Enhancing WhatsApp’s Usability Through Heuristic Evaluation
Used Jacob Neilson’s Usability Heuristics to identify usability issues and develop solutions to address them.
Overview:
WhatsApp is a widely used messaging app with great user experience but as someone who believes that there is always room to improve the user experience with the product. So, after conducting Jakob’s Usability Heuristic evaluation of the app, some issues were identified, such as inconsistency in the user interface patterns, visibility of user engagement feedback, User control and freedom. To enhance the user experience, I have implemented some design changes to address these issues and make the app even more user-friendly.
Challenges:
The main challenge was to improve the usability of the app without disturbing the app’s existing user base, which is used to the app’s interface.
Approach:
To overcome the challenge of improving the app’s usability without disturbing the app’s existing user base, I took the following steps:
1. Identified the issue using Jackob Usability Heuristics.
2. Brainstorm ideas to address the identified issues.
3. Created low-fidelity paper wireframes to visualize the ideas.
4. Developed high-fidelity prototypes based on the feedback received on the low-fidelity wireframes.
5. Tested the prototypes with users and collected feedback.
6. Iterated the design based on the feedback received after feedback.
7. Developed a final solution that addressed the identified issues.
Problem Identified:
After conducting Jacob’s Usability Heuristic evaluation of the app, I noticed some problems that affected the app’s usability. Here is the problem I identified:
Status Page of WhatsApp-
1. Consistency and Standards: Inconsistency in user interface patterns.
2. Visibility of System Status: The problem identified was a Lack of User Engagement Feedback.
3. User Control and freedom: Limited expressiveness in user interaction.
Improvement:
Thinking of solutions to the problems identified:
To these problems, I came up with several ideas and created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize them. Then, I refined the wireframe and created high-fidelity prototypes that I tested with several users. Here are the solutions I came up with:
Change made-
I added the heart symbol to the side of the reply button and also added the gesture of double tapping to the screen for heart activation.
How it benefits the user-
1. Time Efficiency: The heart symbol allows users with limited time to express appreciation quickly, streamlining the interaction process.
2. Minimal Conversation: For users who prefer concise interactions, the heart button provides a non-verbal way to convey sentiments without engaging in lengthy conversations, respecting users’ preferences for brevity.
How it benefits the business-
1. The heart button, designed for quick interactions, makes users happy, especially those short on time or who prefer brief engagements. 2. When users are happy, they’re more likely to stick around, boosting how long they stay on the platform.
Usability Test:
After completing the design, I conducted a small usability study with two users to gather feedback on the new design. Upon analyzing their responses, I realized that the modifications had a positive impact.
Conclusion:
The usability of WhatsApp was enhanced through a systematic process following Jacob Nielsen’s Heuristics. Identified issues like inconsistency and limited user engagement feedback were addressed by adding a heart symbol to the reply button. The change streamlined interactions, saved time, and made users happier, contributing to improved user satisfaction and potential for increased user retention. Usability tests validated the positive impact of the design modifications. This highlights the effectiveness of a user-centered design approach in refining digital products for a better user experience.
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WhatsApp | Status Screen Redesign