Case Study
Context
BandwidthPlace is an internet speed test service that provides a simple, browser-based test that works across different devices.
Goal
Create a responsive, visually pleasing, and user friendly internet speed test service.
Team Makeup
Product Manager
>Product Designer<
Tech Lead
Tools and Skills
Figma, UI Design, UX Design
Problem 1
Outdated speed test tool that was not friendly to different device types and screen sizes.
Solution
Restructured the information architecture by conducting card-sorting exercises with end users to better understand how they grouped and prioritized resources. The goal was to uncover users mental models in grouping career related services. A secondary objective was to learn what tools users were most interested in.
An initial study included an open card sort, a closed card sort, and a personal questions survey. The users included a mix of students and recent grads. 4 of the 8 were actively looking for work while the other 4 were not.
Commonly linked categories included the following:
>Employment / Job Search
>Benefits and Assistance Resources
>Education
>About
Career Exploration tools were the hardest for participants to categorize. They often were linked with job search categories or put into their own category,
A surprising finding was that cards specific to education and those specific to training were often separated into distinct categories.
Problem 2
Ad laden user experience that made it hard to navigate useful content and tools.
Solution
Designed a responsive interface to ensure functionality across devices, increasing accessibility for users without desktops. Usability studies uncovered specific mobile optimization needs by focusing on navigation ease, clarity of labels, and support availability.
Positive Findings: Users found the training provider information useful, understood in-demand occupations, and appreciated the reassurance provided by approved providers.
Growth Areas: Feedback highlighted the need to declutter the homepage and simulate a conversational approach with users. Based on this, we recommended a global search capability, improvements to search result clarity (especially for low results), and ensuring users understand that MCNJ is a directory rather than a direct service provider.
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Matthew Flynn
Phila, PA
c. 2024
