IdeasTap: Prototyping and user research

By building and refining workable prototypes according to extensive user research, our iterative approach to the IdeasTap network ensured that it exceeded the expectations of its 30,000 registered users.

Ensuring that user needs and expectations are met is the key for any web service, especially when the success of the service is dependent on users being able to easily share ideas and collaborate on projects.

Reviewing user needs does not always stop once the product goes live. The most successful and vibrant communities regularly conduct research with their user base to discover whether the existing layout and functionality is still serving and fulfilling the expectations of the community.

The review process was particularly relevant when Cimex worked with the Peter DeHaan Charitable Trust to build IdeasTap, a complex community and networking application.

Phases I and II

The first phase of IdeasTap was launched without any registered users as a pilot site. As the membership grew, we received a large amount of user feedback. After analysing this feedback, we were able to determine:

• the pieces of functionality that satisfied user requirements
• the changes to existing functionality that needed to be made
• the new functionality that needed to be created

This information led to a number of technical enhancements and additions, including enhanced search functionality and more information fields on a user’s profile, to the public-facing site and the content management system. These changes were delivered over a period of five months.

A formal user survey

Towards the end of the second phase of development, we decided to carry out another round of user research.

Cimex created an online survey that was sent to 8,000 users to gauge their opinions of the existing website and to state what changes they would like to see if the site was redesigned.

With responses from around 700 users, the survey gave both Cimex and the IdeasTap team a clearer insight into how the actual user requirements compared to the ones that we originally perceived to be important.

After analysing the results, we identified that users weren’t entirely happy with the navigation and design of the site, but were passionate about the concept and the possibilities of the network.

The user feedback provided the following guiding principles for the re-design of the IdeasTap site. These principles were to:

• ‘open up’ the site, allowing potential users to see as much of the site as possible without having to create a user account
• ensure that members had as much control over their privacy settings as they need
• allow users to import content from existing social networks, such as Flickr
• allow members to introduce other members to each other
• encourage positive contribution and collaboration
• allow the network’s member to decide when behaviour is inappropriate or abusive

Protoyping new functionality

Each piece of new or amended functionality in Phase III was prototyped. Messaging, networking and portfolio features were created in a number of different styles. These were then evaluated by the client alongside the results of the user survey to ensure they worked in the most appropriate way.

The result

In an online community such as IdeasTap, many pieces of functionality work together to produce a positive user experience. Utilising prototypes in a phased approach allowed technical developers and user experience specialists to keep track of changes to one piece of functionality that might have a knock-on effect on a number of others.

By regularly reviewing the components of IdeasTap with PDHCT and against user expectations, every learning point was used to improve the product.

The latest version of the IdeasTap community is a shining example of how this iterative approach to user experience pays off in the long-run. The networking tools feel instantly familiar and work in tandem with each other, while the specialist portfolio functionality is immediately intuitive and allows users to import content from their other social networks.

Published: 28 May 2010

Tags: Customer insight