User Testing #2

For my second user testing I decided to conduct a focus group. The focus group comprised of four third-year students from the University of Hertfordshire. I let them play around with Girl Online, asked them a series of questions and listened to their feedback.

Here is the Girl Online file my focus group viewed:

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Feedback

Question asked: How easy is the navigation through Girl Online?
Feedback:

• Overall users were happy with the navigation, they liked the different pathways and options they could pick and said it kept them interested - they also said it made them want to explore the piece again and again.
• There were a few issues they noted with the navigation which they explained futher down.

Question asked: Did the interface react as you expected to your input?
Feedback:

•  Yes, users all agreed that the interface did what they expected it to. They noted that they particularly liked the beginning where they could enter their names as it added a "personal touch".

Question asked: Did its appearance communicate its function clearly to you?
Feedback:

• On the phone scene there were too many images, users were confused on where they could go and what they could click on.
•  They also said that the diary scene was puzzling as there were many arrows, they said they were unsure on what arrow did what.

Question asked: What do you think of the visual style of Girl Online?
Feedback:

•  All participants said they liked the visual style - they noted that the collaging was fun and interesting and they liked the simplifying of images.
•  However, it was noted that in some places the visual style was different (for example - buttons and links sometimes looked different on different pages). They said that this caused my project to lack consistency.

Question asked: What are you opinions of the sound in Girl Online?

Feedback:

• All users agreed that more sound was needed - sound effects to add interest but also ambient sound to set the scene and mood.

Other feedback received:

•  Bedroom scene "lacked interest" and it was mentioned that users couldn't tell the gender of the protagonist from the bedroom - it was only until they opened the diary that they knew the main character was a girl.
•  End scene of voicemail & phone looked a little out of place and one participant mentioned that they "didn't understand the relevance" of it. Participants noted that it would be better to get rid of the scene and leave the ending on a cliff-hanger.