Usability Report for Boston Discovery Guide’s Website
Through real user feedback, this in-depth usability report identifies key pain points and opportunities for website improvement.
Description
Goals
The Boston Discovery Guide is designed to help both tourists and locals explore the city through attractions, events, and travel tips. However, usability challenges within the site made it difficult for users to quickly access the information they needed, often leading to frustration and disengagement. To address this, I conducted an in-depth usability analysis that combined research insights with real user feedback. This process uncovered key pain points in navigation, content organization, and overall user experience, guiding the development of targeted solutions to improve the site’s accessibility and value.
Streamline navigation to make it easier for users to find relevant information.
Clarify content organization to create a more intuitive structure.
Enhance overall usability to support both tourists and locals.
Strengthen the site’s role as a trusted, go-to resource for exploring Boston.
Part 1
Executive Summary
Method of Evaluation
To evaluate the site, I used a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, including personas, interviews, surveys, card sorting, diary studies, heuristic evaluation, and usability testing. This multi-method approach revealed how users navigate the site, where they encounter difficulties, and how the information architecture could be improved. Together, these insights provided a strong foundation for the analysis and recommendations.
Analysis of Results
The research confirmed major navigation and usability challenges, including cluttered categories, unclear labels, and difficulty locating key information. Card sorting and usability tests revealed that the site’s current structure doesn’t match user expectations, leading to confusion, excessive scrolling, and longer task times. Key improvements include clearer category organization, a calendar-style event listing, and a more intuitive search and filtering system.
Recommendations
To improve usability, the site’s navigation should be streamlined by consolidating overlapping categories, clarifying labels, and introducing intuitive subcategories. Key features such as calendar-based event listings, improved filtering for hotels and attractions, and clear, concise presentation of essential details will make information easier to find and compare. These updates will create a more organized, user-friendly experience that reduces frustration and helps visitors plan their trips more efficiently.
Part 2
Analysis
The Current Site
The Boston Discovery Guide provides travel information, recommendations, and event listings to help both tourists and locals explore the city. While it offers rich, regularly updated content, issues like overlapping categories, lengthy text, and information overload make navigation difficult. A more structured, user-friendly layout would improve clarity, engagement, and the site’s value as a trusted trip-planning resource.
Target Audience
The intended audience for the Boston Discovery Guide includes tourists planning their visit who want to make the most of Boston’s attractions and experiences, as well as local residents seeking new activities, deals, and events. The site caters to anyone looking for reliable, organized information to easily discover and enjoy what the city has to offer.
The users need a website that is easy to navigate, allowing them to quickly find information on attractions, events, accommodations, and travel resources. To convert website users into repeat visitors by satisfying their needs, the site must meet the following user requirements:
Need for visually appealing structure and content across the website
Need to scan information and dig deeper quickly
Need a fast-loading site that is easy to navigate, explore, and compare options
Need up-to-date information
Need budget-friendly options
Need a clear understanding of pricing and location information of events and hotels
Competitor Analysis
A competitive analysis compared Boston Discovery Guide to similar travel websites, revealing strong navigation and comprehensive content coverage. However, overwhelming subcategories, visually unappealing layouts, and the absence of features like testimonials and press releases hinder the ability to stand out among other websites. By refining content organization and adding these features, the site could stand out among its competitors.
Part 3
User Research Methods
1.) Interview Study
I gathered insights into how people used the site and the challenges they faced. Through one-on-one interviews, I collected qualitative data from users who frequently visited travel guide websites, including their pain points and expectations.
2.) Survey Study
I collected feedback from a broad audience about their experience navigating the site. The surveys included multiple-choice and open-ended questions to capture both quantitative trends and qualitative insights on the site’s usability.
3.) Diary Study
I observed users over an extended period and documented their frustrations and successes. Participants recorded their experiences using the site over several days, highlighting recurring issues with navigation, event listings, and content organization.
4.) Heuristic Evaluation
I observed users over an extended period and documented their frustrations and successes. Participants recorded their experiences using the site over several days, highlighting recurring issues with navigation, event listings, and content organization.
5.) Card Sorting
I observed users over an extended period of time and documented their frustrations and successes. They recorded their experiences with the site, highlighting repeated issues related to navigation, event listings, and content organization.
6.) Usability Testing
I observed how real users interacted with the site by assigning them specific tasks and watching their behavior. Users were asked to complete common travel planning activities, like finding a hotel or locating event details, and I documented their struggles and successes to guide design improvements. Task completion rates were recorded to measure how efficiently they could navigate the site, revealing insights into navigation complexity and content organization.
Reflection & Next Steps
This project gave me valuable experience in analyzing usability challenges and understanding how real users interact with a website. The research highlighted the importance of clear information hierarchy and intuitive pathways for target users. Overall, the process reinforced the value of combining qualitative and quantitative insights to create a more user-friendly experience.
Moving forward, the next phase will focus on redesigning the site’s navigation and content structure to address the usability issues uncovered. Creating wireframes and prototypes will allow for iterative testing, ensuring improvements align with user needs. Additional rounds of usability testing with high-fidelity prototypes will help refine the design and validate that the updated structure makes the site easier and more enjoyable to use.