top of page
Improving Usability for an Audioguide: Audioguiarte
Spring 2021 | Usability Evaluation
Project in a Nutshell
Audioguiarte, is a company based in Spain offering customized audio and multimedia solutions to museums. Their mission is to “enrich the experience of visitors to museums and tourist spots all over the world through the use of new communication technologies.” In parallel with that mission statement they have created a progressive web application (PWA) audio guide for Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid, Spain.
Keeping the client’s mission statement in our mind, we have tested the overall usability of the audio guide with remote usability testing methods. Although the app was appreciated by the users for its aesthetics and functionality we have discovered room for improvement in navigation, information architecture, and content for enhancing usability.
My Role
user experience researcher, user experience designer
Tools
UserZoom Go
Creative Suite Applications
Timespan
2 months
How to test a museum guide, outside the museum: Methodology
Defining the target audience
As the client wanted the PWA to be usable for anybody with a smartphone, this project did not have a specific target audience in terms of demographics. Instead, we have tried to recruit people who have some sort of experience with their smartphones and also visit the museums when they can. This specifications were asked in a screener form.
Simulating the museum experience remotely
The task was to test an audio guide, which was meant to be used inside the museum exclusively. However, there was no chance of conducting user tests in person, in its original context. Thus our study design found a way around. The users were presented with images, as they were executing the tasks instead of seeing the real museum walls.
Remote user testing
In total, 8 participants have been selected and tested for this project. Users are asked to share their smart-phones’ screens while being recorded. Also, PC assistance was used to present them the visual materials.
Screenshots from remote user tests
Tasks: Opening and navigating the audioguide
Users are asked to think out loud when they are performing the following tasks. They have been recorded for their thoughts and actions. Tasks tried to imitate real world situations users might find themselves in.
Task 1: Opening the app and first impressions
User asked about the layout and about their perception
Task 2: Navigating in audio guide
Users were shown an image as if they are museum and asked to find the audio description
Task 3: Complex navigation
Users were asked to select their own desired tour and were demanded to find recordings from those
Collecting user’s feedback
Participants evaluated their experience with the audio guide in a final questionnaire. Upon completion of this step, they have been rewarded with a 10 dollars amazon gift card.
Findings: Aesthetically pleasing in general, but not without faults
As users find the application aesthetically pleasing and usable in general, 14 distinct usability issues were discovered during the tests. Although the number of findings were high, it is realized that improvement in some features would alleviate a couple of them at the same time.
Title | no. of participants with the problem | associated category |
|---|---|---|
Loading times of the pictures | 2/8 | Content |
The introduction of the first page font size is too small | 2/8 | Visual Design |
Inconsistent naming of Floors. Floor B appears as Ground Floor in the menu | 2/8 | Information Architecture |
Ambiguous function of left-right buttons on the audio description pages | 3/8 | Navigation |
Users were confused about the Spanish item in the menu: Signogiua | 4/8 | Information Architecture |
Users wanted to have text-captions (painting’s creation date and further explanation) or transcript to know what each room is about. | 3/8 | Content |
Manual navigation adds up to the user's memory load. - No hyperlink, No shortcut, No search feature (Users thought the room number under the paintings are clickable) | 6/8 | Navigation |
Users were confused because of inconsistent use of imagery (Eg. No pictures in thematic tours) | 8/8 | Content |
Users got confused by the labels in the navigation menu OR did not understand what the labels mean | 7/8 | Information Architecture |
Users want to have scroll-to-top button | 4/8 | Navigation |
Users forgot the task 2’s assigned painting | 2/8 | Navigation |
Users thought they were in correct page when they were not or they were in the wrong page AND Users thought the room number card was the same as the painting’s | 6/8 | Visual Design |
Start button is hidden below the text | 4/8 | Navigation |
Findings on Navigation
Users were challenged by the manual navigation
It is discovered that the users tend to get tired while trying to move between any two sections inside the app. Also they got lost due lack of titles on the pages.
We recommend: Giving users shortcuts
Adding hyperlinks to relevant information the pages would greatly reduce the effort users spend.
Adding a scroll-to-top button, titles and breadcrumbs to pages would greatly enhance the navigation experience too.
Findings on Information Architecture
There is redundancy in the menu
Although pages have some differences, they are not recognized by the users. Seeing the same pages under different items caused confusion for the users.
We recommend: Reducing the clutter
Coming up with a menu design while omitting some titles and merging the contents of others would help reducing the redundancy.
Findings on Content
Users listened to the wrong audio recordings
Users have erroneously listened to the wrong audio descriptions. They have realized they are not in their targeted audio piece only after losing some time listening to it. It was a source of frustration for a couple participants.
We recommend: Adding text captions for audio descriptions
Supporting each audio recording with a descriptive text would give users more context about what they are listening. Since a room explanation is pretty similar looking with a painting explanation, this would help reduce the errors.
Conclusion & Personal Take Aways
Feedback from Audioguiarte
Representatives from Audioguiarte have seen and appreciated the findings we have presented. They stated that while some findings have confirmed their feelings, some of them have caused them to ask new questions. They were also pleased with the recommendations this study made.
audioguiarte has shared our final presentation on their social media accounts
Personally, I have learned a great deal from working in this project. Conducting moderated user tests is a challenge and it becomes better after each practice. I believe I have gained great experience thanks to this project.
Once again, I had the chance of working with an international group whose locations spanned from Taiwan to China to New York. It is a great source of confidence in terms of collaboration skills and planning as a group.
Thank you for reading!
interested in learning more about this project? send me an email for a detailed discussion
ciftciali94@gmail.com
we are sharing our final insights with Paloma Lines from Audioguiarte
bottom of page