Heuristic Evaluation, UCD/IxD, User Testing
Case Study: Revisiting GiaTouch Restaurant Menu CRM & CMS Web ProductTouch Technologica on their way toward their app becoming a reality returned to ensure that usability had not been compromised by the simplification performed by downstream design.
Discovery & Research
- Heuristic evaluation of the GiaTouch Mobile CMS high-fidelity prototype
- Determined pain points and flow issues
- Reviewed to ensure that all anticipated functionality was intact.
Strategy
- Determined that a team approach was required to work leanly and efficiently in a more agile-like environment, including interval and stand-up style (remote) meetings
- Established the need to clean up the flow (and associated functionality) after the interaction was simplified to a great degree subsequently
Design
- Refined/reflowed/refocused areas of the site
- Reworked interaction to ensure that a clear flow-through and planned functionality was accounted for
- User journey sketches
- Annotated mock-ups
- Prioritized solutions
- Redesigned and revised visual design mock-ups utilizing the established look and feel
User Testing
- Created usability survey questions
- Developed remote usability testing utilizing 3rd party app Loop 11
Challenges
Unpacking the flow and approach to functionality integrated within the visual design revamp while identifying roadblocks was, in some ways, akin to reading someone’s mind.
Carefully detailed communication and annotation were especially important as team members were spread out globally
Creating survey questions that would accurately capture the three required variables was a fun, thought-provoking, puzzle.
Takeaway
This complex experience-focused project provided the opportunity to learn many lessons including: allow simplicity to inform the design of complex interactions, maintain a consistent design vocabulary throughout, and sketch for as many iterations as the process will allow.
I felt fortunate to have the opportunity to revisit the product after other team members had revised it. While maintaining the gist of the visual designer’s proposed changes, we ensured they were compatible and contiguous with the rest of the flow. The process provided insight into opportunities for process simplification that I might not have had otherwise.