NexGen Case Study

Matt Silberstein
Sep 3, 2018 · 5 min read

About OpenSignal

OpenSignal is the number one worldwide provider of mobile coverage and performance info. Their data is crowdsourced by users of their main two apps OpenSignal and Meteor.

The data is crowdsourced by users of the OpenSignal app, downloaded over 20 million times, which constantly monitors the coverage and performance of their mobile connection.

OpenSignal uses this data to increase transparency in the wireless industry by publishing reports on the quality of mobile networks, offering unbiased coverage maps and empowering people to get better mobile connectivity in a hassle-free way.

The Brief

The client needed a brand new app that related speed tests with video streaming performance. I joined the project during its early stages, however I did not take part in the user research that took place before the first wireframes were created.

As I understand, this research didn’t yield much useful information.
For this reason the app underwent several different iterations in which we experimented with both the content and the visual design in order to see what worked and what didn’t.

One of the first tasks assigned to me was to create lo-fi wireframes and user flows.

Early wireframes showing the main user flow
Main user flow diagram

Based on this flow I started putting together a mockup in order to discover how the app could be structured.

The platform selection wouldn’t see any major changes in later iterations, but the results and the way the test was presented would changed dramatically.

First mid-fidelity wireframes

In this early stage, the results where shown in terms or Download Speed, Upload Speed and Latency, much like a regular Speed Test. In addition, I included an option to see Advanced Results in hopes of catering to both tech savy and regular users alike.

An indicatior in the form of a smiley was added as a way to correlate those results with the streaming performance and to give a simple parameter for users to easily comprehend what do those results mean in terms of video streaming.

Challenges

The very first challenged I encounter was based on the fact that the app relied on a very technical process of testing video performance based on a network’s speed.

  • Were tests going to be done on a single video or a platform as a whole?
  • If a whole platform was going to be tested what video would be shown during the test?
  • Would several platforms be tested one after the other or would the user be able to choose what platform to test?
  • How long would the test take and how did that relate to the video shown?
  • All of these concepts would greatly affect the app’s design.

The Solution

We decided to move forward with the idea that tests would be done for a single platform at a time and users would choose what platform to choose at the beginning.

The lead UX designer, Malgo and I created mid fidelity mockups and did a brainstorm to come up with ways in which we would show the results for the tests. Once we had the basic structure for the app we began the prototyping stage in which we created a fully high fidelity, functional version of the video test functionality.

Second iteration showing new performance indicators

In order to better convey the results in terms of performance and not just connection speed we included several new icons which indicated the quality of the results.

Series of icons showing the range of results
Early sketches for the icons

This prototype was put together using Proto.io. Once the prototype was finished we began doing doing user testing straight away.

User Testing

We began doing user testing both internally and externally quite early in the development process. Internal testing was conducted by myself in order to get early feedback on the very first prototype we created.

External testing was done over Skype sessions, some of which I conducted myself and some of which I took notes of the feedback given by the testers. These tests provided valuable information and shone light on several issues in the design.

One of the first things we noticed was that users were confused by the way events such as Buffering, Jittering and HD availability were presented.
In some cases users were unfamiliar with these terms. For this reason, we knew we had to present them in a clearer way, include onboarding to explain their meaning and make sure the relation between the events and the video test was apparent.

Process

The process consisted of hi-fi prototypes, user testing feedback and several iterations. Early prototypes had a very playful look and showed video events during the test in the form of floating bubbles. After testing, we noticed that the bubbles created confusion and overwhelmed users during the test. A feeling which stayed with users and prevented them from understanding the results.

Later prototypes consisted of a more polished look, while still remaining friendly and playful. In addition, we redesigned the way events were showed in order to make them accessible and less confusing.

User testing of this prototype showed that people reacted better to this simplified approach to video events. Although some confusion still remained, the overall experience was a lot more accessible and by the second test performed most users had a good understanding of how the test worked.

Takeaways

My time at OpenSignal ended before the project was completed. However, this project was a great opportunity for me to experience the UX process working with a interdisciplinary team. I was able to really sink my teeth into prototyping and usability testing.

NexGen is still in the works and even though I’m no longer part of it I’m looking forward to see its finished version and launch to the public in the future.

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