Project 6: User Testing & Final Release
Study Reports
User Testing with Tom
During our user testing session with Tom, we identified some areas for improvement in our design and gained insights for enhancing Cre8tors.
One interesting observation was Tom's confusion regarding the distinction between Note cards and URL cards in the Card section. He only became aware of the existence of URL cards after adding the first five cards. This confusion may have arisen because we simply use a dropdown menu for selecting the card type without providing any description or guidance. Tom later mentioned that saving a URL as a card was useful but understanding its functionality was challenging.
In terms of the MindMap feature, Tom found it easy to use cards and connect them to create a mind map. During the debriefing, he expressed how comfortable he felt with the drag and drop functionality for adding cards to the mind map. This feature, along with clear instructions, allowed him to construct the mind map quickly and made it more user-friendly.
While testing the MindMap feature, Tom asked an interesting question: "How do I create a new note here?" We had to explain that he needed to go back to the card page and then return to the mind map page to import the card for use in the mind map. It seemed that he didn't understand why he had to navigate back and forth between pages. The process of adding a card to a mind map is currently a two-step process: creating the card and then importing it into the mind map. This concept may be difficult for users to grasp initially. Allowing users to create and add a card to a mind map directly would provide a better user experience.
When trying the Autosuggestion feature, Tom attempted to click on the suggested edge to accept it and also asked us, "How do I remove this edge?" We learned that it would be more intuitive for users to have buttons on the suggested edge itself for accepting or rejecting suggestions, rather than the current UI which has the accept button in the top right corner of the page.
Overall, Tom liked the idea of storing idea cards and easily creating mind maps later on. However, he suggested that we provide more hints or instructions to help users understand how the app works.
User Testing Summary with Herman
Herman provided valuable insights during the user testing session. He highlighted the strengths of the UI while suggesting areas for improvement to enhance the overall user experience.
Positive Observations:
- Canvas Feature: Herman was smiling throughout most of the user testing, potentially because of how easy and intuitive it was to use the app. During debriefing, he noted that the app was a "cool, novel idea with a lot of practical usage by a very large audience." He particularly liked the professional-grade features such as zooming and fullscreen mode.
- Enhanced Search Functionality: Herman found the search feature impressive as it identified not just the card titles but also their content. This reaction is possibly from the difference the feature has in comparison to others like it that would most typically only identify cards by title.
Areas for Improvement:
- Dark Mode Compatibility: Herman seemed to be very confused when he first tried creating a mindmap and could not see the black text against his system's dark mode background. This is because at the moment, our app does not support dark mode. I had to step in and suggest that he temporarily switched his computer settings to light mode.
- Duplicate Cards: Herman expressed concern about the ability to add duplicate cards. He stated that, "I fear the ability to have duplicate cards would allow for a lot of noise on the mindmap, and detriment the overall cleanliness and features such as suggest." This concern arose because, given his technical background, he would anticipate such a problem, and gave me great insight into potential improvements.
User Testing with Delight
The user testing session with Delight was yet another insightful experiment that brought forth more design improvement opportunities for Cre8tors.
The initial noteworthy observation transpired early in the session during the User Profile management task. While attempting to change the username and password, Delight expressed confusion over the absence of a submit button. She inadvertently pressed 'enter,' resulting in the password being updated. This unexpected action led her to realize that 'enter' served as a form of submission. Had she not clicked 'enter' after modifying the password, she wouldn't have noticed that her username remained unchanged.
Further into the session, additional intriguing observations emerged. In the second task involving the creation of a new card, Delight encountered confusion regarding the 'Type' field, particularly concerning the URL. Upon revisiting this confusion, she explained that the lack of context for the URL's purpose made it unclear. This presents an opportunity for improvement, such as incorporating a brief introduction slide within the app to acquaint users with its functionality. Alternatively, providing a more descriptive 'Type' option, such as 'URL for related article,' could enhance user comprehension.
Another noteworthy behavior surfaced during the use of the Suggest functionality. Delight, instead of utilizing the 'accept' button, manually drew the suggested edge. She admitted unawareness of the accept button's existence but mentioned that if there were more than one suggested edge (as was the case for her), she would have actively searched for an accept button.
Lastly, it was observed that Delight rarely used the 'save' button, putting her at risk of losing her work. This highlights the need for implementing an auto-save feature for user convenience, particularly in cases where users might forget to manually save their progress.
Design Flaws/ Opportunities
Design Flaw/Opportunity 1: Adding Cards to MindMap (Physical, Moderate)
Definition: The process of adding cards to the mind map requires users to navigate back and forth between the card page and the mind map page, leading to confusion and a non-intuitive user experience.
Why it Occurred:
- Lack of Direct Integration: Presently, users need to create a card separately and then import it into the mind map, creating a disconnect between these actions.
- Complex User Flow: This two-step process doesn't align with user expectations of a seamless connection between creating cards and utilizing them within the mind map.
How to Address it in the Future:
- Direct Integration: Develop a feature allowing users to create and add cards directly into the mind map, reducing the need for navigation between pages.
- Streamlined Workflow: Implement a more intuitive system where users can seamlessly generate and incorporate cards into the mind map without additional steps.
Design Flaw/Opportunity 2: Dark Mode Compatibility (Physical, Major)
Definition: The application lacks support for dark mode, impacting visibility for users who prefer or require this display setting.
Why it Occurred: Though the feature was proposed during brainstorming, the project's scope and time constraints led the dark mode feature to not make the cut for deliverables, and consequently restricts users from comfortably using the application in their preferred display settings.
How to Address it in the Future:
- Implementation of Dark Mode: Develop and incorporate a dark mode feature within the app settings to accommodate user preferences for different display modes.
- User Preference Detection: Enable the app to detect system settings and adjust the display mode accordingly for improved user experience.
Design Flaw/Opportunity 3: Simplify accept/reject for autosuggestion (Physical, Moderate)
Definition: The current UI has suggest and accept buttons at the top right of the page, causing confusion and inconvenience for users because they are far from the suggested edge.
Why it Occurred:
- Physical distance: The buttons are located far from the suggested edge, requiring users to move their mouse extensively.
- Non-standard approach: Unlike many AI suggestions, our app does not allow users to accept/reject suggestions directly at the suggested location.
How to Address it in the Future:
- Add accept/reject button to the suggested edge: Users can simply click the icon button on the edge to accept or reject the AI's suggestion.
- Support keyboard control: Enable users to accept and reject suggestions using keyboard shortcuts.
Design Flaw/Opportunity 4: Add a "Update" button for updating passwords and usernames in User Profile Management (Physical, Moderate)
Definition: Currently, the update happens upon hitting 'enter' but there aren't an actual button for it. This result for no update happening in case a user forgets to hit enter upon inputting the change.
Why it Occurred:
- Lack of an 'Update' Button: The user was uncertain about the status of their inputted changes due to the absence of a visible submission button.
How to Address it in the Future:
- Include an "Update" button for password and username changes: This addition enhances user intuition by providing clear feedback on the status of their modifications.
Design Flaw/Opportunity 5: Mindmap Auto-saving (Physical, Major)
Definition: The design currently necessitates users to manually click 'save' for changes to be preserved, posing a significant risk of data loss if users forget to save.
Why it Occurred:
- Non-Standard Approach: Given the prevalence of auto-save features in contemporary editing tools, users might assume their mindmap is automatically saved, potentially leading to unintended data loss.
How to Address it in the Future:
- Include Auto-Save Functionality: Instead of leaving users vulnerable to data loss, implement an auto-save feature for the Mindmap when users exit the sketchboard page, ensuring data security.
Design Revision
Omitted Discussion Panel: Initially, our roadmap included a discussion panel within each mind map to boost collaboration. However, due to time constraints and considering alternative collaborative methods like direct mind map sharing, we opted to abandon this concept in phase three.
Introducing Card Collapse Functionality: In response to user feedback regarding space consumption by mind map cards, particularly on smaller screens, we incorporated a collapse button. Although part of the initial design, it was fully realized and implemented in the final build.
Transition to GPT-Enhanced Suggestions: Initially, our MVP relied on an algorithm generating random connections, serving as a placeholder while we prepared to integrate GPT into the design. In the final product, suggestions are powered by GPT, delivering more coherent and beneficial prompts to users.
Streamlined Card Import with Search: To simplify the process of importing cards, we integrated a search feature. Users can now avoid extensive scrolling through cards by swiftly locating and selecting specific ones for importation.