Based on a heuristic evaluation, I have determined that Goodreads.com has functionality and design problems that can cause dissatisfaction and frustration in users.
The website must be evaluated and tested to find the root problems, discover users’ preferences, and observe how users interact with the website. The purpose of this is to gather data to identify the website’s most important issues so that solutions can be drafted. If successful solutions are implemented, the website can be improved and users’ satisfaction can increase.
To begin analyzing the usability of the Goodreads website, I conducted a heuristic evaluation following the Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics and his severity scale of 0 – 4. This evaluation allowed me to identify usability issues with the site's user interface and begin user research.
In order to gather data on current and potential users, I created and distributed a survey using Google Forms and received 9 responses. The survey comprised 13 questions that gathered demographic information and user preferences, goals, and frustrations.
From my survey results, I identified three audience segments: Frequent Reader, Casual Reader, and New Reader. Using the data I had gathered, I created three personas to represent each audience segment.
I wrote three user stories for each audience segment including criteria to accomplish each goal. These user stories helped define the specific wants and needs of users of the website.
As a frequent reader, I want to log all the books I’ve read so that I can keep track of what books, genres, and authors I’ve read.
In preparation of conducting user tests, I created the following testing materials:
I conducted usability tests on five participants and recorded data and my observations. I was then able to collect my findings and categorize the severity of each issue identified.
Based on all my findings, I created a prototype in Figma to address the issues I had identified with the website.
To present my research, I created a stakeholder presentation to outline my entire process and highlight my recommendations to improve the Goodreads website.
The purpose of analyzing and conducting user tests on the Goodreads website is to gather the necessary data to make usability recommendations. These recommendations aim to improve the usability of the site and increase user satisfaction. Users’ experience interacting with a website is important and determines the success of the product.
I believe that Goodreads should implement these recommendations and consider my prototype design in order to fix the major issues found during my user tests. It is essential to address these problems promptly to avoid users associating the Goodreads brand with their negative experiences. My recommendations have the potential to improve users’ experience using the site which can reflect positively on the brand.
