PROJECT 2:
USER RESEARCH
Andres Benites Sam Fulwider Hope Winchell February 10th , 2020
PROJECT 2 / USER RESEARCH
ELEVATE https://www.elevateapp.com
The Elevate application, is a learning application that allows its users to develop their skills in academics. From Mathematics to Language, the Elevate application offers a
CONTENTS
elevateapp.com
3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 INTERVIEW PROCESS 5 INFORMED CONSENT 5 AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING 6 USER PERSONAS 9 FINDINGS 10 GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS 11 APPENDICES
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROCESS: Our project team conducted an extensive task-focused contextualized interview process with six (6) different users. These interviews served the purpose of compiling multiple user evaluations of the Elevate User Interface on the basis of its usability, desirability, and functionality. Interviews typically lasted between 20-30 minutes and consisted of different sections of varied questioning (structured in an hour-glass model), obtaining consent from the user, and user interaction with the application. These processes, detailed further on in this document, were conducted the week of February 2nd, 2020.
APP DESCRIPTION: Elevate is a mobile app that allows any user to “Train their Brain” through different games and activities for the purposes of honing different areas of brain development. These being: Writing, Speaking, Reading, and Math. Completing activities adds to the scores accumulated in these different areas, called proficiency quotients. The proficiency quotients track performance and are then divided into six subsequent proficiency levels, ranging from 0-5000 (based on game performance, training consistency, and game variety). The levels are as follows: Novice [0-1250, Intermediate [1250-2500], Advanced [2500-3750], Expert [3750-4259], and Master [4750-5000].
SUMMARIZED FINDINGS: The user disliked (in a general sense): - Confused by the complexity of the app’s
The user liked (in a general sense): - The application’s playful and interactive UI
performance tracking - Distracted, with an already fragmented attention span - Bored by the elongated onboarding process - Constricted by the app’s limited nature in its “free version”
- The application’s functionality - Varied/individualized game format - The feeling that they can stop/start at their own convenience
MOTIVATION: In P2 we wanted to find out what non experts thought of the application and see what the “naked eye” enjoyed and didn’t enjoy. After brainstorming and coming up with an interview protocol, we as a team went out and did one on one interviews with users. We wanted to discover what these different users thought of the application. We also wanted insight about their daily habits, routines, and whether or not they participated in brain training game applications already. As a group we completed a total of six personal interviews and then combined our findings to discover if there was any crossover between our results from P1 and P2. From these findings we could target and address the issues that the application already consisted of.
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METHODS
1. INTERVIEW PROCESS Our Elevate Review Team interviewed six (6) individual users for feedback on the Elevate application. The participants varied between full-time students, part-time professionals/part time students, and full time professionals. Those who were students were diverse: Underclassmen as well as those currently enrolled in graduate school, and those in between, were represented. Before initializing the interview process, our group determined our key user demographics, and the set of predetermined “screener questions” used to designate those individuals who were receptive to the sorts of daily activities (“Brain Training”) housed in Elevate. Please see enclosed Planning for User Interviews for Evaluation Form shown in Appendix A, for further details and information. Finding those willing to spend the time for our interview process was surprisingly cumbersome. All of those in our group attempted to find those willing in common spaces across campus (i.e. Richardson Library, DePaul Commissaries, and different Elevate is a cognitive brain training app that CTA stations); these efforts proved fruitful as we were able to find interviewees. Howallows you to train with a variety of games ever, it was noticeable that people weren’t appreciative of us approaching them when your skills. designed to strengthen they are on their commute, doing work, or minding their own business. For future research purposes, it may be useful to start finding interview subjects in earlier scheduled group meetings. Although, we eventually found the users that were needed to meet the report’s requirements.
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METHODS 2. INFORMED CONSENT In each instance of obtaining consent from interviewees, participants were given the Informed Consent form generated by our team. Due to privacy reasons, they chose to decline giving out their signature in writing. Noticing that interviewees were reticent to sign the form, our group chose to obtain verbal consent in place of written consent. We found that this informality gave users greater assurance that their personal information would not be used for other purposes than this study. In all six cases, the participants were either asked for consent or read the verbal agreement themselves on our audio recordings.
3. AFFINITY DIAGRAMMING (DATA ANALYSIS METHOD) To better organize and analyze the differing qualitative/quantitative data that our group received from their interviews, we created an affinity diagram. To make it a more freely collaborative work environment we used the online whiteboard application, Miro. This allowed each member of the group to access and add to the diagram at their convenience. Our team created large groups of different themes (for example: usage and games) for sorting the collected information from our interviews. Through the group’s revision process, our affinity diagram was narrowed down to overall themes and specific themes related to the Elevate application.
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METHODS 4. USER PERSONAS (RESEARCH METHOD)
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METHODS 4. USER PERSONAS (RESEARCH METHOD)
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METHODS 4. USER PERSONAS (RESEARCH METHOD)
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FINDINGS
For our group’s findings section, we decided that to best represent our data, three user personas would be created. Each of these personas act as aliases for the sake of presenting different potential users and their preferences in an such as Elevate. The personas are types of people that have unique identities that are modeled off the user behavior, expectations, and motivations of those users we interviewed. Our group thought personas would be useful because they represent demographics the Elevate application is built for. While these are not real people, the sentiment, the events depicted, and the problems raised were taken directly from our interviews with users. Our affinity diagram was used to find common themes present in the data and organize them accordingly. These areas of importance are then highlighted in the frustrations and pain points of the user personas, as well as the profile in its entirety. These personas/scenarios were constructed to best communicate the users that would interact with Elevate, and the potential pitfalls the app would present.
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APPENDIX A) USER INTERVIEW SCRIPT
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APPENDIX A) USER INTERVIEW SCRIPT
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APPENDIX A) USER INTERVIEW SCRIPT
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APPENDIX A) USER INTERVIEW SCRIPT
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APPENDIX B) AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
STEP 1
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APPENDIX b) AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
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APPENDIX B) AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
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APPENDIX B) AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
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