UX Writing Hub
Website Audit: Writing and Usability
Brief
The UX Writing Hub (we’ll call them UXWH) asked me give their website a UX audit with the goal of encouraging students to go from the free beginner course to the more advanced courses. They also wanted to boost engagement with the course videos.
My Process
- Look at the flows and write down my first impression.
- Familiarise myself with UX Writing Hub’s voice.
- Conduct a brief competitor analysis to get ideas about the courses they offer.
- Do a deep dive into each screen focusing on the overall experience and how the words guide you through the flow as well as how they align with the goals of the company.
First Impression
When looking at the wireframes for the first time, I was looking for language that acted as (to borrow their own analogy) a “big brother” to the user and followed UXWH voice (expert, engaging, and helpful). The biggest thing that stood out to me was that the previous navigation was unwieldy and confusing. The language on both flows needed to be updated to really align itself with the company’s business needs and help the student learning experience.
Getting to Know You
I started my research phase by interviewing a few students, going through the site, and familiarising myself with the different courses that were offered.
Student quote: “I like the content very much, but it is very hard to navigate around the site. I can’t even sign in to my account from the landing page!”
Competitor Research for the First Flow
I started by looking at the courses offered by the competition, and I also looked at other online courses for inspiration. One thing I really liked about Skillshare’s online courses was that the length of all the videos was very clearly marked, which allows users to learn on the go. This encouraged UXWH’s “bite sized learning” approach.
Bite Sized Lessons
I started doing some user research into how people consume online lessons. As the courses are based on multiple short lessons, I found that quick and easy access was crucial. People watch these videos on their commutes, at work, and even in the bathroom!
The Value of Clear Navigation
The main thing missing on the UXWH site was clear navigation. Making the paid courses and other services easily available was crucial. Both for meeting our goal, as well as helping the user complete theirs.
Landing Page
On the original landing page, it was easy to sign up for a new class, but it wasn’t possible to log into an existing account.
I updated the header nav-bar and added a clearly marked log-in button.
One of our main challenges was deciding what information could be hidden behind the hamburger icon.
Personal Page
On the users personal page, we added the nav-bar to make it easier to browse our content, as well as our paid courses.
Making Sure the User Knows What's Going On
As we saw on Skillshare, time stamping the videos to show how long each lesson will be really helps students organise their time productively.
A Gentle Nudge
I continued to suggest updates to the copy with the goal of guiding the user towards our paid courses (in this case, by adding a nudge at the end of the free course).
Bonus Screen: 404 Error Message
As UX Writing Hub is an educational platform, I thought it would be appropriate to use the 404 screen as an opportunity to further educate the students. It also helps to diffuse any negative feelings on the part of the user.
Enjoyed this case study? Shoot me an email and let’s start collaborating!
Toby@trachtmandesigns.com
Built by Toby Trachtman. Illustrations by Blush and Flaticon
Enjoyed this case study?
Shoot me an email and let’s start collaborating!
Toby@trachtmandesigns.com
Built by Toby Trachtman. Illustrations by Blush and Flaticon