Try to recruit participants that represent your main user group when you conduct user research. We were able to do this on a new website that we’ve launched and it really paid off.
This website is aimed at early learning educators who live in the Yukon. Anyone can access the site, but this is the main user group.
For this project, we worked with a project team that frequently engages with their core audience. They were interested to see how early learning educators use the site. So, they recruited them to take part in a series of usability tests.
Their participation showed us where any user might struggle on the website. It also showed us some potential gaps in content that only a professional would spot.
What participants said
The first impressions were very positive. The participants found the images, colour palette, shapes and words to be inspiring.
As participants worked through the test scenarios, they shared specific opinions and observations.
There was a lot of talk about the specific images on each page. They wanted the images to reflect the Yukon's cultural diversity and natural environment.
As a user experience manager, I want to make sure images do not get in the way of the user doing what they came to the site to do. For example, they might say they like an image, but then:
- complain about how long it take a page to load; or
- they might click on a page, but not realize the content below the image has changed. This can be a frustrating experience because they think the website is not working.
Through the testing, I learned the images did not get in the way of the participants completing the task. The project team replaced some images to strike the balance users were looking for.
Another thing participants noted, was they expected the government to use language that is easy to understand. These are the 2 specific pieces they mentioned.
- Legislation. They said something this important should not be so difficult to understand. It should be in plain language so operators can include it in their operation manuals. It was important that both new and experienced educators be able to understand it.
- Plain language content for people new to the field. They wanted to see a page about how to get into the profession. The government should write the content in steps. This plain language version would replace the link to the credentialing guidelines.
What we observed
When it came down to it, there was only one major issue every participant ran into. We observed that two of the site categories had the word “professional” in them. These were “Professional development” and “Professional resources.”
They would try one and scan the page for what they were looking for and then they would try the other. They kept going back and forth throughout the entire test.
To address this, the project team:
- asked participants what phrases they would use to describe the content on each page; and
- they looked at search phrases to determine what keywords to use to help people choose an option.
Based on this, they updated the category names to “Learning and development” and “Yukon resources.” “Learning and development replaced “Professional development” to resonate with their core user group. They tested these changes and the consensus was that they better described the content in those categories. They plan on continuing to engage with their core user group and monitoring website feedback to confirm they continue to find what they are looking for.
Gaps in the content
This is where recruiting early learning educators as participants paid off. As they were working through the test, participants told us what was missing. Some of the things they expected to find included:
- a list of day homes with contact information;
- ideas for training topics;
- a way for operators to access forms and apply for or renew licenses and permits online; and
- expanding the “News” section to include more than government updates.
To address these gaps the team:
- included the list of licensed child care providers in the Yukon;
- included ideas for training and have started planning to create more content for this section in the near future;
- has started to look at options (outside of this website) for they can create services for educators to apply for and renew licences online; and
- they are working on their content strategy and planning on expanding the “News” section in the future.
Next steps
The project team will spend the next few months collecting website feedback. They are dedicating this time to learn what is working or what is not working. This will inform the next phase of work. Their goal is to iterate the website to make it even better for their clients.
Let us know what you think
If you have a chance to use the website you can:
- submit your feedback on the site; or
- email eservices@yukon.ca and we’ll share your thoughts with the team.