Anna-Therese Fowler: September 2015

This past weekend, my site went through two user testing stages. The initial stage was performed Saturday, September 19th while the second and final stage occurred early this morning.

Initial Testing:

The initial stage was fairly well composed but a lot of work still had yet to be done. For instance, imagery and photographs needed major readjustments and the overall site map turned out to be confusing in many aspects.

My target audience is women in general but specifically those who love the artistic and expressive qualities of varying shades of Gold Nail Polish. My user tester complies with my target audience. My friend and user tester fits this description perfectly as she is an avid nail polish collector.

I began the user testing experience by introducing the three goals which needed to be accomplished. She began on the home page and then attempted to navigate her way through the website to complete each goal. The goals consisted of:

Find the nail polish with a crackle finish.
How many nail polishes are featured in the collection.
How many OPI polishes are present within this collection.

My friend Joan Bennett was not able to accomplish the goals without difficulty arising.

First, Bennett ran into confusion when she clicked on the collection page. This page consisted of the the entire collection, the divisions, and their subcategories that dropped down from the division. She felt that too much information was being thrown at her, making it impossible to decide on a course of action. She suggested of getting rid of the subcategories and feature them on their own site spread.

Lastly, Bennett felt the photographs and the presentation of the nail polish blended together, making everything rather forgetful.

Revisions:

With this experience to guide me, I then went about correcting the areas that slowed the user usability process. I began to rephotograph my images, keeping a common theme and remembering my two word attributes for the website: sophistication and edgy. With these in mind, I was able to create beautiful and captivating photographs that reflect the beautiful qualities of nail polish.

This act of photographing actually resolved my issue with the subcategories as well. I was able to photograph the finishes and vibrancy together on a single glass palette. I then decided to create an accordion subcategory panel for the brand division.

Final User Testing:

This final stage of user testing was much more simpler than the initial. Bennett + an additional friend went through the process again. No interference on my part, they were able to complete the tasks quickly and efficiently.

Comments they had about the website:

Bennett: "I love the photography, it is a completely different direction from the previous version. This photography truly expresses the beauty of these gold nail polishes and the photographs themselves present the information brilliantly. I was able to find how many nail polishes were present in the collection instantly due to the vibrancy color palette of 001-017 lowest to highest."

Fink: "I would suggest making the logo a little bigger on some pages. In terms of the navigation, the navigation bars were very clear. It allowed me to realize my precise location, but it also gave me an efficient way to return to the previous page if I desired to continue browsing. All together, the website is beautifully constructed and highlights the different aesthetics of gold nail polish quite well in a brief and captivating manner. I have to go and buy some now!"

End of User Testing.