Project overview
My client
My role
UX Researching
User testing
The team
Web designer
Web developer
Communications advisor
Project manager
the Tools
Miro Collaboration tool
Notion
Google docs
the timeline
Feb - Jun 2024
Project scope
Versa Vrijwilligers aimed to redesign its website to enhance connectivity between the platform's 400 organizations and volunteers. To achieve this, it was essential to identify key areas for improvement that would deliver the greatest impact.
I was responsible for conducting a comprehensive UX audit to identify key areas of improvement and delivering a detailed report highlighting pain points and actionable steps for enhancing the platform's user experience and effectiveness.
Methodology
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Competitive benchmarking
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Heuristic evaluation
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Customer journey map
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User flow diagram
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Affinity map
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Heuristic evaluation report
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Usability test report
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Information architecture design
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New site map
Project closure and final deliverables
The project concluded successfully, meeting the client's goals to improve user engagement. Deliverables included an in-depth evaluation report with action items, comprehensive usability testing results, a new site map and flow diagrams handed over to the design team. The final audit received positive stakeholder feedback, and the new platform is currently being designed, with iterations to follow once the new design has been finalised.
01. Research
This phase
Usability test
Competitive benchmarking
Usability test
In usability tests, participants were given three tasks to complete.
For participants acting as volunteers, the three tasks were:
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Create an account
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Complete your user profile
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Find and volunteer for an appropriate volunteer opportunity in your area
For participants acting as an organisation, the three tasks were:
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Create an account for your organisation
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Post a volunteer opportunity
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Select a volunteer who applied for the post, and send them a welcome message
The main pain points that was discovered in the usability test was:
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Limited interactivity
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Lengthy sign-up process
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Poor accessibility
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Confusing navigation
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Lost search result
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Outdated design
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Difficulty navigating from mobile device
While the core functionality may serve its purpose, the user experience can feel outdated and difficult to navigate, especially on mobile devices. By incorporating modern features like filters, interactive forms, and responsive design, the platform could significantly improve its accessibility and ease of use, offering a better overall experience for volunteers and organizations.
Competitive benchmarking
Versa Vrijwilligers has a simple, regionally focused platform for connecting volunteers with opportunities, but it lacks the modern design, interactivity, and advanced features seen in competitors platforms. While similar organisations like De Nieuwe Gevers, NL Voor Elkaar and Idealist offers skill-based matching, detailed project and volunteer profiles, and a highly engaging user experience with dynamic content and impact tracking, Versa’s platform feels dated and less user-friendly, particularly in its navigation and mobile responsiveness.
Focusing on the following points will bring Versa's platform in line with industry standards
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Modernising the design
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Feature enhancements
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Focus on interaction design to boost engagement
By addressing these areas, Versa Vrijwilligers can position itself as a competitive platform in the volunteer organization space, providing a better experience for both volunteers and organizations.
UX AUDIT | ACTION PLAN
Finding ways to improve the connection between organisations and volunteers
Next steps
The UX audit of the Versa Vrijwilligers online platform finds several key areas for improvement that could significantly enhance the user experience. This summary focuses on the key findings, the effects they have, and prioritized recommendations for addressing these challenges.
1. Revamp information architecture
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Implement redesigned main menu that eliminate duplicates, clarify ambiguous phrases, and include all relevant topics
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Add 'Search' and 'Help' buttons to the user profile menu for quick access to these features
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Expand the footer menu to incorporate essential links and a newsletter sign-up form
2. Optimize user flows
Sign-up process:
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After users receive email confirmation, prompt them to complete their profiles immediately
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On search pages, auto-fill logged-in users' postal codes
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Create a 'Return to Search Results' button on vacancy pages
Creating and managing organisations:
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Allow users to update organization details if their initial request is not approved, enabling edits without starting over
Vacancy posting:
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Implement a comprehensive questionnaire for posting vacancies, simplifying the process and capturing key details
3. Enhance mobile usability
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Ensure all elements are fully responsive and easy to interact with on mobile devices
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Optimize loading times and touch targets to improve the mobile experience
4. Content improvements
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Regularly assess and update content to maintain accuracy and relevance
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Improve readability and user engagement by refining the style and visual elements
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Add separate pages for core services
5. Improve system feedback
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Enhance system status indicators by providing clear, meaningful error messages and feedback on user actions
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Implement hover effects and other visual cues to guide users and indicate their location on the website, particularly within the menu
02. Analysis
This phase
Heuristic evaluation
Customer journey map
User flow diagram
Affinity map
Heuristic evaluation
A heuristic evaluation test was used to determine if design best practices are used on the Versa Vrijwilligers platform, and the platform scored 75%. In this test, several categories are addressed and rated on a pass/fail basis.
Some of the scores for the different categories are as follows:
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Visual Design (61%) and Typography (72%): Generally positive, with room for minor improvements
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System Status (50%) and Error Messages (39%): Need clearer feedback and more helpful error messages
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Information Architecture (45%): Menus need clear labels and better grouping so information is easier to find
The lowest-scoring areas were responsive design, error messages, information architecture, and user trust. Prioritizing improvements in these areas will deliver immediate enhancements to the platform's usability and significantly impact users' first impressions and connections with the organisation.
Customer journey map
Based on insights gathered from usability test interviews, I created a customer journey map for both volunteers and organizations. This map highlighted key pain points that had the greatest emotional impact on users, providing a clear understanding of areas requiring improvement.
It was quickly identified that the most frustrating stages for users were completing their profiles and retrieving previously saved vacancies. By targeting these specific areas and improving the flow and UI, we can significantly enhance the overall user experience.
User flow diagram
Using the customer journey map as a foundation, I developed user flow diagrams for key stages that presented the most challenging user experiences. After mapping the current flows, I focused on simplifying complex steps and clarifying ambiguous ones, aiming to eliminate uncertainty for users.
Examples of improvements included:
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Streamlining the "complete your profile" stage by integrating it directly into the sign-up process
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Adding a "Back to Search Results" button on the vacancy page, allowing users to safely return to their search results after viewing a vacancy
Affinity map
The next step involved critically analyzing the menu structure and its alignment with the platform's available information. Using a hands-on approach with sticky notes, I labeled and grouped various topics to establish a clear foundation. This process informed the creation of a main menu, profile menu, and footer menu, designed to facilitate seamless navigation across the platform.
03. Solutions
This phase
Heuristic evaluation report
Usability test report
Information architecture design
Site map
Heuristic evaluation report
Versa Vrijwilligers has the opportunity to make significant strides in creating a more user-friendly, efficient, and effective platform for both volunteers and organizations.
To provide a clearer overview of potential improvements, I created a detailed spreadsheet with categorized sections. Each aspect of the evaluation was scored on a pass/fail basis, and actionable recommendations were included for areas that did not meet the desired standards.
Usability test report
Leveraging insights from the usability test, I developed a structured spreadsheet to document identified issues and applied a decision tree framework to systematically categorize their severity. This approach ensures an objective and consistent prioritization process, enabling the resolution of high-impact issues efficiently to deliver maximum value within the shortest possible timeframe.
Some of the critical issues were:
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Two separate pages for a user profile page containing various bits of information
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Losing search results after saving a vacancy
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Forcing users to accept terms & conditions, but the check-box is invisible
Information architecture design
After consulting with the communications advisor and reviewing the affinity map, a redesigned main menu, profile menu, and footer menu were developed to better align with user needs and enhance overall usability.
Site map
An analysis of the Versa Vrijwilligers website identified a total of 332 pages, including 283 blog posts. While the overall page structure was sound, some pages were overly dense, with critical information combined in a way that could lead to important details being overlooked if users did not scroll far enough.
To address this, I recommended adding the following two pages:
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Adviesgesprek voor uw organisatie
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Inloopspreekuur voor vrijwilligers
This will enable visitors to easily access information about these two key services offered by Versa Vrijwilligers.
Expected outcomes
By implementing the recommendations from this UX audit, Versa Vrijwilligers can expect several positive outcomes
Improved user experience
Enhanced usability and accessibility will lead to a more user-friendly platform
Increased volunteer engagement
A smoother and more intuitive interface will likely increase volunteer sign-ups and participation
Greater community impact
Ultimately, a better platform will facilitate more effective community engagement and support, fulfilling the mission of Versa Vrijwilligers