Goodreads Research
In short
Research on the app Goodreads, which is a platform for book lovers to connect and discover new books.
Client
Personal Project
Research on the app Goodreads, which is a platform for book lovers to connect and discover new books.
Personal Project
Project type: Research
Team: Amanda, Dante, Ben, Jake
Skills used: Usability Testing, Participant Recruiting, User Interviews, Report Development, Persona Development, Heuristic Evaluation, Cognitive Walkthrough
Brief: Over the course of 10 weeks I was able to research usability flaws for the Goodreads mobile app. I worked with a team of four to analyze and test the application.
First, we conducted a website evaluation using heuristic evaluation and a cognitive walkthrough to identify potential usability issues and cognitive burdens within the app interface.
Following this, we engaged in user research by screening participants to ensure they aligned with our target audience. Through interviews, we explored their attitudes and behaviors towards books, reading habits, and their experiences with book-related apps.
Lastly, we conducted usability tests where participants were tasked with completing specific actions within the app. We measured task performance metrics such as completion time, errors made, user confidence, satisfaction levels, and overall task success to pinpoint areas of improvement within the app's usability and user experience.
By incorporating these methods and processes, we gained valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the Goodreads app, informing our recommendations for enhancing its usability and user experience.
1. Discover minor or severe problems on the goodreads app
2. Discover the positives that work on the goodreads app
3. Discover recommendations for the app
3 keys findings stuck out when we conducted our usability testing.
1. Users were confused where to specifically go.
Task: Please search for the following books and indicate that you would like to read these books in the future. Books: Fahrenheit 451, The Catcher and The Rye, The Great Gatsby, Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men.
Quotes
Participant: “What’s the difference between the discover and search tab?”
2. Users could not use the search bar to find a group.
Task: You want to connect with other people who enjoy watching Oprah. Find and join Oprah’s book club.
Quotes
Participants:
“It's easy to get lost on this page”
“Why isn’t it showing up?”
3. Users were not informed if their discussion was posted.
Task: You’re looking to discuss the book you’ve been reading recently. Please create a discussion within your new group that states, “I love this book”.
Quotes
Participants:
“I can’t find this.”
“....so far down on this page, wow.”
“Did that go through? Okay yeah it did.”
Reflecting on my experience with evaluating the Goodreads app, I found immense satisfaction in several aspects of the process. Designing screeners allowed me to improve participant selection, ensuring we gathered insights from users who truly represented our target audience. Crafting tasks for usability tests challenged me to think critically about the app's functionality and user flow, while running the tests themselves provided invaluable firsthand observations of user interactions.
However, as with any learning experience, I recognize areas for improvement. One notable aspect is my need to enhance my organizational skills during usability testing. There were instances where I overlooked crucial steps, such as resetting the app or accurately timing tasks, which impacted the reliability of our data. Moving forward, I aim to improve my attention to detail and simplify procedures to ensure consistency and accuracy. Additionally, I hope to prioritize quality over quantity when designing tasks, focusing on creating concise and meaningful assessments that produce useful insights to improve user experience. Through continuous learning and refinement, I am committed to honing my skills to become a more proficient UX researcher.
