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PHASE 2
The VUX UX Guide
In this phase, we build upon the foundations set in the initial stage, directing our efforts towards shaping a robust site plan for VHA UX Guide users. This involves conducting a content inventory, discerning how users categorize information to inform the information architecture, and ultimately translating these insights into a visual representation through Wireframing.
Embark on our methodology!
We used Card Sorting as our UX research method to discover how people understand and categorize information
Technical Details:
Tool: Optimal Workshop
Full link:
ttps://app.optimalworkshop.com/optimalsort/ gp1bv751/h68gn10p-0/shared-results
Password: “UBalt 2021”
Testing Backdrop:
Participants: 20 out of 53 successfully completed the study
Dates: April 1st to April 17th
Session Duration: Approximately 17 minutes each, conducted remotely
Categories: Covered 5 with a total of 93 cards
Conclusion: Ended with 5 post-test questions
Information architecture draft
VHA UX Guide Home Page
Introduction to UX Concepts
UX Process
Resources
Discovery Phase
Analysis
Research
Design
Validation
Post-Test questions:
Do you have any level of formal education in any of the following?​
User Experience (UX) Design
Graphics Design
Industrial Design
Brand Management
Content Management
Copywriting
Human Factors Engineering
80% (16) said “Yes” and 20% (4) said “No”
What field do you currently work in?
How would you describe your background with user experience methods?​
No experience - 5% (1)
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Little experience - 10% (2)
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Some experience - 15% (15)
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A great deal of experience - 5% (1)
How many years have you been working in your field?
Findings
Mixed Results
Difficult to analyze when each category is close.
Pointed to unfamiliarity with UX methods.
Lack of Context
The lack of category descriptions prevented users from making more accurate groupings.
Provide definitions for the project lifecycle and each category.
Provide cues as to when each category is useful and how to identify what step you are at in a project.
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Expand the wireframe page “Introduction to UX Concepts” to include more context on the project cycle and UX method categories.
Category and Label Confusion
"I wasn’t sure how you defined “discovery,” because I usually think of this as synonymous with “research” - so instead, I treated it as “pre-research."Also, about 6-8 of the cards held methods I was not familiar with.”
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“I’m struggling with the difference between Research and Discovery - they seem the same to me.”
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Study participants were more likely to associate a UX topic with a phase based on the presence of duplicate or closely related words.
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Likewise, the majority of participants mapped all UX topics that contained the word ‘Analysis’ to the ‘Analysis’ phase.
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Without explanations or within the context of the actual end product, users were more likely to associate a topic with a phase based on common words. While it gives an insight into a participant’s mental model, it isn’t 100% accurate.
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According to the Labeling Systems chapter in Information Architecture by Peter Morville, without context, card sorting and labels’ “ability to represent meaning is diminished.” Our results confirm this sentiment.
Recommendations
Building upon our findings from the card sorting test, we've crafted some valuable recommendations that merit careful consideration, tailored to meet our users' needs.
Category & Label Confusion
Utilize categories that are more descriptive, specific, and mutually exclusive so that users can navigate without hesitation.
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Replace “Discovery” with “Planning” as a category best known and associated with the initial stages. This way, it will be easier for the user to distinguish the categories and recognize the logical order between them.
Start with the basics
Participants were overwhelmed by the amount of methods contained in each part of the UX process.
Each part of the process should initially show only a few methods.
After users are acclimated to the “most common” methods, allow the user to navigate to or search for more specialized methods.
Further Testing Required
Our next step is to take what we have learned and modify our existing study to verify if our recommendations are on point.
WIREFRAME!
Hello! Remember Oliver and Charlotte, our personas from the previous stage? It's showtime – let's dive into their world and see how they engage with the wireframes we've crafted.
Exciting times are ahead in our journey!
Feel free to embark on your own exploration by checking out our wireframe at this link.
Oliver Brown
Novice User
Charlotte Miller
Expert User