User Research for EduTech Startup
B2C Website, 2021
Role: UX designer, UX Researcher
During my three-week stint as a freelance UX consultant at Glean.sg, my main goal was to discover insights to elevate the website's conversion rates through qualitative research studies. This involved initiating user research, from recruiting participants to conducting detailed interviews, all to significantly increase conversion rates.
Glean.sg supports parents and tutors with insights and big data analytics to boost children's academic success by pinpointing learning improvement areas.
The opportunity to collaborate with Glean came from a former colleague, with whom I had previously worked in a Human Resource capacity. They reached out in search of a skilled freelance UX consultant for an upcoming project. Intrigued by the prospect, I eagerly engaged in discussions with the co-founders to gain a deeper understanding of their needs and objectives.
My role included
- Developing scripts tailored for User Interview Sessions
- Recruited users for interviews
- Conducting User Interviews
- Proposing ideas for improving user experience and business operations
Methodology
- User Interview
- Usability Testing
- Affinity Mapping
How it went
To start off, I developed a research plan to identify the specific user group for our interviews. With a deep understanding of Glean's vision and after productive discussions with the co-founders, I had a thorough grasp of the target audience.
The main objective of this research was to explore the challenges tutors face when assisting students in their academic journeys.
The participant pool was limited, and the feedback I received leaned towards the general side, particularly in uncovering the prevailing methods tutors employ to orchestrate their lessons.
To sift through and make sense of the research data, I chose the 4-quadrant feedback grid framework on Mural, favoring it over other techniques like persona or empathy mapping. This decision was based on the framework's ability to quickly offer key insights into how users understand Glean.sg’s services and their first impressions of the website.
Findings
In the feedback session with Glean.sg's founders, we gained clear insights into their strengths and identified valuable areas for growth. I crafted strategies to enhance user experience from their first site visit, spotlighting Glean.sg's distinct offerings, promoting assessment interaction, and guiding seamless account sign-up.
I also developed a clearer, more user-friendly content strategy, refined through user testing, ensuring easy access and engagement. Here are the suggested improvements for a better user experience and content quality.
#1 - Strategies to Enhance User Journey
Optimize CTA button placement for a smoother quiz navigation.
Provide detailed feedback for each question, both for correct and incorrect responses, aligning with standard assessment expectations users are accustomed to.
#2 - Strategies to Enhance Content Quality
To avoid having overly generic content on the home page, we can introduce a clearer, more compelling explanation of Glean's operations and its benefits to users, regardless of whether they finish the assessment questions or not.
Featuring in-depth profiles of Glean.sg's team, complete with links to their LinkedIn pages and outlines of their academic achievements, can greatly enhance the trust and credibility perceived by your visitors.
To clarify post-assessment steps, replace the video explanation with a concise summary on the home page.
At the end of the day...
Launching a new service or product to users who haven't yet experienced a platform demands compelling and clear content.
- When it comes to sharing information about the payment structure, it's essential to be clear and transparent.
- Help users understand if they have access to assessment questions for free or if a subscription is needed, empowering them to make informed decisions about their engagement with the service.
Other considerations...
The project aimed to understand new users' motivations, needs, and challenges, so I crafted broad, general interview questions.
This approach helped explore the diverse tutoring methods and styles in the private sector, providing insightful data on their effectiveness.
Additionally, exploring diary studies as a research method could provide insightful qualitative data on the tutor's behaviors, activities, and experiences throughout their tutoring sessions with a group of students. Afterall, tutoring is a gradual process, and the strategies employed for each student and session may differ.