User Experience Design and Research | A Case Study

Brief​

This group project aimed to address the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 in its early stages. With many people feeling confused and overwhelmed about the safety of vaccines and the credibility of the information they received, the project sought to provide a solution to this problem.

Problem

In Fall 2021, school-age children were still unable to be vaccinated, which put them at a greater risk of infection or spreading the disease while spending full days in classrooms with dozens of other children. Additionally, children often lacked the critical thinking skills necessary to fully comprehend the complexities of the pandemic, vaccines, and treatments. Depending on their parents' education, school-age children did not always have access to reliable scientific facts and information about the pandemic and vaccines.

Parents of these children often struggled to access reputable and trustworthy sources of scientific information about COVID-19. This made it difficult to navigate the sea of misinformation when making health care decisions for their families. It was a frustrating experience for many parents, as they needed a reliable way to get accurate answers to their questions from qualified sources they knew and trusted.

Solution

The following are the results from the pilot user study and competitive analysis:

• The main purpose of this COVID-19 school app is to provide reliable information to school children, parents, and staff.

• One feature allows users to read articles from local doctors, offering credible, trustworthy information. Parents can also post questions directly to these doctors, receiving quick responses either publicly or privately. Doctors can use the app to post blog articles or videos related to the pandemic.

• Another feature includes educational programs tailored for both adults and children. Children can watch short, animated videos that explain basic scientific facts in a fun and easy-to-understand way.

• Additionally, the app allows users to report positive COVID test results, enabling the school administration to notify relevant classes or groups. Daily symptom reporting is also available to help track potential outbreaks.

Ideation

Low prototype ideation

Mid prototype ideation

Test: Walkthrough Evaluations

Evaluator: A 32-year-old woman with two children, holding a master's degree in graphic design, completed the review on November 17th, 2021. She agreed to be interviewed and have her thoughts recorded, but requested to remain anonymous.

Result

The primary outcome from the walkthrough evaluation was a lack of user engagement with certain features of the app. For example, the evaluator noted that the video viewing area, which includes long-form films and documentaries, may be too time-consuming for users. She suggested implementing strategies such as timestamp segmentation to help users more easily follow the content.

The evaluator also proposed adding a gamification mechanism in the app's "Log" area. She recommended providing children with animated series that teach about COVID-19 and science through short videos, such as "Vaccine." She believed this would be a more effective way to engage children. However, she observed that the current incentive system was not enough to sustain their interest. To address this, she suggested incorporating a school-based learning concept, where students could earn credits or scores in their classes for using the app, providing a tangible reward for their engagement.

Final Prototype

Impact on User Experience

Through our research and analysis, we have identified key areas where user interaction and platform functionality can be significantly improved. These insights have led to recommendations that have enhanced overall user satisfaction:

• Streamlined Registration Process: Re-labelling the "Gallery" button on the registration page increased clarity, making it easier for users to navigate.

• Enhanced Q&A Usability: Clarifying the filter options and improving the structure of the FAQ pop-up led to more intuitive user interactions.

• Optimized Information Flow: Integrating the Info section into the FAQ improved the user’s ability to find relevant answers quickly, reducing redundancy.

• Improved Question Submission: Adding a "Post" button and adjusting the location of the public/private toggle switch streamlined the question submission process, resulting in a more user-friendly experience.

• Tailored Medical Expert Responses: Introducing a toggle button to address all medical experts sped up response times, leading to faster user support.