Intrusive Banner - User #1 came across a banner when first
entering the website that asked for an email to sign up for notifications and
updates. This was the first time I had seen this banner before, and I found it incredibly obnoxious, considering it did not allow the user #1 to
first find out what the website was about.
Video Placement -
When user #1 was assigned to find the video on how to play quadball, I realized that the video was in a poor location on the page, buried under
images organized chaotically in the 'What is Quadball?' page. The video should be placed in a more prominent location, considering
knowing how to play quadball is essential for new users looking to play the sport.
Rulebook Accessibility -
The Rulebook had multiple locations on the website, and one was at a
very odd place: the 'Documents & Policies' page. Considering the Rulebook is incredibly important, it needs to be in one very prominent location, such
as having its own place on the main navigation bar, as opposed to being located at the top of the page, which could easily be missed.
Rulebook Accessibility -
The links to the Rulebook go to different places. For example, user #1 found a link to a Rulebook that took him to an external site, while the Rulebook link I found was in an internal page.
This was incredibly inconsistent and confusing.
Sponsorship Deck Access -
There are two different ways to find the 'Sponsorship Deck.' User #1 saw the link
on the 'Sponsors' page, which I had never noticed before. I always found this link on the 'Support USQ' page. These
two pages seem very similar, so combining them would make it easier for the user to see all the information in one place.
Membership Registration Link -
Similarly, user #1 found another way to get to the external website for membership registration by clicking the 'Current Members' link in the navigation bar. The 'Current Members' link merely took users to the home page of the external site,
which did not necessarily make sense, considering the term 'Current Members' would make it seem like it is a link to a page linking to all the current quadball players.
Home Link Absence -
There is no 'Home' link in the navigation bar, aside from
the image's hyperlink.
News Page Images -
On the 'News' page, the image thumbnails differ from
the images appearing in the news articles.
What Should We Do About It?
Make the popup banner less intrusive or provide an option to skip it, allowing new users to explore the website's content immediately.
Place the quadball tutorial video on the 'What Is Quadball?' page in a more prominent, easily accessible spot to ensure it is immediately visible to new users.
Ensure the Rulebook is available in one prominent, consistent location, like the main navigation bar.
Merge similar pages to simplify navigation.
Make the 'Current Members' link in the navigation bar directly relevant to its label or rename it for clarity.
To improve site navigation, incorporate a clear 'Home' link in the navigation bar.
Ensure consistency between thumbnail images and the images in the actual news articles to avoid confusion.
User 2 Findings
What Did I See? What Does It Mean?
Ineffective Search Functionality -
When user #2 tried to find the Rulebook, he tried to use the search to find it, but it did not work, except for very basic words. This is a significant
issue, which I had not noticed, as I usually manually look for elements on a page instead of using the search function.
Separate but Related 'Donate' and 'Support USQ' Pages -
There are two pages that are correlated yet have two separate pages: the 'Donate' page and the 'Support USQ' page. When trying to find out if USQ
accepted matching gifts, this was not on the 'Donate' page, which would have made more sense.
No Warning for External Links -
When linking to external websites on the navigation bar, there was no warning that it was going elsewhere. User #2 pointed out that it was very abrupt.
Misplaced Sponsorship Information -
For the sponsorship with Levio Learning, the contact instructor email is not on the 'Sponsorships' page but instead on the 'Youth' page.
Moving this information to that page will keep users from having to
go to Levio Learning's external website to contact them.
Lack of a Navigation Trail - There is no breadcrumb trail to help users understand where they are on in the website.
What Should We Do About It?
Enhance the search engine to handle a variety of queries efficiently.
Develop and integrate an interactive list of teams for better accessibility and user engagement.
Merge similar pages to streamline navigation and content delivery.
Add clear warnings or indicators for external links for a more transparent user experience.
Ensure all relevant information is located in the appropriate section for easy access.
Adjust the layout of the 'Documents & Policies' page to highlight critical information prominently.
Implement a breadcrumb trail for better user orientation and navigation within the site.
User 3 Findings
What Did I See? What Does It Mean?
Reliance on External Site for Team Information -
An external site contains a list of all current teams, yet only an interactive map on the main website. Users should not have to
visit an external site to see the entire list.
Trademark Disclaimer in Footer -
The trademark disclaimer should be located somewhere other than the page's footer
because it is very easy to miss and is at an odd location.
Unexpected Donation Screen -
After clicking the 'Donate to US Quadball Today!' hyperlink in the 'Donate' page, going to the page, and then clicking the back arrow, a donation screen appears from nowhere. Oddly, it is not always shown.
Outdated 'Documents & Policies' Page -
The page is outdated
and needs to have recent forms.
Confusing 'Volunteer & Jobs' Page Layout -
The page has a confusing layout.
Instead of having two separate sections about volunteering, the sections can be combined to improve readability.
External Link for Location Details -
The same US Quadball Cup 2024 links to an external site. While it is nice that it links directly to Google Maps,
it is a far better solution to have the hyperlink to the address over the actual words, as opposed to '(map)'.
Unnoticed Button on 'All Teams' Page -
On the 'All Teams' page, there is a button on the interactive map listing all the College and Club teams for the season. This button should be highlighted
because, like the other users, user #3 did not see it on the main website and mentioned it again at the end of the test.
What Should We Do About It?
Add the entire list of teams to the internal page, 'All Teams'.
Place the trademark disclaimer in a more prominent section, like at the bottom of the main menu or as a footer popup.
Ensure the donation screen is consistently displayed to avoid confusion.
Regularly review and update the 'Documents & Policies' page to maintain accuracy and credibility.
Combine related sections for clarity and improved navigation.
Incorporate the address of the US Quadball Cup directly in the event details for better accessibility.
Clearly label external links and consider integrating essential information like addresses directly on the site.
Make the button on the 'All Teams' page more prominent through size, color contrast, or positioning.