Learn to Drive Usability Insights
Eight weeks into the Newly Licensed Driver project, the team conducted our first round of usability testing.
Usability testing provides an opportunity for the team to put something in front of actual users and watch them navigate the site. It allows the team to reveal new insights about a user that can validate a hypothesis or identify areas where something is unclear or confusing.
Who were our testers?
The team tested with 8 users, all who were at different stages of the learn to drive process.
· 2 youths (16 years old)
· 2 individuals who were new to Nova Scotia or Canada
· 2 individuals who were part way through the learn to drive process
· 2 parents of youth in the learn to drive process
Our Approach
The Newly Licensed Driver development site was tested on laptops and mobile devices. Each test session was 45 minutes in duration.
Participants were asked to complete tasks based on where they are in the licensing process. Our moderator, a Human Centered Service Design Researcher, would pose task-based questions to each tester. Because the Newly Licensed Driver online content is mostly informational, the team wanted to understand how easy or difficult it is for a user to find key information about the service. Some examples of questions/tasks that we presented to users:
· How would you get a Nova Scotia Driver’s Handbook?
· What do you have to do to take the road test?
· What does your child need to do to get their licence?
Participants were asked to talk us through their approach to finding the content on the site. What did they see? Did it make sense? Was it intuitive? At the end of each task, users are asked to rate the task on level of difficulty (1=easy and 5=difficult).
In another room, project team members and program stakeholders watched the tester go through the tasks and made note of any challenges, successes, and general feedback.
Usability Insights
After testing was complete, the team facilitated a feedback review workshop with observers and program stakeholders. During triage, observers wrote their findings on post-it notes and grouped them into common themes. The findings were then prioritized based on how they impact users.
The main findings related to:
1. Interface
2. Language
3. Content
Iteration has already taken place for several findings. Other findings will require further discussion and collaboration with the program to find a suitable solution. As an example:
Insight: The steps in the process and how long it takes to get your licence was not clear.
When users were asked how long the whole process should take, answers varied, with some saying that the whole process would be completed in 2 years and others recognizing that it could take upwards of 5 years to complete.
“I would have liked to know everything up front, I didn’t realize it would be a full year.”
Testing helped us identify a need for a summary level, at-a-glance, view of the Graduated Drivers Licence program, including the steps to move through the process and how long a new driver must spend at each stage.
A summary view could help users understand the high points of the whole process, providing greater context for the more detailed information pages that follow.
Usability testing is an important tool in measuring the success of our services. It gives the project team data to drive their design decision making. Ultimately, it improves our ability to understand our users and deliver a service that will meet their needs.
