PARENTS FORWARD Site Evaluation
Problem: Parents Forward, a class scheduling website for court-ordered parents, is challenging and unintuitve to navigate leaving most users frustrated and wanting to give up.
Solution: Create a more navigable site with clearer heuristics and a welcoming vibe.
Methods: Heuristic Evaluation, Remote Usability Testing, In-person Lab Usability Testing, Card Sorting
Tools: Sketch, Axure, Join.Me, Zoom, Trello
BACKGROUND
Parents Forward is intended to support parents who have been court-ordered to take parenting classes that address their particular individual or family challenges. To address this, they have created a public web database that allows users to search for verified, evidence-based parent-training courses which fit their needs. They want to reduce or eliminate the number of parent-reported challenges (e.g., language, transportation, cost, availability) that are present in the search process, as well as hopes to gather more accurate data regarding classes in order to maintain enrollment and grant support for their continuation. To do this, Parents Forward has set the following goals:
Provide clear and accurate information about available parenting classes
Assist users with identifying and registering for available parenting classes
Increase parent-enrollment in available classes
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
After initial review and heuristic analysis of the Parents Forward website, four main research objectives were developed. They aim at improving the experience users have with the Parents Forward website. Evaluation methods, main findings, and recommendations are noted below.
Learn more about users’ understanding of sites purpose and generate ways in which the site’s value could be more clearly communicated to users.
Identify pain points and opportunities for improving the course selection and registration process.
Gain insights into Parents Forward’s communication and ability at reducing family challenges as a barrier to class attendance.
Parents Forward strives to help families be their best. Determine how does the user feel while interacting with the site.
EVALUATION METHODS
Participants were recruited based on occupation and availability. Using general audience recruitment, participants were found using social networks and friends and family. Half of the users interviewed were parents, 2/10 were social workers and 70% were female and 30% male.
Heuristics Analysis
Initial review of Parents forward prompted the following evaluation criteria: context, aesthetically appropriate and appealing, consistency and standard, match between system and the real world, help/search, and visibility.
Positive and negative usability insights were noted and hypothesis were drawn.
Remote User Testing
6 users were tested.
User Testing was conducted remotely using join.me and zoom.
Team members each moderated and took notes for 2 users.
In-person User Testing
4 users were tested.
User Testing was conducted at Fathom Consulting.
Sessions were recorded using zoom and screen shared with team member in observation room.
Card sorting was used to gauge user’s on their most wanted website features.
Team members took turns moderating, note taking and observing.
MAIN FINDINGS + RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on user testing, the following are the most prominent recommendations based on the findings. Findings are rated on a severity scale of low, medium and high. Recommendations for the findings are rated on a cost scale of low, medium, and high cost of implementation.
Enhance Navigation
Educate Users
Create Consistency
A severity and cost implementation graph showcases the results and recommendations for Parents Forward. Findings are shown in regular font and recommendations are bolded.
PROPOSED SITE CHANGES
The most prominent change, is a welcoming homepage, paired with information on getting started or logging in. There’s also a navigation bar to aide users in their search.
Class types would be found on separate pages. Group classes would feature informative class descriptions and more map integration where users could send themselves directions. Both class types would feature a more streamlined registration process directly on the Parents Forward site.
CONCLUSION
Parents Forward is making a difference, and with a few improvements, their ability to positively impact families in Travis County can be even greater.
Focusing on high severity and low implantation cost will have a quick impact. Adding a navigation bar, ‘About Us’ section, class descriptions, and streamlined registration process will create a more pleasant user experience. This has the ability increase class registration and attendance, leading to successful parents and happy, healthy families.