Ux Report: TAPinto
Objective: Create a detailed user experience report for tapinto.net .
About
TAPInto is a network of more than 95 independently owned and operated local news and digital marketing platforms in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Each site is franchised to a local owner/publisher providing original, objective, daily news reporting at the town/city level. This report focuses on the Summit, NJ franchise because that is where I currently reside.
Methodolgies
Each methodology is different and provides a new perspective, but at its core, creates a framework to systematically empathize with users. When it comes to creating a product, you can never fully understand each individual’s experience; however, through utilizing UX research methods, we can systematically collect data about users to ensure that design decisions support their goals.
Competitor Analysis: Three websites were examined that are of different sizes of news services at the national, state, and local levels. Each one has a different focus, goals, and attention to detail when it comes to its website design. They have many similarities in the ways that they generate revenue, however, the scale and responsibilities of each company are significantly varied.
Personas: Three personas of diverse backgrounds were created to deepen the contextual understanding of a broader user base.
Interview Study (Proposal): A user interview framework and questions were created, but the interviews were not conducted do to time constraints
Survey Study (Proposal): A user survey was created using Google Forms, but it was not sent out to participants due to time constraints.
Card Sorting Study: Card sorting is a powerful technique for learning how users perceive and categorize information while using your product. In this study for TAPinto, 3 participants were given labeled cards and asked to group them in ways that make sense to them. The study was conducted using kardsort.com .
Diary Study (Proposal): TAPinto relies on ad sales, freelance writers, and content submissions to generate revenue. The proposed study will help collect data on how the current user interface of the TAPinto website impacts the overall user experience.
Heuristic Evaluation:
Usability Testing: Three participants were asked to complete tasks on the TAPinto website. All of the participants had similar internet experiences, yet because of the website’s design, they completed the tasks through different means.
Recommended Design Changes
Redesigning the ‘Events’ page to have higher levels of readability and more clarity on what the events actually are.
Redesigning the ‘Read More Articles’ button, so that users can more easily locate it and see more articles within the website.
Select a more modern color scheme
Curate the homepage articles that appeal to broader user interest.
Increase the emphasis on selecting relevant and enticing thumbnails for all articles, especially those under the ‘Government’ category.
Impact
The culmination of these methodologies helps us combine a variety of perspectives in a succinct manner that would not be possible without embracing the methodologies themselves. Whether the project is large or small, each person contributing will bring their own expectations and biasses with the design decisions they make. By incorporating data and research, we can increase the likelihood that designers are making decisions based on the same value system.
