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MY WORK
The MET: A Usability Case Study
In the fall semester of my Sophomore year at school, we performed qualitative research using multiple human-centered research methods to determine how to improve the usability of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's website. The methods used in this case study provided me with the tools I needed when creating brands, strategies, and products around specific audiences. The research methods, findings, and recommendations are below.
DESIGN PROCESS
Let's take a look at how we got here.
After reviewing the MET’s website, we determined that there were a few key areas that we wanted users to focus on: interacting with the MET while buying tickets and attempting to find additional information key to a user's feeling of success.
We used these areas to develop tasks where users would encounter these focus areas in different ways to see how they would navigate through these issues. We then developed a script for usability testing that would give them enough direction and information without having to massively assist and alter any potential results. This script was then tested until failure with other project teams, along with each other to find any issues prior to testing with a user.
Using the script, our team of four each tested and recorded two usability tests. After tracking their mistakes, errors, and failures, we determined which areas users struggled most significantly and developed recommendations from these findings that were presented to the class along with video and quoted evidence from our participants.
Findings
Users were confused by the site navigation labels and locations because they were inconsistent with the words and locations that they expected.
The navigation label for task one existed in multiple places, including the navigation bar and on the homepage, and was dispersed throughout other pages. The navigation label for task two was located directly in the footer or could be found by navigating through some ofther learning resources pages.
“It’s a little confusing, Plan Your Visit or Buy Tickets. I would probably go to Plan Your Visit first.”
“I think they could have a button on top to find it, just because I knew to godown here, but somebody that doesn’t know could miss that pretty easily.”
An overwhelming amount of information obscures the most important information on many of
the pages.
Depending on which navigation label the user selected for task 1, there was an overwhelming amount of text explaining the different ticket policies and visiting policies. Task 2 featured an overwhelming amount of text on multiple pages no matter how it was navigated through.
“There’s a lot of information, especially when I got to the internship section, there was SO much text. If I’m a high school student, I’m not reading any of that text. And so, I think it was NOT easy to navigate that section. Other things, other than planning my visit, and even buying tickets were a little, ya know, there were so many different like I could get there but to actually click and add to my cart was pretty dense.”
Recommendations
Users were confused by the site navigation labels and locations because they were inconsistent with the words and locations that they expected.
Use clear labels on menu items in the top navigation bar to tell users exactly what they’ll find on each page and allow them to easily determine where to go.
For Labels: Avoid separate, unlinked pages with similar content and labels that users may confuse for each other in the same menu. e.g. Plan Your Visit, Group Visits, Buy Tickets.
For Locations: Allow users to access all areas of the site from the top navigation bar.
An overwhelming amount of information obscures the most important information on many of
the pages.
Consolidate all of the information on each page.
Place the most important content at the top of each page so that it is easily seen.
Reconstruct each category name or add more subcategories so that the user knows exactly what they are clicking on.
Decrease the amount of text on each page.
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