Usability Testing Results

These are the results of the usability tests I conducted on October 28, 2014

5 in-person usability tests were conducted at Open Government Hack Night. You can find the usability test script here.

Issues:

Site Name
"Where is my Recycling?" misleads people about the purpose of the site.
People thought that they could use this app to:

• Determine whether there is an opportunity to recycle at a building
• Find out where their recycling or recycling cart is
• To report if you think your neighbor stole your recycling
• To find out if [I] can put out recyclables each week
• To find out whether a building recycles or not
• Understood "Where is my Recycling?" as a question the app would answer
• To report whether recycling is being picked up
• To find out if recycling is being recycled or mixed in with trash
• Where to put recycling

Recommendation:

• Rename the site to something that gives a more accurate impression of what the site's purpose and function.

Using the word "Report"

• Participants said the word "report" sounds official and led them to believe that they are making an official report to the city.
• Participants also questioned whom the report would be sent to
• Participants also wondered what happens as a result of them submitting a report.
• One participant wondered if someone would "come for" his landlord if he submitted a report.

Recommendation:

• Replace the front-page text of "Report It" to "Tell us about it" or "Add your report to our registry"
• Alter the front-page text to help people understand where exactly their report is going, which is - to us, and the internet. Not the city.
• Explain more clearly why people should make reports.

Front-Page Intro Text

• Participant thought it should be more dramatic, journalistic, i.e. "Did you know your landlord is breaking the law?" and change Burke-Hansen ordinance text to "According to Chicago law.."
• Participant thought there should be shorter, more concise sentences. Maybe pointed questions in larger type.
• One participant suggested a splash page that introduces the app
• Should make it clear that only those in 5+ unit buildings should make reports
• Do some bolding in text to bring out important points
• Clarify what it means to report a building
• Clarify the objective of creating the visualizations of the pins (reports) on the map
• Clarify expected outcomes of having pins

Recommendations:

• Break text on front page into shorter, more concise statements. Explain clearly that this is only for people in 5+ unit buildings.
• Explain what it means to report a building.
• If possible, make font a little larger.
• Bold key words.
• Explain or link to who "we" are.

"Share Your Report" button

• People associate "Share Your Report" with sharing on social media. "Share" is a loaded term.

Recommendations: Rename button to "Add your report to our registry" (that's kinda long)
"Add your report to the map"
Meh, Shareabouts.com says "share your report" ...

Clicking Pins on Map

• People wanted to see full report information (including comments) when they clicked on a map pin
• People wanted to see dates on comments so they know how old comments are

Recommendation:

• Give full report information (in side panel) when people click on pins.

Immediate fixes:

• Confirmation Page - Take away "Start Over" button
• Confirmation Page - Take away x in right-hand corner of side panel
• Add dates to comments
• Take out that search bar that appears on the reporting page after someone clicks "Find my building" on the first page. [ sorry! 👎]
• On the Submit Your Report page
  ** when there is one report it should state "1 person (singular) reports (plural) NO recycling"
  ** when there is more than one report it should state "2 people (plural) report (singular) NO recycling"
• OnClick of pin add full report information