We’re happy to see that more and more Polish companies pay attention to the usability of their digital products. A good example of such a company is Dobroplast, who, along with their marketing agency, commissioned us to perform a usability audit of their website. We performed an audit of both the mobile and desktop versions of their website.
About our client
Dobroplast is a Polish producer of windows and doors. They’re one of the largest PVC window producers in Poland. They run an online store and a website. The goal of the website is to inform (through their blog), sell (through directing to their online store), and build brand awareness.
Challenges
The marketing agency set the goal for the audit to improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. The goal was to encourage website users to explore the blog or make a purchase in the online store.
Our task was to conduct a usability audit of the website in order to find ways to guide users through the preferred path.
Like with every audit, we tried to find any usability problems that could have a negative impact on the user experience.
Process
The aim of the initial consultation with the marketing agency was to learn as much about the client’s needs and problems.
The result of the consultation was a clear plan of action.
The purpose of the meeting was simple – to find out as much as possible about the problems related to the website from the client’s perspective.
We wanted to see both the client’s perspective, and the users’ perspective.
By doing that we could define clear audit goals.
In the report, we described the usability problems we found during the audit. For each problem, we suggested a recommendation of a solution.
During the meeting, we presented and discussed the most important conclusions of the audit.
We also had a chance to summarize the project and talk about the website in a less formal way.
Auditing methods we used:
This is a method of analyzing data from tools such as Google Analytics and Hotjar. The tools offer a wide range of statistics, and in the case of Hotjar, we could even look at recordings of users’ visits to the website.
This method allows us to review the website using our in-house checklist which checks if the website has all the elements that make it intuitive and easy to use.
This method focuses on the processes and the flow of the website. The person performing the audit becomes the user and evaluates whether they can navigate the website easily, perform tasks, and find the content they’re looking for.
This is a method of conducting an audit based on J. Nielsen’s 10 heuristics, which are a guide of how to design useful solutions. These are the 10 most frequently used heuristics in audits.
The team
The project manager was responsible for keeping in touch with the client and making sure that the audit goals were clearly stated. He was also the person who presented the audit results.
The audit was conducted by our UX designer whose responsibilities were to audit the website using the analysis and auditing methods, as well as create a report with recommendations.
Audit results
Dobroplast’s website was easy to use. It had a consistent graphic layer and made a good impression on users.
However, during the audit we found 23 usability issues that we divided into 3 categories: critical, important, and standard issues.
All issues were thoroughly described in a 45-page report. Having our audit and website goals in mind, we recommended a solution for each problem.
Najważniejsze rekomendacje dotyczyły
An important part of the report was the menu of the website. We proposed a new menu structure that would present all the key information for users at a glance. This made it easier for users to quickly see what information they could find on the website. We presented our idea for the solution in the form of a simple mockup.
Like with any audit, we paid attention to the basic principles of accessibility. We evaluated the contrast and readability and made suggestions on how to improve them.
We supported each problem by referring to heuristics, research findings or general best practices. Including this type of information reassured the client that we base our work on universal principles.
What we learned:
This project was an example of how a marketing agency and a user experience agency can achieve their goals together for the end customer.
How to cooperate so that each party achieves the best results of their work.
If we had to say what we’ve learned from this project in one sentence, we’d say that it was listening carefully and responding to the needs of all the project’s beneficiaries.
Good results can only be achieved if we carefully define the goals of the project for each party.
The Push Buttons team conducted a UX Audit of Recomme's website and SaaS application.
The audit resulted in a report which contained many specific, beneficial comments and suggestions.
Thanks to them, we significantly improved Recomme's image and gained greater customer trust.
