Week 9 - Outside of Class

Outside of Class

User Experience Website 

Below are the three poorly organized website I could possibly use for my User Experience project. Trying to find website was very difficult, since a lot of non-profit organizations in Lancaster already have an organized website or don't have a website at all.

1. The Arc of Lancaster - Lancaster County

* First Choice - It's possible to figure out the purpose of the site but it becomes very difficult when prompted a question and then trying to find the information. For example "Where can I volunteer?" but as you go through the website there is no section for volunteering and if there is, I haven't found it yet.

• What is the site for? 
• The purpose of the site is unclear at first glance. The general information listed shows events, programs, services and how to support the arc. There is a lot of content included under each page but I believe the site host events going on to promote and protect the rights of people with mental and physical disabilities. 

• What is the main purpose?
• I believe the main purpose is to host events but there is so many options to choose from its unclear why they started this website. In general overview, I think families come together to support people with disabilities. I want to believe it's family oriented but the website doesn't seem very welcoming. 

• Are there too many links/choices?
• There are some pages that have way too many links and choices. The information isn't listed by hierarchy and seems kind of random. 

• Do you find yourself struggling?
• I find myself struggling, knowing what to look at and where to find the information. There are a lot of links to click on and the sidebar acts as a content page that lists different information a new page pops up. This becomes very confusing because most sidebars stay consistent and this one has way too much content and changes all the time. I also struggle on the contact page because there is nothing listed.

2. Pleasant View Retirement Community


* Second Choice - This is my second choice because the location of the retirement community is outside of Lancaster but I find myself struggling to answer the following questions.

• What is the site for?
• Based on the title of the website, I can tell its a retirement community for senior living. The site talks about the campus and living options you have in their community. As for how they laid out the information and exactly where to find it becomes difficult.

• What is the main purpose?
• I believe the main purpose of the website is to host information for senior living and provide all the options there is if you were to stay at Pleasant View. 

• Are there too many links/choices?
• There is a lot of valuable information on this website but the layout is confusing. There are three different navigational options. One nav bar at the top right, one center nav bar under the logo and a side bar. The way the website is organized is all over the place. 

• Do you find yourself struggling?
• I find my self struggling when I use the 3 different nav bars. The sidebar is most confusing because it changes every time I click on a new link. This causing a lot of hidden links that are not visible at first glance. This would work better if it was organized with several sub nav bars under the main one. 

3. Fulton Theatre

* Third Choice 

• What is the site for?
• The purpose of this website is to host the different movie and productions that goes on at the Fulton Theatre in downtown Lancaster. I had prior knowledge of the theatre but I don't think the home page of the website does the Fulton Theatre justice because the mission of the theatre isn't giving right away. 

• What is the main purpose?
• List the available performances as well as purchase tickets for those events.

• Are there too many links/choices?
• I believe the nav bar has an excessive amount of options that leads to several other options. I feel as if the options could be paired down. I'm not exactly sure how I would change it but there just seems like too many options to click on. 

• Do you find yourself struggling?
• I find myself struggling if I was given a task to find a certain item in the website but the information on each page individually is laid out in an organized manner. 

Readings

Smashing Magazine Article: What is User Experience Design? 

Overview, Tools and Resources

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/what-is-user-experience-design-overview-tools-and-resources/

The goal in the production process is being able to answer all the questions a user/visitor may ask when viewing a website. User experience explains how a person feels when interacting with a technology system. The system could be a website, application, desktop software, etc. The designer will try to study and evaluate how the users feel about a system based on the ease of use, perception of value, utility, efficiency in performing tasks and so forth. This field of study is fairly new and researchers are constantly finding new disciplines to understand user experience. Before designers would create user-centered design and if they liked it then they were done but this is not the case anymore. A designer must now take into consideration all the boundaries that could interfere with how the user works the system. It's important to understand the planning process of UX design because a company could spend more money fixing the problems down the road if they don't attract the right users rather than spending money to plan, research and analysis the final product. It's important to remember that UX design is not a one size fits all but rather understanding the system as a human being and that everyone is different. The situation may change for each company. A company can not determine the success of a product based on page views, and conversion rates because they would be assuming the product works. Some of the tasks and techniques of a UX designer make use the following deliverables.

• A/B Testing - Comparing the effectiveness and quality of the experience of different users on different interfaces.
• User Surveys
• Wireframes and Prototypes - based on findings layout different examples
• User Flows 
• Storytelling
• Design Patterns
• User Profiles and Personas
• Content Inventory
• Content Style Guides
• Tools of the Trade
• A/B Testing software
• Content Inventory Software

UX Project Plan - pages 90-95

The purpose of a UX project plan is to think about the broader project's timeline and how your going to conduct UX activities. This may take a few weeks to accomplish. UX plans are unfamiliar but can benefit the process and final deliverables. When it is appropriate to use UX plans is at the beginning of your project, once you have completed preliminary research, and when your confident in your project goals. The goals should speak to the business and the behavioral change you hope to see when your through your work. A project brief will satisfy this step. By laying out the activities, duration, inputs, outputs, and who needs to be involved in this process you will understand the plan. By creating a schedule you can master your plan and be able to stay on track. Create tables with estimates and assumptions of the project. Over estimate the time length of each task to stay on track. 

Chapter 5: Planning and Discovery Methods

 

Chapter 5 focuses on the planning and discovery methods and design needs to understand when setting up your website for a long term success. The chapter covers UX questionnaires, UX project plan, listening tours, opportunity workshops, project briefs, and strategy workshop. Below is an overview of each method. When organizing UX questionnaires its import to know the products clear purpose and track the challenges in the organizational structure. Based on the challenges the designer focuses the questions are trouble areas, the questions will be the foundation of the project brief. UX project plan is not the same as an overall project plan. This definition is also listed above in UX Project Plan - pages 90-96. Listening Tour allows your team to set up information and learn from your colleagues on what matters most. This can also be described as the stakeholder's goals. This can be used when your new to a company and your trying to understand the big picture. Based on your questions you will find out the budget, who will engineer the product, who will market the project, and see the different opportunities the project or product will provide. In an overview the last three methods prioritize the information from a UX point of view to focus and discuss all the strengths, weaknesses, themes, user needs, business needs, goals and expectations from the project. It's important to have a plan and organize your thoughts between interviewing people because you will have more success when prioritizing your goals.

Chapter 6: Research Methods (Similar explanation in Week 6A)

Chapter 6 focuses on the different types of research methods that can be completed for user testing. 

• Learning plan is centered around the user mindset and it is a way to get the user by face-to-face communication, server log datas and web intercept surveys. 
• Guerilla User Research understands how the user behaves by performing goals by asking open ended questions to see the thought process of the target uses. 
• Proto-Personas are larger in concept than a persona that thinks empathetically about consumers goals, needs and challenges. It is an unclear picture of the target audience that focuses on the needs, behaviors, motivations, quotes and over of the user. 
• Heuristic Markup is the beginning to the end of the experience. This is an overview evaluation of the recording process by recording the emotions of the user. 
• Comparative assessment is the envision and expectations for new user experience clear areas, content, design, features, functionality, flow, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. In the final outcome it will summarize the findings or guidelines.