods

Heuristic Analysis, Think-Aloud Usability Testing, Data Synthesis, Affinity Diagramming

Tools

Figjam, InVision, Sticky Notes, Google Slides, Google Sheets, Keynote, Zoom

My Role

Researcher, Observer, Moderator

Client

Exhibits Development Group (EDG) is a local, female-led organization, founded in 2006 by Amy Noble Seitz, business leader and entrepreneur. EDG is an industry leader in the development, marketing, and distribution of high-quality traveling exhibitions—serving as an executive producer of special-topics exhibits (largely in arts, science, history, and popular culture) for museums, cultural institutions, and the like. EDG touts the largest portfolio of traveling exhibits in the field; their 75 exhibits having been seen by 8 million visitors internationally. They also recently have expanded to include a full-range of support services for their clients, including sales and marketing, exhibit tour operations support, and even custom exhibit design workshops.

 

Challenge

EDG is looking to evaluate their website with its intended audiences in order to better understand the degree to which it is meeting their needs, and they want to identify opportunities for improving the website’s general usability and accessibility (especially, new visitors).

 Goals

  1. Identify how users find exhibits and key information to improve findability and accessibility.

  2. Identify roadblocks in lead generation to improve usability and communicate value of EDG products and services.

Key Findings

  • Homepage - Users had difficulty figuring out who EDG is & what EDG does

  • Accessibility - Font size and color made it difficult for users to read information easily

  • Usability - Navigation was confusing and overwhelming at times

  • CultureNut - Users tended to stear clear from clicking on CultureNut due to lack of indication of what it is

 Process

Heuristics Analysis

After getting acclimated with EDG’s website, our team individually prepared 5 tasks to complete within the website and performed a heuristics analysis (utilizing Neilson Norman’s Group), rating each task on a severity scale.

This helped us put ourselves in the users shoes to see what they might have trouble with. 

Once our group presented our findings to one another, we collaborated to build a script based on the top five challenges we were met with, when conducting the heuristics analysis study. 

 

Heuristics Guidelines Used
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Usability Sessions

After building a script that identified and represented pain points the user might have, we conducted 2 personal interviews each, and also 4 interviews as a team. We each held roles of being the moderator and observer. 

We walked users through a usability test, giving them 6 tasks followed by a few closing and reflection questions, which gave us additional insight on opportunity areas within the website that we might have not gotten to during the task phase. 

 

Usability Interviews

  • 5 tests were conducted via Zoom and 1 in person

 

Data Synthesis

Time to process and put all of our data onto post-its!

Once data was gathered and put on individual post-its for that respective insight, the data was clumped together by category or pain point area. This gave us a good idea of what areas are the biggest challenges for users. These issues will be prioritized in the findings and recommendations report! 

 

Data Synthesis includes..
Team Collaboration & Affinity Diagramming!

Findings & Recommendations

There was a plethora of insights found from usability testing with users. I focused on and targeted four main areas that were deemed to be high priority due to consistent feedback. 

  • TARGET AREAS

    • Homepage

    • Accessibility

    • Usability

    • CultureNut

Making the appropriate changes in these challenge areas, would elevate the users experience so they could intuitively navigate through the site without major hiccups. 

 

Sample of a Finding and Recommendation

TESTING
Snip20220206_51.png

 Conclusion

Recommendations

To see the full report of recommendations, please click on button right above this section.

In summary, here are my recommendations:

  1. Homepage - Spell out Exhibits Development Group and utilize white space

  2. Homepage - Capitalize on graphics & visuals

  3. Accessibility - Adjust font size, color choice, and use of caps

  4. Usability - Keep assets within the website

  5. Usability - Personalize the experience with specific contact forms to fill out for the users

  6. CultureNut - Explain what CultureNut is and does, include a buzz word to indicate an action of what the user can do with this part of the site

 

Next Steps

For next steps, I recommend EDG adjust some of these opportunity areas and then run another usability test. I am confident the user experience would be smooth and delightful!

 

Final Thoughts

Users loved EDG and what it had to offer once they realized who EDG is and what EDG does

EDG has a magnitude of potential - By implementing small tweaks & capitalizing off their visuals, users will likely have a pleasant experience that’s intuitive