2019.12 —— 2020.01
App Redesign
UX research, UI design, Usability Test
My friends, family, and I have been users of the app for a while. During a chat, we discussed the downside of this app, which leads to my motivation to make a App redesign
Search for the ideal bus to take from current location to destination
-4.2 sec
Search for available bikes at the ideal station
-2.6 sec
Average SUS usability scale score
+20.63
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Users are able to check the timetables and routes of the buses thru the app. Users could also search for Bike stations, including the location of the station and the availability of bikes
Firstly, I interviewed my friends, family members who are currently the app users and I learned:
Betty
“The app required the users to enter the Bus number before showing route information. However, I don’t usually know which Bus number should I enter if I am at an unfamiliar spot from my destination.”
James
“The UI of this app is old and the function is not sufficient. I usually use Google Maps to search the bus route and use this app only for double-checking the arrival time of the bus.”
I analyzed the current information architecture(IA) and functions of the app to understand the product quickly
I collected about 100 negative(1 star-3star) user feedbacks of the app in iOS version
These are 4 major issues of the app:
I.e., the location of some buttons on Tab Bar are not friendly enough for users
I.e., users tend to look for another bus app because they could not find the bus to take by searching their current location to the destination thru the app
I.e., in the page of searching bikes, the information is crowded and users are not able to read smoothly
I found 4 people to participate the usability test and recorded how long it took for them to finish the assigned tasks on app
These are assigned tasks:
The test result and the SUS usability scale result are as follows:
Average time they spend to find an ideal bus to take from the current location to the destination
42.4 sec
Search for available bikes at the ideal station
22.7 sec
Average SUS usability scale score
56.87
Reorganizing information architecture and streamlining the user flow
Add functions to fit users needs, reducing the operating time
Improve the interface, making users easier to read and understand the information
Based on feedbacks and advise from users, I add new functions to the app such as “Save Favorite Bus Stops” and “Search Bus for Destination”
In addition, I organized the information structure based on users’ habits and usage frequency
I did wireframe for each main page on App
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▪️ Reorganize the functions of tab bar: Less-used functions are organized in "setting" button.
▪️ Change some of the icons and add descriptions for them to make them more understandable.
▪️ Most of the functions on Tab Bar are not frequently used by users, i.e., functions such as "download related app" and "change color style" on the tab bar.
▪️ Icons confused users often.
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▪️ Simplify the information of navigation bar in order to make the interface more clear and easier to use
▪️ User interface is quite old and the information display is crowded.
▪️ Too many functions present in the navigation bar which makes them look crowded.
▪️ Add search function: The app will show users the nearest bus stop as default. User can search the route of the bus by searching the destination
▪️ For now, users are only allowed to view bus route by entering the bus number first
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▪️ Users could find information in the shortest time, i.e.,“Save Favorite Bus Stops” allows users to catch related information immediately once they open the app
▪️ Using the app is time-consuming, i.e.,every time users want to search how long does a bus take to arrive at the stop, they have to enter the bus number first, entering the timeline page and scroll all the way to find the bus stop they are at
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▪️ Improve the overall interface to better convey information and add search function for users to look for specific bus stations, i.e., reorganize the interface for searching the available bikes at bike stations.
▪️ Current information of the page is quite messy. Some users barely know the name or the location of the bike station. To them, it is hard to find the bike station
I asked the 4 people to participate the usability test as a quantitative data to validate if the redesign is effective
Eventually, the result is as follows:
Search for the ideal bus to take from current location to destination
38.2 sec
(-4.2 sec)
Search for available bikes at the ideal station
20.1 sec
(-2.6 sec)
Average SUS usability scale score
71.25
(+20.63)
This is my first time executing usability test by myself. I should practice more on leading the whole process and produce the mockups which are more smooth
If I could collect 5~8 people or people who are older to participate the usability testing, the research would be more accurate and comprehensive.
It is helpful to understand the product deeply and find out pain-points by gathering feedbacks from app store and friends