<h3>Usability testing: M&S Money</h3>
<strong>Project objectives</strong>
M&S decided to extend their range of financial products by launching a full range of banking services to include x, y, z. This offering, M&S Money was to be promoted via existing channels and online via a new website. I was employed as a usability consultant in the user testing phase of the project. The purpose of the usability testing phase was to validate the navigation, site structure and design of the M&S Money homepage via two high-fidelity prototypes (Option 1 and Option 2) and address any usability issues before proceeding to the development phase of the project. My role entailed conducting usability testing on two high-fidelity prototypes to obtain feedback on the layout of a homepage and information architecture using Tobi eye tracking software and running a follow-up card sort and tree test to further refine the site structure.
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<h3>Project process</h3>
<h3>Stage 1: Participant recruitment and lab set up</h3>
Participants were recruited via an agency according to a strict profile which closely matched M&S money’s target market. These profile requirements included age group 35-55 years old, B and C1 socioeconomic groups. 10 participants were recruited in total with each test lasting approximately 30 minutes. Tests were conducted in a lab using Tobi eye tracking software.
<a href=”http://useux.co.uk/?attachment_id=1887″ rel=”attachment wp-att-1887″><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1887″ src=”http://useux.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Desktop-Copy.png” alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”600″ /></a>
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<h3>Stage 2: User testing plan</h3>
I produced a test plan which outlined the format for each session and a range of scenarios and tasks participants were given. The format of each session was as follows:
[wpsm_comparison_table id=”1″ class=””]
Users were given a set of ‘findability’ tasks to locate information on the two prototypes, which each contained a different global navigation (Options 1 & 2). The two versions of the prototype were presented to the participants in a random order to ensure the results were unbiased. The tasks were also supplemented by participant interviews to obtain qualitative first impressions and feedback after the activities. The results were further supplemented and validated with eye tracking data. Typical scenarios and tasks participants were given during the main activity included:
[wpsm_comparison_table id=”12″ class=””]
<span class=”TextRun SCXW36782745″ lang=”EN-GB” xml:lang=”EN-GB”><span class=”NormalTextRun SCXW36782745″>For each of these tasks, the observer </span></span><span class=”TextRun SCXW36782745″ lang=”EN-GB” xml:lang=”EN-GB”><span class=”NormalTextRun SCXW36782745″>was asked to </span></span><span class=”TextRun SCXW36782745″ lang=”EN-GB” xml:lang=”EN-GB”><span class=”NormalTextRun SCXW36782745″>rate the task as having passed or failed, according to the following categories:</span></span><span class=”EOP SCXW36782745″ data-ccp-props=”{"335551550":6,"335551620":6}”> </span>
[wpsm_comparison_table id=”13″ class=””]
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<h3>Stage 3:Results, analysis and test report</h3>
The heat maps below show the areas of the homepage where the participants fixated when shown option 1 and option 2 for the first time. Both heat maps demonstrate common ‘fixation’ areas (Our products block, M&S Credit Card block, Hero slot (with particular emphasis on the woman’s face) and the Login block. However, there are some differences between the two. Option 2 indicates that there were longer or more frequent fixations around the ‘Explore M&S Money’ category on the global navigation. Participants also focused for longer periods or more frequently on the blocks lower down the homepage. Participants were shown Options 1 and 2 in a randomised order, to ensure unbiased results, so this data could indicate participants paid more attention to the global navigation in Option 2, once they had identified it as a navigational device. Results were were distilled into a set of recommendations delivered to the client in a report.
<a href=”http://useux.co.uk/?attachment_id=1886″ rel=”attachment wp-att-1886″><img class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1886″ src=”http://useux.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Desktop.png” alt=”” width=”1024″ height=”600″ /></a>
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Overall findings:
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<li>Majority of users completely overlooked the global navigation (both option 1 and 2) as a navigation device, some even after being prompted, preferring instead to navigate via the ‘Our products’ block.</li>
<li>Majority of users did not realise that Marks and Spencer offered so many Financial products and don’t consider M&S to be a mature finance provider.</li>
<li>Most users preferred option 2 primary navigation, as they preferred to see all the content up front.</li>
<li>Some users felt that the images should be more relevant to banking (e.g. hero slot, mother and child).</li>
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