To-do Lists and Clipboard on Google Calendar — UX Case Study
Redesigning Google Calendar for General Assembly Students
Overview
Following the double diamond design approach, this project is to explore the possibility of how we might provide GA students a tool of managing their tasks and time based on the Google Calendar.
Starting with conducting user research, we found out users’ need of having a product that combines calendar and checklist, moreover, a feature that can let them shift listed items between to-do lists. After the synthesis, we drafted the persona Marcus to represent our target audience to better help us define the feature for the prototype.
We iterated 2 rounds of the ‘define+design’ process. The first round we tested our low-fi product and got feedback from the users, then we updated our prototype based on the feedback from the first usability testing and ran another around.
Feedback from the second usability testing shows the new feature satisfied the needs of users who are familiar with Google calendar or other task management apps. Users think in linear fashion when they’re introduced to a new feature. Also, icons are important sources of information to users.
In the next step, we would like to keep iterating the prototype and synthesizing the insights from another round of usability testing. We will create high-fidelity prototype and test on the details, icons, UI, etc,.
»Discover
Problem Space
General Assembly students have heavy workloads while they’re taking the course. They would need to arrange their things to do according to their daily schedule, to ensure they can finish the tasks in due time.
Initial Problem Statement
How might we provide GA students a tool of managing their tasks and time and ultimately facilitate their project process.
User Interview
The goal of user research is to collect quantitative and qualitative data from users, understand users’ needs and pain points of managing their time and tasks and turn the data into insights.
»Define
Affinity Mapping
“Whatever it is in my mind, I just put it into the calendar so I have a rough idea of what I need to get done to make it more like a checklist and a calendar.” — Sarah
“So, if I had an app that creates to do list and puts it on my calendar that’d be great.”— Johny
“If I know I didn’t do it but the computer thinks I did do it, I don’t trust the computer, I write down everything and add it my calendar again”— Andrea
Persona
Final Problem Statement
Taking an immersive course in General Assembly, Marcus manages his time and tasks based on the Google calendar shared by the school. How might we provide Marcus an approach to efficiently plan and adjust his schedule, thus ultimately achieving his work-life balance?
»Design
Initial Design
Usability Testing with Mid-Fi Prototype
- Scenario&Task 01
You’re a General Assembly student. The school sent you a course calendar via Google calendar. You checked your google calendar in the morning and noticed you will have an all-afternoon studio, you want to have several things get done before the studio ends. Plan the things you will be doing during the studio.
- Scenario&Task 02
You have a trip to Europe coming soon and you’re so not prepared. Sunday afternoon is your last chance to buy your travel essentials and pack. Add a checklist of what you will prepare during the afternoon on Google calendar.
- Scenario&Task 03
Out of all the tasks you need to get done, you’ve only managed to finish two, you want to get the last thing done the next day when you do your homework. Figure out a way to check off your completed tasks and rearrange the unfinished task.
Usability Testing Scorecard
Analysis of Tasks
- Users not familiar with Google calendar find it hard to relate the ‘+’ button with ’create new’ action.
- The ‘three dots’ button is easy to be misunderstood as a setting button.
- Users preferred to tap the event to edit within rather than create a new to-do list and attach the list to the event.
- The ‘save » go back » open » import’ flow confused users. Users found there’s too many steps. Users would like to choose the event when they tap the unfinished tasks, similar to the flow of the second task.
Recommandation
- Delete the ‘three dots’ button, press and hold to shuffle OR delete the check circle at the left and swipe left to delete OR keep the ‘three dots’ button but use it for setting.
- Allow users to add to-do lists when editing the events.
- Switch the screen to the event browser when users tap the to-do, continue testing the usability of Clipboard.
Conclusion
Feedback shows the new feature satisfied the needs of users who are familiar with Google calendar or other task management apps. Even though they have difficulties finishing the third task, they still show interests in using the new feature.
As a designer, I envisioned the Clipboard as not a simple feature that allows users to reallocate their to-dos, but a cache to store users’ data when they’re not ready to decide, and will facilitate their experience later on. However during the usability testing, users indicated when they’re introduced to a new feature, they would expect the experience to be a linear happy path.
My first UX design project gave me the understanding that all good designs come into being after iterations. The define and design process enables designers to look into what are users true needs and goals.
