Moviefone for iPad
AOL August 2012
The Summary:
The Moviefone team requested product improvement research for their consumer product. Specifically, they wanted a round of evaluative usability testing to review the currently available version of the Moviefone application for iPad. Specifically, the team wanted to assess both the functional aspects of the design, such as navigation and layout, as well as more specific aspects, such as the content, features and options given.
The Issues:
The need for evaluative data meant a portion of the testing sessions had to be conducted in the traditional style with tasks designed to evaluate feature usability. But, in order to understand the utility of the content, features, and options, we also needed a qualitative approach that allowed the user to control the discussion based on his or her lived experience with the application.
Methods Applied:
Hybrid sessions of Cognitive Walkthroughs + Usability Testing
Primary Role:
Research Consulting Lead, co-guiding and co-facilitating all project activities.
Collaborators:
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Product Manager
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UI Designer
Outcome:
The research successfully identified contexts-of-use and key features typically used.
Product managers received actionable feedback concerning the content, interaction design, and recently included features.
Research Details
Hybrid Testing Sessions: Cognitive Walkthroughs + Usability Testing
Hybrid sessions were a combination of recalling cases of last use, usability tasks specific to search, browse, and purchase activities, and cognitive walkthroughs with live discussion.
Participants were a mix of iPad users either familiar or unfamiliar with the iPad application.
In the case of unfamiliar users, the participants were asked to explore the app and describe their impressions. Familiar users were asked to replay their use of the app for a recent movie theatre outing and to point out the areas of the app they use/don't use.
