Usability Testing & Findings
Evaluating core workflows with real students.
What This Is
Task-based usability tests with three participants representing our target users: students involved in or interested in campus clubs. Each participant completed:
- Workflow 1: Find and join a club, then view the group chat,
- Workflow 2: RSVP to a club event and then check messages,
- Workflow 3: Navigate to a club event location via the map.
Why We Created It
To see how well our hi-fi prototype supported real tasks and to uncover navigation and interaction issues before implementation.
How It Connects in the Process
Usability testing validated and challenged our design decisions. Findings inform the next iteration of the prototype.
What We Changed or Learned
Key Measurements
- Average completion times across interviews were around 30–45 seconds per task.
- Error rates were roughly in the 8–10% range, with most errors related to navigation rather than broken flows.
Positive Incidents
- Participants found searching and filtering clubs easy.
- Joining clubs and RSVP'ing to events were straightforward once the correct page was reached.
- The map/directions flow was consistently described as simple and 'cool.'
- Overall visual design and organization were described as clean and logical.
Negative Incidents and Themes
Navigation:
- Difficulty locating the My Clubs tab.
- Some icons looked too similar or unclear at first glance.
- Confusion about where to go after RSVP.
Features & Interactions:
- Messaging was the most problematic feature; participants wanted easier, more consistent access.
- Some expected search to be a universal entry point for everything.
Visual Design:
- Calendar text was too small and hard to read for some participants.
Design Recommendations
- Redesign the My Clubs icon and add labels under navigation icons,
- Make messaging accessible from more screens (e.g., club feed and event details),
- Increase calendar text size for readability,
- Provide clearer affordances for closing overlays and filter panels,
- Add contextual prompts after key actions (e.g., 'View this club in My Clubs' or 'Message the organizer').