Content Audit

I started with a full content audit of the site to acclimate myself, get a in depth look at the content and determine what could be kept, what could be tossed and where new site paths were needed.  The main takeaways from this were the site was incredibly content rich but for visitors it felt more like information overload. There was a lot of useful information but it was not presented in a way users could access or make use of. Below are a few screens of the original site.  

The Reservation Process

These are a few sample screens from the reservation process. Content had not been edited, prioritized, or categorized well. The process had several barriers to entry and left the user frustrated and confused.

Competitive Analysis

Once the content audit was complete, I dove straight into a competitive analysis to see what other brands in a similar space were up to. The site genre, space observatories, holds several antiquated structural problems across the board. My competitive analysis focused instead on major features and offerings of the observatory and site.

COMPARATIVE HEURISTIC

I also aimed to provide a comparative analysis which focused on a National Park in the area. I did a heuristic analysis of the site which allowed for a clear comparison in terms of clarity of the site, and how users found and received relevant information. 

For card sorting I took 35 major elements of the site and competitors and had users sort them into 4 categories. My initial assumption was streamlining meant pairing it down to its most basic components. However, during card sorting, many users expected more sub-categories or main navigation items. I took this into consideration when making my tree test and made a more robust navigation while still keeping it streamlined without being simplistic. The results were clarifying. Users had trouble finding the evening tours, equipment used at the observatory and the virtual tours. 

For card sorting I took 35 major elements of the site and competitors and had users sort them into 4 categories. My initial assumption was streamlining meant pairing it down to its most basic components. However, during card sorting, many users expected more sub-categories or main navigation items.  

I took all of this into consideration as I reworked the navigation and began building out the site structure and features. I started with a site map and then began working out the main purpose of the site redesign which was simplifying the reservation process. I began sketching the user flow and then moved into a full comped flow. 

RESEARCH RESULTS

PHASE 1

Heuristic analysis
Competitive /comparative analysis
Content audit  

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The site structure is needs to be streamlined

PHASE 2

Card sort
Tree tests (10 Tasks)

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Users want clear sub categories for content, and streamlined doesn’t have to mean simplistic.

PHASE 3

Usability Test
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User’s appreciate anticipated needs

SITE MAP

USER FLOWS

USABILITY TESTING

I performed 2 rounds of usability testing on 4 participants in each round. The tasks of finding events and making reservations were performed successfully however, accessing an existing reservation and leaving reviews was more challenging.

The results of the first round of usability tests were as follows:

Final Prototype

Another round of design edits were made to the prototype to streamline the reservation process and address user confusion. A dedicated login and account element was added on every page as well as adjusting the nomenclature on the reviews page. The goal was create a useful and enjoyable site allowing tourists to easily access information and achieve the major tasks associated with the site.