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My role
UX Researcher
Duration of this project
2 weeks, 2022
Employment at eargym14 months
MAIN TOOL USED
Lookback Participate
About
About
introducing eargym
Eargym is a startup that helps users take better care of and improve their hearing through a variety of assessments and hearing training games.
my role at eargym
At Eargym, I was brought on board to lead UX research with a panel of 12 individuals. My responsibility involved shaping the app to align with user needs, enhancing its intuitiveness for individuals with diverse levels of tech literacy, as well as for people with different hearing and cognitive abilities.
the user led design panel
When I initially joined the company, I recruited a panel of 12 individuals by posting an interest form on Facebook communities associated with hearing and hearing loss. The interest form included an introduction to Eargym, an explanation of the study, and a screening survey.
The primary objective of the screening survey was to carefully select individuals with varying hearing abilities, spanning from unperceived to moderate hearing loss, and also encompassing those who use hearing aids. Additionally, I collaborated with the Alzheimer's Society to recruit 2 individuals living with dementia
Tool used for survey: Typeform
Tool used for organising data: Excel & Miro
The interest form
the personas
After recruiting the individuals to participate in this study, I conducted interviews to gain a deeper understanding of their hearing abilities, how hearing loss had affected them, what had sparked their interest in the study, their tech literacy, as well as their expectations in an hearing training app. I then created the personas based on the needs, goals, and frustration of the people in the panel.
the case study and the problem
During my time at Eargym, I employed various research methods to gather feedback from the panel based on the company's needs, but this time I will walk you through a specific instance when the company aimed to understand how users were experiencing the hearing training games. The need for this research arose when the analytics showed that users (including users in the panel), were downloading the app, using it a few times, and then discontinuing its use.
My research questions were as follows:
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How are users perceiving the hearing training games?
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What challenges are they facing?
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How engaging and intuitive do users find the games?
Methodology
moderated usability testing
I determined that the most suitable research method to assess users' experiences with the hearing training games was moderated usability testing paired with post-session interviews. Throughout the usability testing, I aimed to evaluate gameplay mechanics, UI designs, and overall engagement.
For each member of the panel, I organised a 40-minute session during which they played the games (with 2 sessions per game) in real time while verbalising their thoughts. Throughout the usability testing, I carefully observed their interactions, reactions, facial expressions, and gameplay choices, all in an effort to discern areas in which they encountered difficulties or confusion.
During the usability testing I gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data encompassed metrics such as completion time, success rate, and the number of errors made. On the other hand, qualitative data encompassed participants' comments, frustrations, positive experiences, and suggestions for improvement
post-session interview
Right after the usability testing, I conducted interviews ( ~ 20 mins) with participants to gather further insights into their experiences with the hearing training games. I also asked for suggestions on how to enhance their overall experience.
Tool used for usability testing & interviews: Lookback Participate
analysis of usability testing and interviews
Before analysing qualitative data, I familiarised myself with the transcript of each interview. I determined that the most suitable method to analyse the interview was thematic analysis, so using a software called QualCoder I generated codes for each interview to identify themes and spot patterns. After completing this task, I organised all the themes, with their respective codes as well as quotes, into a Miro board to discuss with the UX Designer the findings of the qualitative analysis.
While to analyse quantitative data, I used a rainbow spreadsheet as a method to record user behaviour. Every time a participant completed or did not complete a task or made errors, it was recorded with a specific colour assigned to each participant. I took these notes while observing each user in real-time, opting for this method to expedite the analysis..
Tool used for Qualitative analysis : QualCoder
Tool used for Quantitative analysis : Excel
The Rainbow spreadsheet
How did I share the findings and insights with the team?
To communicate the research findings and insights to the team, I created a brief presentation that included highlights and short video clips showcasing the challenges users encountered, along with their think-aloud feedback. I did this to enable team members to empathise with the users.
In addition to the presentation, I made a short report that I subsequently shared with fellow team members. After a few days, I ran an online workshop with the team, during this session, I used the MoSCoW prioritisation technique to steer decision-making and encourage active discussions around prioritising changes, establishing implementation timelines, and allocating resources effectively.
Tool used for facilitating online workshop : Miro
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Final thoughts
the challenges
The main blocker I faced was coordinating session times with the panel members. Since they were all participating in the study without financial compensation due to budget constraints, obtaining their availability posed a challenge. To simplify this aspect, I used Calendly, which enabled them to schedule sessions at their convenience
lessons I've learnt
In conclusion, this project has provided me with a valuable learning experience. It has significantly enhanced my expertise in conducting usability testing for games. Additionally, I've sharpened my skills in moderating usability testing and running workshops
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