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WIRE [WOMEN’S INFORMATION] WEBSITE’S USABILITY & EVALUATION REPORT

ITECH3001 USER EXPERIENCE EVALUATION REPORT ASSIGNMENT 2 STUDENT NAME: - PARNEET KAUR STUDENT ID: - 30364821

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY________________________________________________________________1

BACKGROUND LITERATURE ON EVALUATING AND USABILITY TESTING_________________________2-3

OVERVIEW: - WIRE (WOMEN’S INFORMATION AND REFERRAL EXCHANGE) WEBSITE__________4

APPROACH_______________________________________________________________________5 GOALS ___________________________________________________________________________5 TEST PARTICIPANTS________________________________________________________________5 PARTICPANTS PROFILES_____________________________________________________________ 5 METHODOLOGY___________________________________________________________________6

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS___________________________________________________ 7-9

REFLECTION________________________________________________________________________9

CONCLUSION _______________________________________________________________________10

APPENDICES _______________________________________________________________________11-15

REFERENCES_________________________________________________________________16

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this evaluation and usability testing report is to gain deeper insights and to understand the user’s needs and frustration in navigating the WIRE Women’s Information Website. This report facilitates the website developers to identify the flaws and areas to improve. Areas including navigational menus, the navigation bar, buttons, home panels, as well as secondary navigational pages, home page etc. As a result, according to the audience reactions and expectations the navigation can be designed later in the process. The important factors of the usability test can be written as: 1. It Provides clarity, 2. Appealing in nature 3. Findability This report highlights the useful findings that can be used to impede the website usability. The WIRE website usability evaluation has been done through the SUS tool and by research usability tool. Participants including working women, university students, professional businesspersons, IT professionals were given the certain tasks to complete during the usability testing process. They were provided three scenarios to accomplish in order to test the site functionalities. Then active participants have been instructed to use the search, navigational and other functionalities of the website. After observing their behavioural patterns and retaining their feedbacks form the post- test questionaries form, recommendations has been included in this report. This report also includes the website and the organisation’s main purpose and their goals and their target audience. Further it includes the literature of the usability and evaluation methods and their respective uses. For the purpose of the evaluation of the WIRE website, I have conducted the usability testing to evaluate the following features of the website:     

Search functionality Labelling Required learning curve, Overall aesthetic impressions Navigation

According to the findings, below are the five suggested recommendations: 1. Make the search functionality more accessible for users to incorporate a prominent search bar. 2. Redesign the layout of the explore webpage to feature the category items and lists on the top to relate more closely to search results. 3. Proper Alignment of the Content Should need to be there in both primary and secondary navigational menus. 4. Equal distribution should be there between the elements of the website to create the consistency and good structure of the website. 5. Add contrast to the text colour so that searched words can be seen upon searching. These recommendations have been suggested to improve the usability of the site and to encourage the WIRE charity organisation to improve the site structure and functionalities in order to provide the satisfying and pleasant experience to the visitors.

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BACKGROUND LITERATURE ON EVALUATING AND USABILITY TESTING Usability is considered as the most important aspect in fulfilling the quality and quantity requirements of any software projects. It is that process which is very effective in meeting the navigational prospects of website and thus making it more user friendly and satisfying. And If it does not approach in the right way then the website fails to navigate the user and hence cannot reach his respective goals. Resulting in losing the interest and making the less usable website. Many usability evaluation techniques and methods can be approached to measure and evaluate the website. The main aim of the usability testing is to identify the problems in the design of the product or service. This facilitates to unleash the opportunities that the experts have not seen yet. The usability evaluation methods help in gaining user’s insights like what they might prefer to change on the website. Usability testing can be approached through different methods but the core elements always going to be remained same in every test. For example, facilitator, tasks and the participants.  Facilitator: - The facilitator is a one which gives task to the participants. Participants then perform their allocated tasks in a series of steps. At the end of the session, facilitator must observe the participants behaviour and listens their feedback as well.  Tasks: - these are set of things which needs to be completed by the users. They need to be predefined by the researchers and conducted in a sequential manner.  Participants: - they can be picked randomly or a real- users who are going to use the website. Three types of usability testing include: Moderated vs. Un-moderated: - Moderated usability testing is conducted in person or remotely by a trained expert who provides a series of tasks to the participants and then further asks the follow up questions. However, Un - moderated test must be conducted without the direct supervision in which participants may be present in a lab or in their homes. They can use their own devices to browse the website which needs consideration. This method provides in depth results because of the direct interaction takes place between the researcher and the users. However, this method tends to be costly and hence requires more time. On the other hand, unmoderated testing requires no follow up questions and hence measures only behaviour patterns. Remote versus in-person: - This type of testing can be conducted over the internet or on the phone. Hence, allows the researchers to test over a large group of people located in different geographical areas. This testing needs fewer resources in comparison to remote testing. Remote testing on other hand provides more data points and hence researchers can observe and analyse body language and facial expressions of the users more clearly. However, this can be expensive, and time consuming as well and needs to find a suitable place to recruit the participants.

Figure. Usability testing methods (https://www.hotjar.com/usability-testing/methods/)

Exploratory versus comparative usability testing: - This type of testing is more open minded in which users must brainstorm, provide opinions and must express emotional impressions about their experiences and concepts. It is conducted in the early stages of product development and hence researchers can identify potential gaps to work on it. Comparative methods involve users to choose one of the solutions and then to compare it with its primary competitors. Methods can be:  Lab testing which provides a major benefit to the researchers as it gives control to the researcher to observe and ask questions to the stakeholders. this test runs under the same standardised conditions and are expensive and conducted on a small population size.  Gorilla testing: - randomly chosen users from the public place could be asked to perform a quick usability test. This is used to test a wide variety of people who may have no experience with the product. It’s the quickest way to collect qualitative data which validates certain design expects of the product but not a good method for extensive follow- ups as people are unable to give their time.  Phone interviews: - participants required to complete tasks on their mobile devices or computer to retain the feedback. This is an economical way to test the users in a wide geographical area. These are less expensive and hence collect more data in a shorter span of time.  Card sorting: - Involves virtual notecards and include groups and categories.  session recordings: - uses the software to record the actions of the real users. For example: clicking the mouse. it is a fantastic way to spot major problems.  online testing: - tools and platforms are used to observe the user behaviours like through audio recordings of 5 seconds.  observation and eye tracking: - researchers study user’s eye movements and hence analyse their attention while completing their tasks. Out of the listed methods the most important and the effective method is the moderated usability test because it provides in depth user insights and there are a lot of variables involved to get the valuable feedback from the users this method involves 5 steps as explained below.  Planning: - planning the session involves writing down the details of the usability testing session like how we can proceed and the results to end up. In order to conduct the test. it is important to determine the nature of the study and the problems areas. Who will be our users and then to list down the questions?  Recruiting: - The most popular way is to hire the agency if looking for a specific- groups. If user base is already developed, then recruit there. We can use social media as well.  Listing tasks: - noting down the tasks and hiring the participants happen at the same time once we find the why and how of our study then we can wait for the participant confirmation and then plan the specific scenario and questions we must ask.  Running sessions: - This includes researchers to follow a set of protocols with each participant. These protocols are generally customized but still guarantees an overall standard experience for each subject. Session includes introduction with the participants in a friendly manner and then to collect the pre data to test. This includes asking specific questions about their experience, last time visit, how often used, influences. While recording and noticing the behavioural patterns, researchers take notes and then usually ends up with follow- ups.  Analysing: - After collecting the data it is time to analyse our findings to make the conclusions. Instead of addressing every single issue and the problem it is important to paradise the most problematic ones they need to be resolved researchers then pull out the most frequent problems at the users encountered in their examination process like a look order system for reviewing the transcripts to group those similar situations.

OVERVIEW: - WIRE (WOMEN’S INFORMATION AND REFERRAL EXCHANGE) WEBSITE This report is intended to serve as a guide to facilitate the charity organization who are running the WIRE women’s information Website. For the purpose of the analysing the site’s usability this report is going to be very helpful in making further changes in design according to the user’s needs. The website’s main purpose is to provide the services to the Victorian women, non- binary and gender diverse people. This is one of the Victorian charity websites which intends to give free information and referral services to create the exploitation and discrimination free environment. Through this website, women can educate themselves on a gender- specific issues. Moreover, financial literacy, economic security, work- life balance and violence related women’s issues can be searched out. The WIRE organization is strongly committed to become an Inter-Sex, Trans, and Gender diverse friendly service. WIRE is a proud feminist organization. They aim to reach out to the women from all backgrounds and experiences. This is one of the oldest and most established feminist services which is operating since 1984. Through this website they also intend to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the lands and waters throughout Australia. They run 24/7 online service to the users with an intention to create this website as a safe place to share the experience and problems. user can also gain information on practitioner services and book appointments by a single call, or by having a chat through WIRE website. In addition to this WIRE organization also collect donations from the community to achieve greater things. Donations can be done on weekly, monthly or just one-off basis. This website also gives a choice to user to become a member but on approval by the WIRE’s board of governance.

TARGET AUDIENCE As WIRE is one of the best feminist organisations, so their target is to provide the best of their support and services to Victorian women who are facing household, business, violence and health related issues. The target audience for WIRE website can be given as:    

Victorian women Non- binary and Gender diverse population Professional business partners want to join the WIRE.

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APPROACH GOALS 1. To test the WIRE site functions with likely target audience. 2. To reveal reactions and confusing experiences 3. Discover user’s preferred way of using the website. USER TEST PARTICIPANTS: Usability testing were conducted with the number of participants who met one or one of the following criteria’s: 1. Users who had a little understanding of the web 2. Household or business- women who want to gain information on the feminism or social issues. 3. People who have the good IT and computer skills. 4. Random users who were unfamiliar with the website. 5. Students who want to read books and online knowledge materials TEST PARTICIPANT PROFILES The usability test has been carried out with participants who have shown the following requirements: 1. age group: - between 18 to 50 years old. 2. Had somewhat experience to highly internet experience. 3. Willing to do the usability test and follow the tasks.

Participants gender

1

Male

2

Female

3

Female

4

Male

5

female

age

Title

Internet experience

Familiar with the women’s service organisation website

Professional businessmen University graduate Household women University student Businesswome n

27

Yes

No

24

Yes

No

45

Somewhat

Yes

20

Yes

No

30

Yes

No

5

METHODOLOGY For our usability testing, we are using the WAAMI research- based usability tool which assists us in identifying the findings and suggesting further recommendations based on their reactions and SUS scale matrix. To run a test session, I have chosen a set of participants within a target demographics including university students mostly females, business- women, users who have little experience with the web, and household women as specified by the WIRE organisation. Users then will perform a series of tasks in a controlled environment. During this, their reactions and feedback should be noted. The tasks were predefined so that we can also get time to explore the certain areas which may need improvement. This usability test has been conducted on the public version of the website. TASK 1: - you are a university student and has to find some information related to anxiety and depression issues from the WIRE women’s information website. And must further determine in which category it has been placed in the website result. TASK 2: - you are a household- women struggling form the family violence and visited the WIRE website to seek support, in order to get the support, you want to join the organisation and seek help from the friendly staff. You must search the support facility on the website and provide your details as well in order to register. Explore the ways how you can reach to the organisation.

TASK 3: - you are a professional business- person and want to join the organisation. You have to search the functionality and explore the options available on the website to contact them and register your interest. TASK 4: - you are a university student and want to order the brochure from the website. You have to make the order and also check the availability of them. As users has been guided through the test, the user’s commentary, on screen movements has been noticed. The test conducted also help me to learn about the expressions, their behavioural patterns, and the on – screen movements and their experiences while completing the tasks. In addition to this, I have also learned about each of the following:  pre- test questionnaires: - help to gather information of participants demographics.  Post-task interviews: - gathers experiences and experiences of the user following tasks.  Post-test interviews: - it helps us to understand and gathering information on the user’s experiences. Tasks and per test interviews allowed me to gather deeper insights and these were further used to develop the evaluations of the interface and system usability (see appendix). From the findings and evaluation results, I have given the following recommendations in the findings and recommendations section of the report to improve usability.

SYSTEM USABILITY SCALE Strongly disagree.

Agree

Neither Agree or Disagree

Disagree

Strongly Disagree

1

2

3

4

5

6

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS In the following section of the usability testing report, we have listed the major findings and recommendations which are going to be very helpful in making further changes in the design and functions of the website. This usability test has been conducted with the set of participants by asking them pre and post test questions.

FINDINGS 1: - ABSENCE OF HIERARCHY IN THE WEB DESIGN OF WIRE When the user has given the task to explore the booklets and videos and other resources of different topics then they have founded one odd thing in the design of the website. The featured information booklets section was always appearing on every search page in the explore section which is not much appealing to them. Moreover, they have to scroll down every time for this to locate the books and pdfs. they commented that it should be a nicer if these two books are given on one of the sides of the page as it is taking too much time to scroll and then to make one of the selections.

Figure. Featured information booklets headings are showing on every search result.

RECOMMMENDATION: - Proper Alignment of the Content Should need to be there. Hierarchy of the content in a web design is a must feature to use. It can be provided via repetitiveness, consistency, equal alignment and close proximity. Repetition refers to the things that look similar and seemed to be more interrelated. In Alignment components will share a similar axis and tend to more interrelated. Proximity consists of objects that are nearer to each other. In order to create the proper design of the page the recommended books lists should be placed in the bottom of the webpage. This is because this content is repeating at the top which is not giving pleasant feel. Instead of that browse by category and thing should be placed on the top right corner or in the center of the webpage so that user find it easy to search and navigate.

FINDING 2: - No keywords can be seen upon typing in the search bar. Wh...