User Research: P2PU.org Home Page

Testing the efficacy of new P2PU.org mockups: findings and proposed solutions

1. USER RESEARCH: P2PU HOMEPAGE Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY • What We’re Up To • Tools & Methods • Labeling Test • Annotation Test • Realizations for Next Time • Next Steps
2. WHAT WE’RE UP TO P2PU.org homepage should be badass. To wit: • Can new learners find the info they need to enroll in a course? • Can course organizers find the info they need to start a course? Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY
3. TOOLS & METHODS • Verifyapp: http://verifyapp.com • Respondents recruited via P2PU listserv, Twitter and Facebook • Labeling test: • Focused on a new user’s experience • Annotation test: • Focused on course creator’s experience Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY
4. LABELING TEST The lowdown: • 995 viewers, 100 responses, 48% from US • Prompt: "Label each marker with what you think it is, and what else you'd want to know about a course before you enroll." Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY
5. LABELING TEST Results: • “Featured courses” concept is well-understood • Course covers look like a price tag • Need more precise labeling: • “badge” “peer” “course” • “Create a Course” may be too intimidating, suggest “Give” Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY
6. THE DREADED ACTIVITY FEED • Often mistaken for our Twitterfeed--> :( • “Many of the comments will be germane to the particular conversations and so not that accessible” • “The activity feed means nothing for a person that has just come to the page for the first time. could be in a sidebar, to show that it is actually something going on, but its too prominent here” • “Tedious list of every minute change made by users of the system” • “Lets get rid of activity feeds on the front page, they are just annoying”
7. LABELING TEST- RECOMMENDATIONS Take a tour Sign up • Tweak course cover box • Include organizer’s name • Include signup button • “Take a tour” feature • As a 3rd button, or as a ribbon on the top-nav Instead of activity feed: • Schools • Badges awaiting review • Pictures and profiles of power users Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY Take a tour
8. ANNOTATION TEST Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY Prompt: "Click and drag on the area you'd expect to find info about how to create a course. Add notes to areas that don't make sense to you."
9. ANNOTATION TEST Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY Create a Course button more frequently-used than top-nav & top nav is redundant Activity feed was again pointed out as irrelevant 538 viewers, 62 responses, 53% from US Prompt: "Click and drag on the area you'd expect to find info about how to create a course. Add notes to areas that don't make sense to you." Labeling very unclear: why should we learn with peers? Users are confused by the call to action before they understand what P2PU is about
10. ANNOTATION TEST- RECOMMENDATIONS Reconsider the “Find” vs. “Create” flow “Yikes! I’m new to P2PU and you are sending me down two very different rabbit holes! Show me the courses FIRST! That way I can learn the culture and can be inspired to create one myself later on.” Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY See More Courses Give a Course Homepage is mostly featured courses to give new users a sense of the culture. Bottom of page would be choices. Option 1 Learn More One path-- labeling could be “Learn More” or “Get Started” Option 2
11. REALIZATIONS FOR NEXT TIME • Use only the annotation test • Double-barreled prompts--VMG *knows* better • Solution: run several tests with one question or prompt • Each successive test gets fewer results, so perhaps stagger them Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY
12. NEXT STEPS • Work with Chris and Dirk to prioritize & implement recommendations • Always. Be. Testing. • Results are on Dropbox (PDF, .csv, slides): http:// dl.dropbox.com/u/12828081/082012%20VerifyApp %20Tests.zip Vanessa Gennarelli @mozzadrella CC-BY