Phase 1: The Usability Autopsy
This little blog post is about showcasing what a standard procedure for user research would be like, but also considering the fact that every situation has a unique factor behind it, I decided to at least make a fictional writeup of my methods regarding what I would do in this scenario.
When our checkout flow showed a 34% abandonment rate, we conducted:
- 47 moderated sessions with first-time users
- Heatmap analysis of 2,381 clicks
- Error logging capturing 142 "dead clicks" on non-interactive elements
Key Finding
78% of users tried to click the product image to select size
(Non-interactive element in current design)
Phase 2: The Prototype Iteration Cycle
Version A
Traditional dropdowns
Result: 9.2s average decision time
Version B
Visual size matrix
Result: 4.1s decision time
The Eye-Opening Moment
"Why can't I just tap the shoes I want?" - Sarah, 28
(Spent 14 seconds hunting for size selection)
Quantitative Validation
- Error rate reduced from 42% → 11%
- Completion time decreased by 58%
- NPS increased 19 points post-launch
Research Framework
Assumption Mapping
Documented 23 "known truths" about user behavior
(Only 7 validated through testing)
Guerrilla Testing
Conducted 15-minute validation sessions
With real customers in-store
"The best research questions emerge from
what users don't say"