Art Space App : UX Research & Usability Testing: Case Study | Part 2
Usability Testing | Methods
The method used to conduct the user testing was a face-to-face interview on Curtin Mauritius campus by the User Tester (myself). I chose this method in a familiar environment so that the users feel at ease and don’t feel stressed about the whole experience. As a result, it created an interaction with the users by being present and guiding them through the process.
Conducting User Testing
The participants were first called to come one by one on campus in a break away room to perform the test. Next, the participants were asked to introduce themselves to keep track for the records. Then, I introduced myself as the Usability Moderator and proceeded to explain the purpose of the testing as well as the purpose of the app. I made it clear that I am going to guide them through the website but are free to express themselves if and whenever needed.
Moderation
As I was giving the users their tasks to complete, I let them try by themselves first but if I saw them struggling then I would guide them through it. In the meantime I was recording any of their comments on paper as well as through the screen recording.
Tasks
1. Find the “About Us” section
2. Click on the link
3. Create an account
4. Find the “Artist” section
5. Click on “more” button
Post-Test Questions
- Did you face any issues completing these tasks?
- How can we improve the design to fix these issues?
- On a scale from 1–10. 1 being “really hard”, 5 being “medium” and 1 being “super easy”. Please rate on how easy was the app to use.
- Do you think the design is functional? (colours, font size, layout, etc.)
- Do you think we achieved the purpose of this app successfully?
Prototype User Testing | Video Link
Prototype Testing | Overall Results
Prototype Testing | Results Summary
After conducting the user testing, the main results recorded was that all of the participants encountered some sort of issue on the app. Concerning the aesthetics of the app, 50% of them were enthusiastic about the overall layout and minimalist style of the app as it was visually pleasing. Other positive feedback we received was that the app was relatively easy to use and functional. In contrary, negative feedback we received was that some participants were confused while using the app due to its layout.
Results | Bugs & Issues
By doing the user testing, we were able to identify some issues that needed to be fixed.
In the “before” picture, the login/sign up page layout was too confusing for users to differentiate between the artist/client account. As a result, we changed the layout to make it clearer that there are two sections.
On the “About us” section, the heading was too small and the last sentence was a link which directs the users to the login/sign up page. Therefore, we increased the heading size as well as underlined the link to make it more obvious that it is clickable.
Feedback we received from the prototype user testing was that the gallery’s layout was not aesthetically pleasing and looked too much like a social media feed rather than an art gallery. As a result, we changed the layout to look more symmetrical as well as added a “love” button and an “add to cart” icon so that the users know they can purchase the artworks.
App Stage 1 | Testing & Results
After feedback received from the prototype user testing sessions, the UX Developer updated and produced the app which was then tested by the Usability Test Facilitator.
The main issue while conducting the App stage 1 user testing was that the sign up section did not work. There was an issue with the backend coding which made the sign up button useless.
App Stage 1 Testing | Video Link
Future Potential
The app we designed is currently functional and meets the expectations of our target audience. However, since Mauritians are just getting to appreciate Art and Local artists, there is more and more demand. As a result, there is potential to expand the app by adding more features such as being able to communicate with the artists directly on the app itself. To be able to do so, we need feedback from our audience through usability testing.
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