PugHearts Website Redesign:
Improving Information Architecture and User Experience
Objective: Redesign the PugHearts Rescue website to enhance usability, streamline navigation, and support key user goals like adoption, fostering, and donating.
UX Process & Deliverables:
User Research & Testing:
Conducted multiple rounds of card sorting (open and closed) and tree testing with over 60 participants to evaluate navigation intuitiveness.
Identified critical pain points, including unclear labeling and inconsistent navigation paths, leading to a 20% improvement in user task success rates.
Content Strategy:
Audited and restructured 18 pages to eliminate redundancy and align with user workflows.
Introduced task-based navigation labels (e.g., “Find Your Pug,” “More Ways to Help”) for clarity.
Prototyping & Design:
Designed wireframes in Axure reflecting user personas and task flows (e.g., viewing adoption profiles, completing foster applications).
Iteratively refined designs based on user testing insights to improve task success rates and overall usability.
Impact:
Increased task success rates (e.g., finding adoption profiles rose from 68% to 88%).
Delivered a fully annotated sitemap and wireframes tailored to user goals, improving the user journey from discovery to action.
My Role:
Led persona development and research synthesis to inform design.
Designed wireframes and interactive prototypes, collaborating closely with team members.
Facilitated usability tests and data analysis to validate design decisions.
Case Study 1:
Reducing Smartphone Overuse
Objective:
To explore user behaviors and needs for reducing unproductive smartphone use and to design actionable solutions that foster long-term healthy habits.
Role:
UX Researcher
Conducted user research through observations and interviews.
Applied user-centered frameworks (e.g., AEIOU, affinity diagramming) to uncover insights.
Synthesized findings to inform design recommendations and feature prioritization.
Process:
Research Design:
Recruited 17 participants across diverse demographics.
Conducted usability testing on native and third-party screen-time management apps (e.g., Screen Time, OffScreen).
Data Collection & Analysis:
Observed real-time app interactions via Zoom, transcribed interviews, and coded themes.
Identified user motivations, challenges, and desired features using affinity mapping and thematic analysis.
User Personas & Scenarios:
Created personas (e.g., "Sarah the Student," "Wendy the Professional") based on behavioral insights.
Developed scenarios illustrating how users interact with features like timers, rewards, and bedtime routines.
Design Recommendations:
Proposed feature enhancements such as:
Customizable limits for app usage.
Gamified rewards to encourage habit formation.
Social support tools to increase accountability.
Key Outcomes:
Developed a Priority Feature Matrix aligning user needs with feasibility and impact.
Presented findings to stakeholders, driving the creation of high-impact, user-focused prototypes.
Highlighted the importance of iterative design informed by continuous user feedback.
Case Study 2:
ParkPal Chicago
Objective:
Create an app that offers Chicago residents and visitors an interactive hub for park information and events.
Role:
UX Researcher & Designer – Conducted user research, designed prototypes, and led usability testing.
Process:
User Research:
Conducted 9 interviews and a survey with 27 participants.
Identified key user needs, including event discovery, navigation tools, and park amenities.
Prototyping:
Sketched initial ideas through a design charrette and developed lo-fi prototypes.
Created mid-fi and hi-fi prototypes in Figma, incorporating features such as:
Interactive maps with filters and favorites.
Event and activity tracking with options to add to calendars.
AI chatbot for quick park queries.
Usability Testing:
Conducted unmoderated and moderated usability tests with 16 participants.
Iterated on designs based on feedback, addressing issues like overly complex flows and lack of visual clarity.
Impact:
Delivered a validated hi-fi prototype with features tailored to user needs, such as improved onboarding, streamlined navigation, and enhanced search functionality.
Positioned the app as a potential companion for the Chicago Park District to increase park engagement.
Case Study 3:
Streaming Platform Decision-Making Among Students
Objective:
Explore how undergraduate and graduate students discover and decide what to watch on streaming platforms, focusing on behaviors and preferences.
Research Process:
Survey Design:
Refined an 11-question survey using cognitive interviews for clarity and relevance.
Utilized Qualtrics to include Likert scales, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions.
Participant Recruitment:
Surveyed 22 participants (13 graduates, 9 undergraduates) through academic networks.
Data Analysis:
Used Qualtrics and Excel for visualizing results and identifying trends.
Organized insights through affinity diagrams in Miro.
Key Findings:
Discovery Methods:
Social media (13 mentions) and friends/family (12) were key influences.
Algorithms enhanced discovery: “My algorithm shows me things I like.”
Viewing Preferences:
Most preferred browsing genres (15) over searching for specific titles (7).
Netflix was favored for its user-friendly interface.
Decision Drivers:
Intuition or preferences (17 mentions) and recommendations were top factors.
Design Implications:
Enhance Personalized Recommendations:
Leverage intuitive algorithms to reflect user preferences.
Streamline Interfaces:
Prioritize easy navigation and genre browsing.
Incorporate Social Features:
Enable sharing and discussion among friends and family.
Impact & Reflections:
Insights revealed the importance of usability, algorithms, and social influence in user decisions.
Cognitive interviews minimized biases and ensured clarity.
Tools like Qualtrics and Miro facilitated efficient data analysis and synthesis.