DC Tech Hub: A Usability, UX Case Study
There’s an interesting connection between user experience and usability. The two really go hand in hand, especially when making an amazing product. That’s what Octo is hoping to accomplish with their new site, DCTechHub, currently still in beta.
Looking at the site not just in terms of general usability, but its functions through a business growth lens in order to make sure that this site was not just the best looking, but also a useful resource for everything tech in the DC metro area. I narrowed my focus even further and decided to run testing and research based around the event feature on the site.
(There was a lot of steps, and a lot of writing. Check out the link at the end of the article for all the deliverables!)
Before I could even begin to go through the motions of creating test scenarios, compiling market research, or running formal usability tests, first I needed to look at my own screen.
The site looked fine, there was action to take, a path to information, a menu and a search feature for events. Style wise, it was nothing remarkable but it got the job done. After some serious note taking, and going through actions and tasks myself, I ran heuristic tests using the Lemmer and Norman Neilson methods.
Synthesizing that information, I was able start to write a test plan, scenarios and create two personas from all the research and insights that I collected over four days.
The personas I created were pretty straight forward. One was a DC native, Jaye, looking to gain more traction in his local tech community. Interning at a startup but looking for something more. Cece, a content writing for a mid level tech firm in DC looking to branch out and build her tech community after relocating to the city from California. Both had different needs, behaviors, and overall characteristics. Both personas led me understand how important it is to think about all your users, not just the ones you know are out there.
Performing informal usability tests followed by more formal, remote tests really allowed me to gain some insight. What I found was pretty concrete.
“I don’t know if I should use the search bar to look for events. But how would I know which ones to look at? There’s a lot of news here, I don’t know if that included events”
Each test revealed small differences, but one thing remained true no matter which of the five tests I poured over.
“I mean I see the events tab. But I can also see the events on a map? Or should I look at this list?”
All the users who tested this site could tell me one thing for certain. The navigation in relation to the events page, the bulk of my tasks, were really hard to follow. What’s even more interesting, users knew that they could somehow get there, but weren’t too sure of their way or their footing.
The recommendation/solution could take many forms. By even the simplest changes and alternations, DCTechHub could be really amazing. I do think that if the site wants to be branded a DC specific resource for all things tech, Octo needs to allow members of the tech community, both brand new and well known leaders, that both community and professional growth blend together concurrently.
That means reviewing the way information is presented on the site, and making sure the content that’s featured front and center still provides events, panels and discussions much deserved room. Otherwise the site could be overlooked as just another clickable resource, and not the amazing platform it’s destined to be.
Check out the long awaited artifacts and deliverables!
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1AslkggtPx3dQo7ZMCvVYaQ1n7SWCjkiU
