PROJECT BACKGROUND
Automobile industry is embracing the new technology, not only advanced HMI but also the IoT. SAIC was launching a new vehicle in Thailand together with a brand new mobile app which can be used to interact with the vehicle and receive vehicle information. We were discussing a HMI project with SAIC but noticed their app design and pointed out few potential problems. The client was immediately interested in our solution. I spent a day to make a project proposal and met with client to present. The client then decided to invite us and to help them improve mobile app experience.
The goal of the project was to:
Evaluate the Usability of the mobile solution
Identify problems areas, or key areas for optimization
Provide suggestions for improvements based on the findings
All of the above actions will be conducted in consideration of the Thai market
Process & deliverables
Initially, we proposed to conduct user research in Thailand. Due to the time and budget constraints, we agreed to do user research in China but recruiting Thais to participant in the research. On the other hand, as the client had an in-house design team, we were only responsible for usability testing and providing recommendations.
User Research Participants
Participants were filtered by screener questions and 7 Thai participants were recruited prior to testing.
Figuring Out Information Architecture
The client only provided the paper design, we organized and structured them according to user scenarios to understand the architecture and flow.
Test Preparation
We designed 12 test cases and we carefully measured several metrics such as task completion time, number of errors, satisfaction rates, number of steps, etc. to understand how well they could complete the tasks.
Prior to test day, we conducted a demo test session in our office to test the scenarios created, the equipment that was going to be used and to get a first impression from a non-related audience.
All the designs received from the design team, were printed out in color and was resized in order to imitate a real smart phone experience.
Testing
Most people tend to feel anxious and nervous when taking a test, especially when other people are observing. In order to create a comfortable and safe environment for the user we collaborated with a professional usability test lab and encourage participants to think out loud during the test.
We used a video camera to record the users’ gestures and responses so we could review in detail later. The clients were also invited to observe the testing sessions.
Major Findings
Navigation - registration processes were too long and required repeated information. The location of the main buttons didn’t stand out, size was too small and the color blended in the background. Too much text was used in places were icons could have been more beneficial.
Descriptions - not enough information was provided and the users were confused in many places, especially in regards to professional terminologies.
Localization - the design was created based on Chinese users’ standers. Many elements interpreted differently when it comes to the Thai audience such as: the map, icons, structure and even the colors.
Consistency - The design was inconsistent in many places including title names, colors, language, location of buttons and actions.
Aesthetic and minimalist design - the text should match the design and will only contain necessary wording. we found many place where the text is too long and doesn't fit its frame. Also, Text was used in places where an icon or picture could have been more appropriate.
User control and freedom - Throughout the design the user has a lot of freedom, however, user has to provide too much information in the registration process that requires too much time and the information could be difficult to locate.
Analysis & Documentation
In the report, we identified the issues that we found during the research, provided the data and figures to support our findings, and provided optimization recommendations respectively.
The report was delivered to client’s design team and they re-designed accordingly. We then had a 2nd round usability testing session to validate the optimized design.
