CHAMIRA PERERA
RECUR USABILITY STUDY
OVERVIEW
As an academic project, my team and I conducted a usability test for Fractal hub's habit tracking app called Recur. The app allows users to track and note habits they want to complete. Habits (henceforth referred to as Recurs) can be scheduled on specific days, and users can check-in to mark them as completed. The app offers gamification elements like point systems, charts, streaks, and high scores to enhance user engagement.
RESEARCH & IDEATION
To determine the appropriate test for understanding the Recur app, we interviewed the developer to gather information about their goals for the user experience. They emphasized the unique aspects of their habit tracking system, including gamification and team features. We also learned that the app had not undergone professional user experience research or evaluation. Based on this interview, our objective was to observe and analyze how users interacted with Recur's interface.
The developers of Recur highlighted the significance of the app's personal and team functions. As a result, our focus for the study revolved around three key aspects:
-
Observe interactions with the personal aspect of Recur, specifically in creating personal Recurs.
2.
Observe interactions with the team aspect of Recur, such as creating team Recurs
3.
See how users would navigate through the app
We chose post-secondary students as participants due to their struggle balancing academics, physical activity, & personal time. Given their struggles, we think they would benefit from using Recur to create habits for personal growth.
To evaluate these interactions, we conducted an in-person usability study using direct observation and the think-aloud method. Our approach involved recording observations through note-taking and audio recording while participants completed tasks, encouraging them to verbalize their thought process.
In-person user testing for app evaluation
PROBLEM STATEMENT
In this usability study, our aim was to assess university students' opinions on the application's functionality and determine its usability in terms of Learnability, Flexibility, Efficiency, and Satisfaction. We designed specific tasks to evaluate these constructs and collect data to improve the app.
STUDY
PARTICIPANT RECRUITING
We recruited eight SFU Surrey students, aged between 20 and 27 years, to participate in our study. These students acknowledged having multiple responsibilities and prior experience with habit tracking using various methods like phone alarms, calendars, and other habit apps. Additionally, participants expressed challenges maintaining their daily habits.
EVALUATION PROCESS
We scheduled 45-minute in-person usability studies with each participant at SFU's campus. The studies took place in study rooms, where evaluators provided task instructions, encouraged participants to vocalize their thoughts, and recorded observations through note-taking and audio recording.
We collected participant data through a pre-questionnaire and consent form. Here are some highlights:
Participants were assigned seven tasks to assess the personal and team features of the application. Each task was given sequentially upon completing the previous one. Participants were encouraged share their thoughts and reasoning during the study, providing valuable insights. After finishing the tasks, participants completed a post-study questionnaire and participated in a semi-structured interview to further discuss their experience and provide recommendations.
The task set was as follows:
Tasks 1 and 2 evaluate the personal aspect of the app, focusing on creating and editing a personal Recur.
Task 1: You would like to start reading at least 20 pages of a book every day. Building this habit is very important to you. How would you set up this habit?
Fill in Recur
Add a new Recur
Save Recur
Recur appears in dashboard
Task 2: You realize that Mondays are too busy to commit to reading on, you would like to adjust your current recur to skip Mondays. How would you do this?
Select menu & press edit
Select Recur to edit
Update and save Recur
Recurs updated to new days
Tasks 3-7 assessed the team functions, evaluating the users' ability to navigate this feature without confusion.
Task 3: You would like to create a group with your friend. Please use this email: chamiraperera97@gmail.com
Select 'Add new Team'
Team made
Press info
Fill in team info and press save
Enter email & press add
Participant added
Task 4: Everyone in your group wants to commit to doing 10 pushups every day except for Sundays. How would you set this up?
Choose Team
Team Recur page
Navigate to Recur page & press add button
Fill in Recur & press save
Task 5: You have done your push ups for the day, and would like to enter this into the app.
Choose Team
Press Check in
Team Recur stats update
Task 6: After adding your pushups, you want to see if your friends have been keeping up with the team habit as well. You notice they haven’t, how would you remind them through the app.
Choose Team
Press Nudge on Stats page
Animation to Nudge team member
Task 7: You realize the time you are notified of your habits is conflicting with other events in your day. Change the time you are notified about your habits to 2PM.
Go to Dashboard & choose settings
Select 'Notification Time'
Choose new time & save
A post-questionnaire, including a modified System Usability Score survey, was used to gather participants' feedback and perceptions of the application interface.
RESULTS
In the pre-questionnaire, all 8 participants reported having multiple daily responsibilities, and 7 out of 8 had prior experience with habit tracking. They used various methods, including digital tools like Coda, Notion, Google Calendar, and food tracking apps, as well as paper planners and notepads.
The post-questionnaire included a System Usability Score survey that measured participants' perception of the interface using a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 representing strongly disagree and 5 representing strongly agree.
System Usability Score
Participants were asked to provide written feedback on what they liked and disliked about the interface.
Participant Feedback
The usability study revealed both positive & negative results regarding the interface across the four measured constructs.
Efficiency: Creating a team Recur is less efficient due to the need to navigate to the team page, which adds extra steps and reduces the interface's efficiency. Participants suggested choosing the team for a Recur directly from the 'Create a Recur' page for improved efficiency.
Process of creating Team Recur
Satisfaction: Post-study interviews & questionnaires revealed frustrations with aspects of the app. Participants found the interface visually appealing but were dissatisfied when doing basic tasks. Confusion arose when navigating the team's page to create a team Recur, and many participants desired a unified "Create a Recur" page for both personal and team use.
Checking into a Team Recur
Learnability: Participants showed quick understanding & learnability when interacting with personal Recurs. However, challenges team Recurs happened often, as participants mistakenly assumed the process was the same as personal Recurs when that wasn't the case.
That's not what I was expecting. I thought that when I hit create I would be taken to the next step which is to add people to the team.
- Participant quote
Flexibility: Customizing notifications posed challenges as users were unable to adjust specific Recur times. Instead, there was a universal notification time for all Recurs, regardless of personal or team. Participants expressed a desire for greater control over Recur times.
One set time for all Recurs
IMPROVEMENT AREAS
Based on the identified usability issues and study data, we recommend implementing interface changes to enhance the overall application experience.
1. Streamline the process of creating a team by including the add team members step
Add user to team
New section for adding team members
Participants were confused when creating a team as they were not prompted to add team members during the team creation process. We recommend including this step to ensure a seamless team creation experience.
2. Update confusing language found across the application
We recommend using user-friendly language to enhance the application's accessibility, especially for new users who may be prone to abandoning the app.
3. Introduce individual notifications times for Recurs rather than having one universal notification
We recommend implementing a feature that allows users to set individual notification times for each Recur. This feature should also provide the option to disable notifications for specific Recurs.
4. Reduce the number of onboarding slides and make the slides more concise & clean
Participants found the onboarding slides lengthy and confusing. The terms "Recur" and "daily design" remained unclear even after the study, indicating the ineffectiveness of the slides. We recommend redesigning the onboarding slide with concise wording and clear headings for better information conveyance.
LESSONS LEARNED
This project taught me the importance of usability testing and allowed me to experience various roles involved in conducting a usability study. Interviewing users helped me learn different techniques, such as talk-aloud, for a more comprehensive testing experience. Evaluating constructs like learnability, efficiency, and satisfaction provided valuable insights into interface evaluation. One challenge was refraining from providing excessive assistance to participants, which could have affected their interaction with the app. Overall, I was pleased with the usability test results and our group's ability to offer valuable feedback and suggestions for improving the user experience of the Recur app.
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