Research Process

An overview of the steps I took throughout the research:

1. Stakeholder Interviews and Alignment

To begin, I conducted interviews with key stakeholders, including the CEO and developers, to understand the business goals, expectations, and pain points. This phase allowed me to gather a clearer understanding of the broader context of the project. I used this opportunity to ask crucial questions such as:

1. Why is this project important to the company? 2. Why is this project important? 3. What does success look like for this project? 4. What challenges or pain points have you observed so far in the current system or process? 5. Are there any specific user groups or personas that you see as critical to this project’s success?

These interviews helped me align the project objectives with both business and user needs. By understanding the company’s goals, I was able to tailor the research to focus on what mattered most for both the users and the business.

2. Designing the Research Methodology

• Qualitative Research: I designed and conducted one-on-one interviews with users to capture detailed, personal experiences and insights about the usability of the website. Through these interviews, I identified users' struggles with navigation and account creation.

• Quantitative Research: To validate and broaden my findings, I created a Google Form survey. This allowed me to gather responses from a larger pool of users and measure key aspects of the user experience, such as satisfaction with account setup and ease of navigation. By combining both methods, I was able to cross-check insights and discover more precise user pain points.

3. Conducting User Experience Evaluation

In this phase, I focused on evaluating the account creation process and overall navigation flow of KitapOkuyorum.org. I observed users interacting with the platform, documenting their struggles and successes.

My role here was to facilitate usability tests and analyze how users interacted with key features. I specifically observed:

• Account Creation: Did users understand how to sign up, complete the form, and reach their account management page without confusion?

• Navigation Flow: Could users easily locate important features like progress tracking and reading comprehension tests?

By immersing myself in user interactions, I was able to identify specific bottlenecks and challenges, such as users not being able to find the account management page or misinterpreting navigation labels.

4. Data Analysis and Synthesis

Once I had gathered enough data, my next task was to analyze the results and synthesize findings into clear, actionable insights. This stage involved:

• Analyzing Quantitative Data: I reviewed survey responses to spot trends and patterns. For example, I noticed that 60% of users had difficulty navigating the site within the first three minutes, which directly pointed to issues with the website’s layout and user flow.

• Synthesizing Qualitative Data: I analyzed user interview transcripts to extract key themes, such as confusion around account management and a desire for more intuitive navigation cues. I also highlighted any user frustrations, such as difficulty locating test results and account settings.

During this stage, I worked to ensure that the insights I gathered were both insightful and actionable. I created visuals (charts and user quotes) to help communicate these findings to stakeholders.

5. Recommendations

In the final phase, I transformed the research findings into recommendations for the design team and the business stakeholders. Using my insights, I proposed several changes to improve usability and user experience. My role as a UX researcher was to ensure these suggestions were based on user data and aligned with both the business goals and user needs.

Key recommendations included:

• Simplifying Account Creation: Reduce unnecessary steps in the sign-up process and add tooltips for clearer guidance.

• Enhancing Navigation Labels: Make navigation labels clearer and more intuitive for users of all ages.

• Improving Parent Dashboard: Streamline the parent’s interface for easier access to children’s reading progress and test results.

Through this process, I ensured that my recommendations were not only rooted in data but also actionable, aligning with business goals and user needs. My recommendations provided a clear pathway for improving the platform’s usability and enhancing user satisfaction.