Research, Plan, ideate, brainstorming.

Client: The University of Florida (Strategic Communication and Marketing Department)

Intro:This research aims to identify usability issues and understand participants’ thoughts and difficulties. By evaluating the effectiveness of participants’ first click and gathering insights, we seek to improve the website’s usability and information accessibility.

1. Define Objectives:

• Identify usability issues related to finding the final application deadline for the undergraduate program at [UF] in Fall 2020.
• Understand participants’ thoughts, difficulties, and observations during the process.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the first click made by participants.
• Gather insights to improve the website’s usability and information accessibility.

2. Participant Selection:

Participants will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Education: At least a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• Age: Between 18 and 60 years old.
• Participant Profile: Aim for a diverse group of participants, including a mix of genders, backgrounds, and prior experience with website navigation.
• Sample Size: Aim to recruit a minimum of 50 participants for perception testing and 30 participants for usability testing.
• Platform: UserZoom, Qualtrics, or MUiQ will be utilized for conducting the unmoderated usability test.

3. Test Scenarios:

Develop test scenarios that reflect the most important information students typically seek when visiting the website. These scenarios should include tasks related to:

• Applying for the undergraduate program.
• Finding the application deadline for Fall 2020.
• Exploring information about financial aid.
• Discovering the program of interest.
• Locating information about campus tours.

4. Research Type:

• Perception Testing: Conduct a perception test to measure participants’ understanding of the website’s layout, navigation, and information hierarchy.
• Usability Testing: Perform unmoderated, allowing participants to navigate independently while thinking aloud.
• Post-Test Questionnaire: Administer a questionnaire to gather participants’ feedback, impressions, and suggestions for improving the website’s usability and information accessibility.
• First Click Evaluation: Analyze participants’ first click to evaluate the effectiveness of the website’s design and organization.

5. Data Collection and Analysis:

• Task Completion: Record the rate of task completion to assess participants’ success in finding the final application deadline.
• Talk Aloud: Analyze participants’ recorded sessions to gain insights into their thoughts, difficulties, and observations during the task. Identify patterns and usability issues.
• Perception Testing Analysis: Evaluate participants’ understanding of the website’s layout, navigation, and information hierarchy.
• Usability Testing Analysis: Compare findings from moderated and unmoderated sessions to identify differences and gain a deeper understanding of usability issues.
• Post-Test Questionnaire Analysis: Analyze qualitative feedback to identify common themes, suggestions, and recommendations for improving the website’s usability and information accessibility.

6. Reporting and Recommendations:

Based on the analysis of collected data, generate a report that includes the following:

• Usability issues were identified during the testing sessions.
• Recommendations for improving the website’s design, organization, and information accessibility.
• Insights and suggestions from participants to enhance the user experience.
• Key findings related to participants’ thoughts, difficulties, and observations during the task.

The report will serve as a foundation for making informed decisions to enhance the website’s usability and improve the experience of potential undergraduate applicants seeking information about the final application deadline for the Fall 2020 program at UF