Challenge 3: Usability Evaluation and Site Redesign

Kayak Application Usability Test

Heuristic Evaluation

After comparing different options using the heuristic evaluation guideline I concluded that the app that meets my users needs the best was “Kayak”.

User Type

Given my age and social circle, the user type that fits the best for me is the Worldtrotter/Backpacker.

Destination

The destination I chose was “Rome” which is a perfect destiny for traveling on a budget inside Europe.

Things to know about Rome:

• Airports: Fiumicino (FCO) and Ciampino(CIA).
• Currency: Euro €.
• Medical Needs/Visa: None required for European visitors.
• Wardrobe Recommendations: Sport shoes, Waterproof Jacket, Shorts.
• Days needed to visit: Between 3 and 5 days.

Testing Look and Feel

5 Seconds Test

Kayak App Landing Page

What did you see?:

• User 1: COVID Help App
• User 2: A Nice and Simple Interface
• User 3: A Plane Icon

What can this tool do for you?

• User 1: COVID Tracking App
• User 2: Map App
• User3: Book Flights

Where would you search for a flight?

• User 1: Didn’t See Any Option
• User 2: Didn’t See Any Option
• User 3: Plane Button

What can I conclude from the test?

It seems that the purpose of the app takes a bit longer to understand and that “the COVID-19 Travel Guide” section is getting a lot of attention from the users and confusing them on the real function of the app.

Tasks

The next step in the usability evaluation is asking each user to complete certain tasks while recording the process to discover any possible pain points they may experience.

I asked the users to complete the following tasks:

1. -Select a round trip to Rome for your budget.
2. Find accommodation for 4 days for yourself.

After evaluating each one of the recordings my conclusions are:

• The users could easily navigate the app and find flights and accommodation.
• There was not any apparent confusion in the process.
• The users were drawn to suggestions like Hacker Fare, Cheapest, or Best.
• There is no necessity to make any changes in the User Experience.

The interview process

One of the problems I experienced during the interviews was knowing how to guide the interviewed in the right direction so I can get the data I need. Doing interviews and assigning tasks to people is a completely new subject for me so I’ll definitely need to pay more attention to this.

Conclusion

After both tests, my conclusion is that the app needed one simple change to improve its first impression. Bigger icons will solve the issue of first users not being sure what is the function of the app and also will make navigating these icons way easier. Regarding the UX I concluded that no changes are necessary since the users didn’t experience any problems navigation and completing the tasks.

What I’ve Learned

In this assignment, I’ve learned how to analyze an app based on the “Heuristic Evaluation”, identify the problems, and generate a solution accordingly.

Also, something that was difficult for me was leaving the UX of the application without any changes since the tests clearly show that the current design works perfectly and only applying the necessary changes on the landing page icons. I guess is easy to overdo and ruin something that already works.