An empirical research based on Task-Technology Fit (TTF) to hypothesize relationships between information design, tasks, user needs, perception, and overall experience
Empirical Research | Qualitative & Quantitative Methods | UX Redesign Case Study
01 Research Objectives
Optimizing the UX design of the cycling navigation feature
The study aims to shed lights on design optimization for the technological systems within the cycling feature on navigation/maps apps, improve its performance in terms of user's needs and experience.
02 Research Questions
Investigating the relationships among factors in features, UX design and user experience
The research are intended to resolve key issues such as:
(1) How do various factors in Task-Technology Fit model affect user experience? (paths and coefficients)
(2) How can interaction design be optimized to address the TTF misalignment and enhance user experience?
users' needs, task characteristics, technological features, and users' perceptions and attitudes.
Do Interactive Intelligent Systems Align with Users’ Desires?
03 Methodology
Identifying pain points and problems
X20 research papers in the field of Transportation Research
>200 responses
Theoretical framing of Task-Technology Fit (TTF) and statistical modelling
01 Product Feature Research
Auditing features and identifying UX redesign scope
Before formal in-depth research, I conducted a feature audit to gain insights into the APP's feature usage, which informed us about the direction of future development, deciding our research focus and redesign scope.
Usage frequency of Navigation APP
The discrepancy between Current UX, technological deployment, and actual users need
What do users perceive from specific features?
02 Theoretical Framework
Developing a conceptual framework to examine factors
Based on secondary research, we can frame a theoretical model constructed by factors that impacting users' perception, which will be used in hypothesis and survey design.
03 User Surveys
Conducting user surveys and data collection
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Items
24
Questions
Samples
203
Till 1/31/2024
Reliability
0.9
Standard Cronbach α
04 Statistical Analysis
Conducting empirical research and data analysis
01 Pain points on Function level
1. Route choices are only shortest paths.
Route Options
Very limited options, and route recommendations only based on shortest path
1. Google Maps
2. Gaode Maps (AutoNavi)
(like Google Maps in China)
2. Socializing Functions are mentioned.
"Can we have a function of Joint cycling? I would like to find new friends to cycling together."
- Users-Connecting function are mentioned in user interviews for several times.
Gaode Maps (AutoNavi) - like Google Maps in China
Positioned as a life Service App, Gaode Maps incorporated numerous functions and tools.
And this is hugely disturbing, even it has many socializable functions.
It has a function named "Group" where you can create a group of people and share the routes and pins.
However,
1. It amounts to "hidden" for its over-designed functions and too complicated structure.
2. It is only limited to an already created community, not for simultaneous connecting or joint cycling.
Google Maps
Positioned as a Map-based App, Google Maps focused on sharing instead of socializing.
02 Pain Points on Task-related micro-interactions
Revealing the factors that impact cycling's experience
01 "Custom Route" Feature
Route Planning based on User's Task & Choice, and for fun discovery
Based on User Research, people with leisure/hobby purposes would like to stop by trendy places and explore new places. The current design of Google Maps allows users to add stops between origins and destinations. However, users expect to explore without self-planning.
Current Interface
Redesigned "Custom Route" Feature
02 Micro-interactions
Prompts on multiple route features
In our user research, interviewees showed a relatively low score on the prompts on Road Types, Road gradient, surface, and facilities along route. For cycling activity, this information about route features will impact many factors for cyclists, such as safety, comfort, attractiveness, and convenience. However, map apps oversee these prompts.
Though there are several types of bike lanes (lanes, tracks, paths), and they vary in different countries, we hypothesize that adequate prompts on the level of separation (sharing, partial separation, full separation) will be helpful to inform users of their safety concerns.
Current Interface
Redesign
01 Learnings
🔑 Product Positioning is key to evaluate the design.
When assessing the feature set, product positioning is at the core of product and design strategies. Both based on Maps service, Google Maps and Gaode Maps have completely different product strategies and design strategies. Therefore, socializing or user-connecting functions will be of different value in their product.
🔍 Micro-interactions & Over-design
There will be endless factors impacting the transportation activity. Evident-based research is required to balance the micro-interaction design and over-design. Too many navigation prompts will aggravate users' cognitive overload and impede practical problem-solving.
📊 Quantitative methods have systematic limitations.
The System Usability Scale (SUS) included in our user surveys presented relatively high scores, but this quantitative method does not capture the insights for detailed feature set. It has to be complemented by qualitative research - in open interviews, we found that most users barely use some of the features.
💡 User research also informs algorithm strategy in Intelligent Interactive Systems.
As an example of Intelligent Interactive Systems, Navigation Maps Apps function on numerous algorithms for route planning. While shortest paths / fastest paths is still the most popular one, users reveals so much frustration on the technical issues.
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