Maize Pages Redesign
A continuation of “Increasing Awareness of Student Run Creative Events”
Timeline: Sept 2023 - Dec 2023
Role: UX Researcher & Designer
Tools: Figma, Adobe Illustrator
Project Overview
Why, What, How
This is a continuation of my UX Research on “Increasing Awareness of Student Run Creative Events”
Once research for the above topic concluded, I identified Maize Pages as the most similar existing digital product to evaluate and redesign. Maize Pages is a website owned and run by the University of Michigan. It exists to help students find information about student run events on campus across all interests including: visual arts, theater, sports, professional skills building, and music. Students can also find information about organizations in Ann Arbor not affiliated with the University of Michigan.
The Beginning
Reasoning
During the user interviews I conducted in my original research, participants mentioned multiple times that they either felt intimidated by Maize Pages, have stopped using it since freshman year, or that information they have found on the website has not been accurate. I want to continue exploring these issues further, and identify any changes that can be applied to make Maize Pages for reliable and user friendly.
AB Testing
Option A, Option B
With AB testing, I would like to examine the first call to action users see on the website: the search bar. Currently, the call to action is “Search Events, Organizations, and News Articles.” I would like to release…
Option A: “Search Music, Theater, Art, Sports, or More”
Option B: “Search Events by Date or Theme”
Option A focuses on specificity which helps users make a recall information or make a decision faster. By specifying themes in the search bar, users may feel more inclined to look up “Comedy Shows” rather than feeling pressure to know the name of the organization hosting the event.
Option B offers the opportunity for a user to search for an event which is both specific to a theme, and occurring at the date and time they are available. There is a calendar icon to the left side of the interface which allows you to search by date, but it is very small and does not draw attention to itself.
Conversion Rate
Conversion Rate = (Total number of people who used the search bar / Total number of people who visited the site) * 100
Used to determine whether option A or option B is most successful in increasing the use of the search bar.
Evaluation
If this testing were to occur, the users of Maize pages would unknowingly decide which version of the search bar is better, while I would be analyzing the conversion rates for each option. Both options A and B would be released simultaneously to ensure that each option is receiving similar foot traffic at similar times of day. This will make the comparison of both options more accurate than if each version was released in different weeks.
I expect to find that option B, “Search Events by Date or Theme,” will be more successful than option A, “Search Music, Theater, Art, Sports, News, or More.” I believe this because option B allows a user the ability to immediately look for an event which aligns with their week or weekend goals by inputting a date.
Expectations
Usability Testing
Informed Consent
Consent forms were given to each participant to make sure that they understood the scope of this study and how their data would be used.
Facilitator Guide
This is a script to guide the interview and data logging process. This script is easy to follow so that anyone could facilitate this usability testing scenario.
Data Logging
I created a data logging form to keep track of task steps, timing, success rate, codes, and notes for each task. The codes on my form include:
E: Error In Task Completion
I: Important finding
C: General Comment
F: Facial Reaction
X: Usability Issue
Piloting
Editing Tasks and Facilitator Guide
I changed the requirements and wording of specific tasks to improve the usability testing.
Task 1 Instead of asking “Use the site to find a creative, on-campus event that you would be interested in attending in the future,” which proved to be too specific, I changed it to “Use the site to find any on-campus event that you would be interested in attending in the future.”
Task 4 I originally did not state that the participant should return from the Google or iCal/Outlook calendar site in order to share the event with a friend, which is what I expected. The original task states “Try to share this event with a friend.” Now, to provide more clear instruction, task 4 states “Go back to the Maize Pages website. Try to share this event with a friend.”
Task 5 In this task I would like for the participant to attempt to save the current event they are interested in on the Maize Pages website, go to find a second event, and then attempt to find their saved event one more time. However, the original task only asks the participant to save the first event, and go to look for a second event. I had to verbally specify to P1 that they should attempt to find their saved event one more time. Now, task 5 specifies “Once you find another event, go back try to relocate the first event which you were looking at and have saved.”
Common Facilitator Mistakes
Reacting or Priming
I am a very active and engaged listener, which makes this task difficult for me. Both P1 and P2 are my friends, so I am more inclined to react to to their actions, comments, and faces. I also tend to move and fidget a lot, and find it difficult to sit still. These tests were short which made this task more manageable, but I had to consider how shifting my legs, or touching my face, would make P1 and P2 feel after conducting a specific action. It helped to think about what verbal or physical reactions would make me nervous as a participant, and then I was much more aware fo myself as a researcher/observer.
Being Overly Friendly.
Both participants are my close friends. I find it difficult to separate myself from being their close friend, and also needing to be professional when conducting usability tests. This goes hand-in-hand with reacting, because I want to react to my friends comments and confusion. I had to actively think about my position in this testing scenario and hold back from responding or joking around in a way I normally would if we were having a conversation as friends.
Findings
Recommendation 1
Users want the option to save an event in their account without having to RSVP to the event first.
Recommendation 2
Users want the option to share information about an event with their directly on the website, without having to go out of their way to text or email a link.
Recommendation 3
Users want a clearer, more direct way to find events which they have RSVP’d do. Currently, users have to check their email or scroll to the bottom of the Maize Pages website to find their upcoming events.
Recommendation 4
Users want more specific search filters throughout the Maize Pages website.