Torrens University Australia
An enhanced app navigation experience of a learning management system
Learn Anywhere From Your Phone
UX Designer
Web Application
Client
College Project
My role
UX Designer
Duration
March - May 2023
Skills
UX Research
User Testing
Prototyping
UI Design
Tools
Figma
Figjam
Illustrator
Photoshop
Google Form
UX Metrics
Overview
The focus is to redesign the mobile platform interface of Torrens University’s website because the current. Torrens University is an educational institution located in Australia that offers educational programs at both university and vocational levels.
Project Brief
Redefine, prototype, develop and design an entire Blackboard subject for the mobile application.
Identified problems:
The development of the mobile app was completed, but it didn’t meet the expected standards as per the feedback from the stakeholders and students. Therefore, the decision was made to discontinue further development of the app.
Design Process
Provided Personas Details
Hypotheses
Problem Insights
Having identified each persona and their likely interaction with the web app, I have compiled a summary of their main issues, proposed solutions, and suggested features to address their needs.
Research
Market Research
Competitor Insight
Pain Points:
- Difficult to use
- Hard to get used to the system
- Sometimes users do not get notifications from messages
- Bad support system
- Slow system
Strengths:
- The design looks modern
- Great UI
- An intuitive interface
- A vast content library
- Easy installation
- Easy to customise
Opportunities:
- An intuitive design
- Easy to use on multiple platforms
- Easy to communicate
- System support
- A quick action panel
- LMS gamification
Kano Analysis
A quantitative research study was conducted to determine the most desirable and important features of the LMS. The study involved surveying both current and past students who use the LMS. A total of 20 participants were surveyed, and 6 features were tested.
Card Sorting
The study involved a hybrid card sorting method that utilised predefined categories, while also allowing participants to add new categories to the list. The test was conducted on the UX Metrics website and involved 8 participants.
Do-Go Map
Service Blueprint
Torrens' Current Website Information Architecture
To gain a better understanding of the current structure of the Torrens website, I created an information architecture diagram. This helped me to prioritise important menus and identify any unnecessary steps in the user journey.
Ideation
Design Option Concept: Sketches
After analysing the current information architecture, I came up with multiple design layout ideas for placing the proposed features. I then conducted an unmoderated survey through Google Forms where participants were asked to choose their preferred layout and provide reasoning. The purpose of this survey was to determine which design layout would be more suitable for future development. The survey received a total of seven responses.
Initial Prototype
The chosen design was used to create a prototype based on the feedback received from the survey respondents.
User Testing
Purpose of the test
To determine whether the current prototype effectively addresses existing problems and to test the proposed features.
Testing methods
This is a moderated testing via Zoom call. The estimated testing duration is between 10 – 15 minutes. Before doing the tasks, there are two questions relating to the experience of LMS. They will then be instructed to complete three different tasks. Finally, participants will be asked to provide feedback on their overall experience.
Testing objectives
- The concept the idea
- The flow
- The pain point
Participants
There are 5 participants for this user testing. All of the participants are current Torrens students.
Tasks
Task 1: Sending a message to a friend.
Hypotheses:
- Users are able to get there quickly.
- Users won’t feel confused looking for the ‘Messages’ menu.
Expected journey:
- On the dashboard, click on ‘Messages’.
- Search/click on the friend’s name.
- Send a message.
Task 2: Checking on the task list of a specific subject.
Hypotheses:
- Users are able to get there without getting lost.
- Users are able to see the list of tasks.
Expected journey:
- On the dashboard ‘My Courses’, click on the name of the subject.
- On the subject’s main page, scroll a little bit to see the list of tasks.
Task 3: Navigate to the accessibility settings.
Hypotheses:
- Users are able to get there without getting lost.
Expected journey:
- Click on the hamburger menu.
- Click on the ‘Accessibility’.
Overall conclusion
- Participants like the platform’s concept, design, and flow
- Easy navigation and clean layout are appreciated
- Carousel main banner and direct subject access are nice features
- Calendar feature could be improved by showing only important events
- Frequently used links at the bottom of dashboard are appreciated
- Notification screen is well-designed but can have fewer filter options
- Hamburger menu includes necessary options and is easy to use
- Side menu on subject screen is appreciated by most participants
Revised Prototype
Upon considering the feedback, I made revisions to the prototype, but only made minor adjustments since the majority of participants found the design easy to navigate and appreciated its overall appearance.
Homepage
- Changes made to weekly schedule on homepage
- Only displays important events
- Other events can be viewed on calendar page
- Users can easily see all tasks for all subjects on calendar page
- Minor changes made to font size and ‘see all’ menu option
Notifications
- Changes made to the notifications layout based on participant feedback.
- Notifications are now separated by date to make them easier to navigate.
- Addresses concerns about overwhelming options with the addition of more subjects.
Messages
- Participant 5 suggested chat options for students/teachers
- Tried adding filters but kept current design
- Added brackets with teacher’s title for clarity
Next Steps
- Adding more interactions.
- Test the prototype to see if any of the interactions is confusing.