Helpster

A desktop and mobile app that puts live, trusted experts for various topics at your fingertips.

PRINCIPLES APPLIED

Competitive Analysis
User Research
User Personas
User Flows and Journey mapping
Wireframing and Prototyping
Usability Testing

TOOLS USED

Pen and Paper
Balsamiq
Sketch
InVision
Photoshop
OptimalSort
Powerpoint

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Problem statement

Our app users need a way to have quick and personalized answers to their questions from trusted experts because for them, getting the right answer on the net is problematic and vague.

Potential solutions

An app that allows users to get connected to a trusted expert in real time, via chats, calls or video calls. The app can also have a section or similar questions that the users can browse. It should also enable the users, if they choose to, to keep the interaction private.

Discovery

Competitive Analysis

To get an idea of what users might expect from my App, I did an evaluation of a few existing applications related to my project. This gave me a better idea of the field and what’s already out there.

User Stories

In order to simplify the product requirements down to small, readable and executable parts, I created User stories. Each of these stories explains a specific action a certain type of user can take within my application.

Surveys + Interviews

Process

I started by a survey, then did the interview. I got 11 answers for my survey and completed the interview with 3 people. The 2 ways of research completed each other, I learned so much about the different users and their needs.

The interview was a good way to dig deep and develop some questions I already asked in the survey, and it helped also hearing an example of people’s experiences and pain points.

Research Goals

Identifying user’s general attitudes when they have a problem to resolve or a question to ask
Identify which websites/applications users currently use to have experts’ answers related to their questions
Documenting users opinions on competing experts sites or apps
Determine the difficulties the users encounter while seeking an experts answer
Determine how these difficulties could be resolved and which features should be integrated into the app.

User Research Analysis

User Personas

I created user personas to give my research a human face and narrative. This way the research will be more memorable and the potential users of my App will always have a place when it comes to design decisions.

Each one of the 3 unique personas created represents a different audience group for my project.

User Journey Map

After defining the key goals of each persona, I created user journey maps to visualize the processes a user goes through in order to accomplish those goals in an engaging way.

Concepting

User Flow

Before heading into the information architecture phase of my project, I designed user flows for the important tasks our users need to complete.

Card Sorting

I conducted a digital card sorting test using OptimalSort. I used an open card sorting test with 5 participants, by creating 26 cards.

The purpose of this card sorting is to evaluate and generate ideas for the information architecture of my App. The participants are asked to organize content topics into categories that make the most sense.

Sitemap

The card sorting was very helpful to test my Sitemap and to have new ideas about how to organize my categories, based on participants feedback.

Wireframes

Prototyping and user testing

Usability testing and A/B testing

INTRODUCTION

Usability testing on the Expert app prepared and conducted by Alaa Tellat both remotely and in person on Tuesday, July 7 and Wednesday,August 2, 2018.

GOALS

The goal of this study is to test the learnability and the Efficiency of the app.

Since the users will be discovering the app for the first time, the test will help me observe and measure if they understand the app, if they are able to accomplish basic tasks, the average amount of time it takes them to complete a given task, and determine the pain points, in order to fix it.

TEST OBJECTIVES

•Determine if the participants are able to accomplish basic tasks (create an account, find experts…)

•Determine the amount of time the participants need to accomplish each tasks

•Check if the participants are able to locate the different functions of the app

•Determine the pain points, and the tasks that needs to be simplified

•Check if the participants understand the vocabulary used

•Were the participants generally satisfied with the app?

METHODOLOGY

The study was held at my office and was conducted as moderated, both in-person tests and remote tests using Skype.

The test will include a short briefing, task performance with Expert conducted on a mobile app, and a debriefing.

Participants and Schedule

I tested 6 participants who were recruited through my network, via email and texts. They’re located in different counties, with different backgrounds, to ensure they fit with the user personas of Expert.

A/B Testing