Connecticut Family Orthopedics offers a variety of orthopedic care to its patients including urgent care, surgery and physical therapy. The website provides patient information about the practice to existing patients as well as potential patients. The current site offers access to the patient portal, request an appointment and information about the team. There are a lot of useful resources but needs updating for a better user experience. Usability testing was conducted taking a deep look into the design, functionality, navigation, and content. Recommendations for a website redesign are included. The analysis concludes that several improvements can be made to meet the users’ needs.
Methods of Evaluation
The executive summary contains the following items that show where the current website design can improve and analysis on users’ wants, needs and expectations:
| · Competitor analysis
· Personas and scenarios · A proposed interview study · A proposed website user survey |
· A card sorting study
· A proposed diary study · Heuristic website evaluation · Usability testing sessions report |
Analysis Results
The competitive analysis shows that the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website is similar to the other practice’s websites from a content perspective. From a design perspective, there are some areas which the other sites are doing better, such as how the competitors sites have subtle tones such as grey with blue headings and a much smaller heading image. Connecticut Family Orthopedics had the longest navigation bar with 8 drop down categories with several sub topics under each. These should be consolidated with stronger categories to make them easier to navigate and moving the main navigation up to the top of the page. With the main phone number up top, there is no need for the large buttons in the top of the page as most of the information can be easily found in the navigation.
The participants in the card sorting study found the navigation to be lengthy as well as feeling there were too many separate options located at the top of the site. They found it overwhelming and confusing when looking for a particular topic. The lack of a search function also contributed to their frustration. Each participant grouped the topics in 5-6 categories verse the current site having 7 navigation tabs and 6 separate links at the top of the page. Participants had similar suggestions for the categories although different views on topics beneath each category. Based on the results, Connecticut Family Orthopedics should consider consolidating the navigation and eliminating the separate links at the top. The separate links create confusion and overwhelm the user.
Participants in the usability study stated that the website has a lot of useful information for their patients on their site. However, the pages are very busy and unorganized. Too much going on created frustration for the participants. Pages need to be organized in smaller navigation with appropriate naming convention as seen in the card sorting exercise. The design needs to be cleaner and more consistent with a responsive design as well as a usable search function for the user.
The content throughout the site is simply written but without specific information related to each category. Organizing the site with relevant information for each category or topic will create a smoother experience for the user.
Recommendations
Suggestions include reducing the clutter on the home page, adding a search function and making the site responsive. Well defined categories, easier to read content with bulleted lists and condensed images to bring the relevant content above the fold. A cohesive, clean design will need to be deployed across all the website’s pages. Existing content should be reviewed and amended to adhere to digital best practices including accessibility.
- Accessibility
- Responsive design
- Create clean overall design with subtle color variations of blue and grey
- Condense image size to move content above fold
- Remove top buttons and place in navigation which will be moved up
- Consolidate the navigation
- Rename categories in navigation for ease of use
- Highlight 2-3 important information topics at top with remaining in condensed navigation
- Search function to find key topics easily
- Email sign up for newsletter
Competitor Analysis
A competitive analysis is the analysis of competitors and how the businesses compare. By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of competition, we are able to find a competitive advantage. The Connecticut Family Orthopedic website was compared to competitive practices to assess what is working and what can be improved. View full analysis
Business and marketing requirements are that the user should be able to easily view the specialties, doctors and access the patient portal for their records as well as to pay their bill. The site needs to be responsive to be viewed easily on laptop, mobile and tablet. They should be able to navigate the site easily to find the different pages and research the facility before visiting. Outpatient services such as therapy should be easy to access and if questions arise, be able to find the contact information quickly.
The Connecticut Family Orthopedics website is similar to the other practice’s websites from a content perspective. From a design perspective, there are some areas which the other sites are doing better, such as how the competitors sites have subtle tones such as grey with blue and a much smaller heading image. Connecticut Family Orthopedics had the longest navigation bar with 8 drop down categories with several sub topics under each. These should be consolidated with stronger categories to make them easier to navigate and moving the main navigation up to the top of the page. With the main phone number up top, there is no need for the large buttons in the top of the page as most of the information can be easily found in the navigation.
Personas and Scenarios
A Persona is a fictional representation of an actual user or perspective patient of Connecticut Family Orthopedics website. These personas will help drive design decisions by viewing common user needs and bringing them to the forefront of planning before design has actually started. In this study, three personas of potential Connecticut Family Orthopedics users were analyzed. The three personas ranged in age and life stages to gain insight of who the user of the website is and what their needs are. View Personas
Interview
Interviews are essential to having a better understanding of the users’ needs. Interview users with a script and questions will help to gain insight in how clients of Connecticut Family Orthopedics interact with the site and what their needs are.
- Which features are most important to visitors of Connecticut Family Orthopedics?
- How can Connecticut Family Orthopedics improve the navigation and experience for its users?
- What would make the website a helpful resource for patients going through orthopedics needs?
View introduction and questions here.
Survey
Surveys were conducted in order to obtain qualitative and quantitative research about Connecticut Family Orthopedics website visitors and how they feel about their experience. This is to get a better understanding of how they interact with the site as well as what they feel is needed for an easier user experience.
View survey questions here.
Diary Study
A Diary Study is important to better understand how users interact with the site. Participants will document their experiences throughout the study rather than a one-time interaction. This useful information from visitors will show what the users’ needs are when visiting the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website.
Questions the study will attempt to answer
- What reasons are the users visiting the site and are they finding their needs met?
- How easy or difficult do users find the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website to navigate?
Questions and tasks for the participants
Users will be asked a series of questions each week that will help understand the users experience when interacting with the site. Expected questions:
- Did you visit the Connecticut Family Orthopedics office this week?
- If so, did you visit the website prior to your appointment?
- What information were you searching for on the website?
- Were you able to find this information?
- What could have been better about this experience?
- If you did not visit the site this week, is there something that would have been helpful for you on the site prior to your visit?
Amount of people for the study
There will be 15 participants for this study. This would allow for diversity of users, including people of all ages, website ability, and expectations.
How the participants will be chosen
There will be two ways for participates to sign up. One will be in person when they check in at the front desk in office. There will be a flyer with information and fields to fill out for signing up if they are site users. The second will be a pop-up box on the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website when visitors open the website. This pop-up box will invite users to take part in the study, as active users of the site are more likely to participate. As an incentive, participants will be given a $50 Visa gift card at the end of the study.
Additionally, at the end of the study all participates will be invited to part take in a one-time open conversation with other participates as well as office staff. This will help each participant to add to one another’s feedback. Including the office staff will open new conversations about the users’ needs within their care as well as the use of the website in general. Since the site is about the user’s overall heath it will be beneficial to hear from them about their entire experience which leads them to the site. The onetime session will include food and a $25 gift card to an area restaurant.
Methods to be used
The best option to use for this study will be email. The email will remind the participant to engage and answer the questions given for each prompt. The email will have a link that will take them to a landing page with the questions to be easily answered. This can easily be completed from a laptop or mobile device and the answers will be collected.
Potential benefits and drawbacks to this method
Benefit – A benefit to email is many users check their email continuously throughout the day. They can easily click on the link to answer the questions from the email straight from their phone or from the laptop. It’s a quick way to gather data from each user once they respond to the questions on the landing page.
Drawback – A drawback may be if a user does not use email regularly or is easily frustrated by online surveys.
Length of Study
This study will last for six weeks. This will give several entries from the participants each week during the six-week study.
Analysis of Results
The results will be collected and analyzed signal-contingently. The Affinity Diagram will be used to help analyze the data to determine if there are trends in the results. A service provider such as Hyperquality, who is an independent quality assurance firm that provide unbiased monitoring and analysis of customer interactions, can help manage entries. They will provide a platform where the data can be analyzed.
Email sample:
Dear <PARTICIPANT NAME>,
Thank you for taking part in this study to help us improve your online experience with Connecticut Family Orthopedics . You will receive an email at the email address you have provided every week reminding you to submit your answers for the week through a link within the email. Your answers will be analyzed to help Connecticut Family Orthopedics enhance your online visit. The first prompt will begin on Sunday, MONTH XX, 20XX and end when you submit your last entry starting on Sunday, MONTH XX, 20XX. If you have any questions, you may contact us at any time at email@email.com.
Thank you again for your participation,
Connecticut Family Orthopedics
Card Sorting
Card sorting is a method used to help design or evaluate the information architecture of a site. In a card sorting session, participants organize topics into categories that make sense to them and they may also help you label these groups.
Introduction
Total of three participants were used for this study. Participants completed the activity remotely using Optimal Workshop as we viewed the activity together through WebEx.
To begin, was asked two questions related to Connecticut Family Orthopedics and then they will see 30 topics to begin sorting. They are asked to group the topics together in the most natural way to them. Then name the groups in a way that makes sense. Each session is recorded and the participant is asked to read and sign the agreement.
Participants will be directed to the welcome screen:
Welcome to the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website study
Welcome to this study for Connecticut Family Orthopedics, and thank you for agreeing to participate!
This activity shouldn’t take longer than 10-15 minutes to complete. Your response will help us to organize the content on Connecticut Family Orthopedics. Find out how on the next page…
Participant questions
Before a planned office appointment, do you visit the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website?
- Yes
- No
How many times have you visited the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website this year?
- More than once a week
- Once a Month
- Several Times a Year
- Once a year or less
Connecticut Family Orthopedics Card Sorting Data Analysis
Test dates 29 – 30 November 2019
This analysis was based on a remote activity study of 3 participants. The participants were asked to visit the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website before the study. Each participant was given 30 topic cards (pulled from the existing home page) and asked to place the cards in groups. This was conducted through Optimal Workshop and the resulting data was done using similarity matrix.
The primary issue found was that the navigation was lengthy as well as several separate options were located at the top of the site. The participants found it overwhelming and confusing when looking for a particular topic. The lack of a search function also contributed to the frustration. The card sorting allowed the participant to choose what they felt made sense when they were looking through the topics. Each participant grouped the topics in 5-6 categories verse the current site having 7 navigation tabs and 6 separate links at the top of the page. Participants had similar suggestions for the categories although different views on topics beneath each category. Based on the results, Connecticut Family Orthopedics should consider consolidating the navigation and eliminating the separate links at the top. The separate links create confusion and overwhelm the user.
Usability Inspection – Heuristic Evaluation
Heuristic evaluation is a key part of designing a great product that users can easily engage with and find value in their interaction. It is a thorough assessment of a product’s user interface, and its purpose is to detect usability issues that may occur when users interact with a product, and identify ways to resolve them. The heuristic evaluation process is conducted against a predetermined set of usability principles known as heuristics. The process relies on in-depth tests run by several usability experts at a time.
This heuristic evaluation on the Connecticut Family Orthopedics website was to review specific areas of the website. This evaluation helped to review what is a successful experience for the users. Each heuristic principle is graded on severity.
View Heuristic evaluation
Website Usability Testing Sessions
Usability testing is a method used to evaluate how easy a website is to use to better understand the users experience. The tests take place with real users to measure how ‘usable’ or ‘intuitive’ a website is and how easy it is for users to reach their goals. This testing allows the researcher to observe users go through preset tasks to gather information about experience and length to complete. The information is then used to identify issues and recommend changes for a better overall experience.
Introduction
Three participants were asked to complete five standard website tasks and their experience was viewed using Webex. The usability testing was conducted on the current Connecticut Family Orthopedics website provide data and recommendations for a redesign. Before the usability testing started, they were given an introduction and background questions. Participants were also asked for verbal feedback during and after the meeting. Just before the session began, the participants were emailed the list of tasks and a consent form. A few initial questions were asked of each participant to get them comfortable before starting.
Participants
Participant 1
- Female
- Retired – Technology Director
- 74 years old
- College Graduate
- Spends about 10-15 hours per week using the Internet
- Types of sites usually browsed: travel, shopping
- Favorite websites: CVS, WebMD, MSN
Participant 2
- Male
- Service Director
- 39 years old
- College Graduate
- Spends about 10-15 hours per week using the Internet (not work related)
- Types of sites usually browsed: Social, entertainment, shopping
- Favorite websites: Facebook, Amazon
Participant 3
- Female
- Communications Director
- 44 years old
- College Graduate
- Spends about 15-20 hours per week using the Internet (not work related)
- Types of sites usually browsed: Social, news, shopping
- Favorite websites: Facebook, Sephora, Amazon
Evaluation tasks
- You have an appointment with Dr. Gray this week. Locate the office address.
- You have just twisted your ankle and need emergency care. Locate the hours the walk in is opened today.
- For this task, you want to set up a payment plan. You need to fill out a credit card authorization form. Locate this form for download.
- You would like to request and appointment. Locate the area to do this and fill out the contact form.
- You are very active on social media and are interested to see if there are any recommendations posted on their pages. Find the Facebook link.
Analysis
Task 1: You have an appointment with Dr. Gray this week. Locate the office address.
Results: Minor difficultly. All participants were looking for a tab in the navigation for location. Two participants went to contact us while the third went to the bottom of the page. The address is located on the bottom of the page and the contact us tab will bring you to a page that has the hours and phone number. This page is shorter in content so the bottom of the page is brought up for the user to see the location. All three participants commented that the location should be clearly marked on the contact us as well as possibly at the top of the page. One participant commented that a search function would help locate hard to find topics.
Task 2: You have just twisted your ankle and need emergency care. Locate the hours the walk in is opened today.
Results: Moderate difficulty. The participants did not know that the urgent care was called OrthoPrompt. They were looking for either urgent care or walk in within the navigation. Once they started clicking around, out of frustration, they were able to figure out that the OrthoPrompt tab was for the urgent care. They were able to locate the hours easily once on the page. The comment was that this should be labeled as urgent care for people in emergency need.
Task 3: For this task, you want to set up a payment plan. First, you need to fill out a credit card authorization form. Locate this form for download.
Results: Mild difficulty. The participants all went directly to the insurance and billing but hesitated with the dropdown as patient forms. They would look around before heading back to this election and clicking on the patient forms. Once on the page they located the form quickly. The comment was that there should be a billing dropdown for billing specific forms. The page that they were brought to had disclosures, patient forms as well as the authorization form for credit cards.
Task 4: You would like to request and appointment. Locate the area to do this and fill out the contact form.
Results: Easy. All three participates found this at the top of the page. There are two locations on the page to make an appointment, one at the top and the other is in the main navigation. They did question why it was located in two places.
Task 5: You are very active on social media and are interested to see if there are any recommendations posted on their pages. Find the Facebook link.
Results: Easy. All three participants found the social media links with ease. They are located on the bottom of page as seen in most websites. There were no additional comments on this task.
Issues found:
- Difficulty finding office details
- Content on pages is lengthy and relevant to current topic
- Navigation is confusing do to organization, duplications and relevant category topics
- Address is only located at the footer
Recommendations:
- Consolidate the navigation
- Rename categories in navigation for ease of use
- Create clean overall design
- Responsive design
- Highlight 2-3 important information topics at top with remaining in condensed navigation
Recommended navigation:
- Stay connected
- Patient Portal
- Resources
- Services
- About us
- Additionally, at the bottom links for:
- Newsletter Sign up
- Social Media links
Conclusion
The Connecticut Family Orthopedics website has a lot of useful information for their patients on their site. However, the pages are very busy and unorganized. Too much going on created frustration for the participants. Pages need to be organized in smaller navigation with appropriate naming convention as seen in the card sorting exercise. The design needs to be cleaner and more consistent with a responsive design as well as a usable search function for the user.
The primary issue found was that the navigation was lengthy as well as several separate options were located at the top of the site. The participants found it overwhelming and confusing when looking for a particular topic. The lack of a search function also contributed to the frustration. Participants had similar suggestions for the categories although different views on topics beneath each category. Based on the results, Connecticut Family Orthopedics should consider consolidating the navigation and eliminating the separate links at the top. The separate links create confusion and overwhelm the user.
Holly Checchia 