I utilized Google Analytics to examine website traffic, bounce rate, session duration, and user paths. I wanted to understand where users were going and how successful they seemed to be. There were few click events that led to other websites in the PCI family, indicating that there is possibly lack of awareness of those resources. Session duration tended to be below 30 seconds and bounce rate was around 70%, indicating that visitors may not be finding what they are looking for.
I conducted a heuristic evaluation of the 3 sites on both desktop and mobile. Some things I found among all of the sites were a lack of consistency, an overload of information, and several accessibility violations. I believe a large reason why many users were not engaging with the whole PCI site family is the absence of a consistent design philosophy.
I created a system based on prioritization in business risk analysis to apply to usability problems. This is especially helpful when dealing with limited resources, time constraints, and small teams.
I used Jakob Nielsen’s guide for severity ratings for usability problems as the basis for my severity rating portion. I combined the severity rating of the problem with the repair implementation portion of the equation. I created questions and scales to help determine how severe the violation is and how difficult it is to fix it. I take those values and multiply them by a multiplier that is determined by the specific client requirements and situation. This enabled me to make recommendations to the PCI team in a more organized manner.
Based on the evaluations, research, and competitive analysis, I created some design proposals for the PCI family of sites. Originally, I was brought in just to conduct the usability audit and compile all recommendations as text descriptions. I accomplished this and moved onto do more for the client since we were ahead of schedule. I thought it would be helpful to propose possible design solutions implementing all the work I had done before. I tried to create a consistent design language for the family of sites to bring them all together. I also addressed the accessibility concerns I found in the audit.
I wish I could validate my designs through user testing. I think it would be interesting to see the quantitative differences between the two designs. I also would dive deeper into each website. There is a lot more work to be done with the information architecture of all the websites individually and as a system.
I really took away more than I expected because I kept working through my deliverables. I went beyond expectations and learned more about the organization, their vision, and how to accomplish certain things.
I think open communication was critical to the success of the project. Coming in with no knowledge of the organization, I was able to talk with several members of the team to understand everyone’s vision and hopes for the website.
