UX70-Usability Testing

1. UX70-Usability Testing Shan Wong Fall 2012

2. Usability Project Proposal (lesson 3) Shopping online has become a major way in which retailers sell their goods. In order to attract and keep customers on their online stores, retailers must have great usability. A national retailer such as Macys may improve the online shopping traffic if they redesign their website. Currently the website is cluttered and appears to duplicate the magazine advertising that comes with your local Sunday newspaper. Rather than focusing on improved style and design, the current website attempts to place all possible categories/products on the front page making the home page uninviting. Shoppers that shop on the web do so for convenience meaning they are customers that know exactly what they are looking for. Improvement to the layout, design, style, and message of the site may help Macys.com increase their online retail profits. • URL – www.macys.com • Macys Department Store • Who owns the web site • Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC. • Whois Server: whois.networksolutions.com Elevator Pitch: “For the modern shopper who wants to find a wide selection of quality merchandise, Macys is your trusted department store that has everything you need to dress you and your home. Unlike other department stores, Macys respects your personal style.

3. Usability Project Proposal • Quick Assessment of Issues: • -Lots of small text • -Menu tags are small • -Duplicate links that are in main advertising area and main menu bar • -Confusion on what is on sale and how much is on sale • -In store sales are better for customer? • -Too much text

4. Usability Questions (Lesson 4) • What are your favorite apparel and home furnishings websites? Why do you like them? • Do you shop on the Macys website? Why? or why not? • When do you visit the Macys website? • What are your first impressions of the Macys homepage? • Anything you like or dislike about the current Macys website? • There are many Macys stores, when would you visit the website and not the store? • Think of a piece of apparel or furniture you recently bought. Go to the Macys website and try to browse for that item. Tell me whether it was easy to find that type of item or what was difficult about the search.

5. Usability Answers Green= female>30yrs old Orange=female<30 yrs old Answers through email. • What are your favorite apparel and home furnishings websites? Why do you like them? Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, Zappos. Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel because of the large detailed pictures and style. Zappos because it is easy on the eyes and has a wide selection of sale items. Nordstrom, forever 21, and banana republic for apparel. Home furnishing be nth and beyond for home furnishing. Way to use websites and usually have the items instock at the store • Do you shop on the Macys website? Why? or why not? No, only to browse for potential in store purchases. No, I often look items up but not purchase online, only in store. Items shown on Macy's website are not often in stock at store and vice versa 3. When do you visit the Macys website? Wedding Registry and buying gifts for others or looking for locations and customer service for credit. For coupons! 4. What are your first impressions of the Macys homepage? Very Bright and loud for my eyes a lot of white. A lot of information all at once looks like advertising. Not user friendly, unable to really define my search • Anything you like or dislike about the current Macys website? The more specific pages like the kids section is well designed with filters for what you are looking for. Not a fan, very basic site, not eye appealing. Not up to date with modern times • There are many Macys stores, when would you visit the website and not the store? When I need to buy a gift that needs to be delivered through mail. Browsing for party dresses. Just to get a ballpark idea on prices of items • Think of a piece of apparel or furniture you recently bought. Go to the Macys website and try to browse for that item. Tell me whether it was easy to find that type of item or what was difficult about the search. I recently bought kids pants. Its relatively easy to see and buy kids pants on the Macys website. The only thing I’d like to see is a child wearing the pants rather than the pants itself since clothing looks different when it is worn. Purchased a bed mattress heating pad. Items online were not same as in store. Macy's does not offer better prices than their competitors. Although they do accept coupons from the iPhone! I like Nordstrom webpage. Macys website used for coupons, price comparisons, and specialty gifts. Website needs to be modernized in appearance to attract younger patrons.

6. Week 5-Competitive Websites Green= female>30yrs old Orange=female<30 yrs old Likes: *Clean layout *Sophisticated Style *Clear Categories *Cycles through a list of images with recommended styles and products. *Examples of outfits *Reviews of products *Categories displayed through images and not just words. Improvements: *Sale Items are at the bottom of list

7. Week 5-Competitive Websites Green= female>30yrs old Orange=female<30 yrs old Likes: *Competitive Pricing is understated yet clear with the “Game Changer” metaphor. *Full page image to grab your attention to major changes to available products *Maximize image sizes with minimal text to show off products. *The billboard feel *Shows trends *Shows promotions *Lots of reviews *New Arrivals

8. UX 70- Week 5 Metaphors in Design 9/29/12 Shan Wong

9. Common to college websites, positive metaphors of happiness and fun helps to attract students to their college campus. In this UCLA webpage sunshine is a metaphor for the happiness/outlook of students that attend UCLA.

10. On theatlantic.com website image snap shots are used as visual metaphors for different categories or topics on the website. Much like app-icons images can be used to inform the user what a certain page is about even without the tag.

11. Sephora’s website shows unique metaphors about beauty through clever tag-lines and phrases. Indirect reference to the advantages of looking younger. Play on the word compact meaning small and providing you “perfect” coverage in a “perfectly” small make- up.