REI Lists
Retail Webpage, client project
Role: User Researcher
Duration: 3 months
Tools: Silverback Screen Capture, MS Office, G Suite
Overview
Recreational Equipment Inc (REI) sought consultants to perform usability testing on an underutilized feature of their website; “Lists.” I collaborated with three colleagues to create a detailed test kit, recruit participants and conduct testing. Analysis of the results found overall success, and a few specific pain-points were recommended for improvement.
My Role
I mapped the current interaction architecture, developed research questions, wrote an initial screener, and coordinated test participant recruitment to ensure appropriate user types were included. Additionally, I moderated usability tests and analyzed results, including issue severity ranking, and a SUS evaluation (system usability scale).
Process
Mapped the current website interaction architecture, user flows, and developed research questions
Coordinated test participant recruitment including a screener survey
Designed a between-subjects task-evaluation usability test kit, including pre-and post-test surveys and evaluative tasks
Moderated usability testing
Led data log development and qualitative and quantitative results analysis including user quotes, task success rate, user-rated ease of use, and problem severity ranking
interaction flow sketch
research questions
surveys & test tasks
Findings Overview
Carousel competing with Wish List
Unclear if item is added to Gift Registry
Gift Registry sign-up is inefficient
Difficulty discovering buttons
Wish List
Registry
Gear List lacks interactivity
Severity determined by:
Likelihood to fail a given task
Scope (# of users impacted)
LEVEL 1: Unusable - prevents task completion
LEVEL 2: Severe - significant delay & frustration
LEVEL 3: Moderate - minor effect on usability
LEVEL 4: Irritant - subtle problem, future enhancement opportunity
Issue 1: Carousel Mistaken for Wish List | Severity: 2
[A] Users did not notice the link to the actual Wish List and purchased off of the carousel
[B] 3 out of 5 users thought the “What Others Are Wishing For” carousel was the Wish List
I was just looking really quickly so I thought that [the carousel] was his wish list. - Participant S2
Why do I care what other people are wishing for? I’m looking for [my friend] not other people. - Participant S4
There’s [a carousel] distracting you from buying stuff from their website. That’s odd.” - Participant S3
Recommendations
Only have the carousel appear during list creation (not shopping)
Improve the visibility of the search results name(s)
If there is only one name in the Wish List search results, go directly to that list
Issue 2: Unclear if Item Added to Registry | Severity: 3
4 out of 5 users had at least one of the following issues:
[A] two didn’t notice the item-added notification
[B] four expected the Registry items to be where the carousel is
[C] one mistakenly used the “Manage Registry” link to get to list of items
I kinda would've expected for my registry to show up first versus all of this stuff [carousel of images]… Boom. Front & center. Up top. Right there. I don't want to see this other stuff. - Participant C2
There's nothing that says, you have one thing in your registry on the screen that splashes without me moving the scroll bar...I do now see this has been added. I guess it's kinda small. I see that it's a different color but it doesn't catch my eye. - Participant C1
Recommendations
Show newly added items at top of screen (above carousel and manage lists)
Improve visibility of item-added confirmation text
Move confirmation text below “REI Registry List” text
Issue 3: Gift Registry Signup Inefficient | Severity: 4
2 out of 5 users verbally expressed the Registry creation process was too long.
Seems like a lot of pages to go through to get through the Registration.
- Participant C3
Ok, at this point, I’m like, when can I just start adding things to my Registry? So now this is another web page where I have to think, what does this say?
- Participant C1
Recommendation: condense sign-up process to two screens — one to enter all information and one to confirm all information.
Issue 4: Button Discoverability, Wish List and Registry | Severity: 4
Users could not easily find the Wish List button.
[A] 7 out of 10 users accessed Wish List via top button
[B] 3 out of 10 users accessed Wish List via link on product pages
I would expect it to be … Oh there it is!
I just stopped looking up there. The problem that I see is there’s a lot of bars, we got a lot of bars… this bar almost get lost at the top of the page.
- Participant C4
Users could not easily find the Gift Registry button.
[C] 5 out of 10 users accessed Gift Registry via top button
[D] 3 out of 10 users accessed Gift Registry via link at bottom of page
I’m scanning up top to see if I can see registry. Now I’m looking down at bottom and I do see Gift Registry.
[After task] It may be easier if registry was on top. Oh! I guess it is up here. I missed it because it was in a separate bar.
- Participant S1
Recommendations
Adjust the color of the buttons to contrast the color of the browser frame
Reposition the REI logo
Issue 5: Gear List Lacks Interactivity | Severity: 4
[A] Users were able to locate the Gear List tab within the Travel with REI tab without issue.
[B] 3 out of 5 users wanted the list to be printable.
[C] 5 out of 5 users said that they would like the boxes to be checkable.
Some users would like items on Gear Lists hyperlinked to recommended REI products.
I was actually thinking that...it might be linked to something on the REI shopping site or I should be able to click it and… it should go to a page that lists some recommended things. - Participant C3
I can't click on them [boxes]. It should bring up all of REI options for me to buy. Preferable in a new tab or window so I could keep this list up. - Participant C4
Recommendations
Enable user to check off each of the boxes
Add a print-friendly version option/button
Upon click of item description, take user to trip-specific customized search results
Takeaways
The more complete and clear the scenario, the more the user can focus on the task instead of the situation.
Consistent moderation and note-taking team session to session would have made results easier to analyze.
detailed report