WaterlooWorks: Revised Information Architecture
WaterlooWorks is a job board site used by students at the University of Waterloo.
Screenshot of the old WaterlooWorks dashboard.
Problem
Navigating this site takes longer than necessary. From a service standpoint, students feel overwhelmed with the process, resulting in a negative review of the site's intended initiatives.
Project Duration
1 Month
Scope
Focus on graduating students and those not in the co-op program.
Understanding the User
Conducted an empathy map, asking five participants their views on the initial site.
Empathy map of University of Waterloo students, highlighting what they say, feel, do, and hear about the current WaterlooWorks site.
User Pain Points
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Too many tabs and complex navigation
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Homepage content is often ignored
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Complicated processes for applying to jobs and booking an appointment
Project Stages
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Complete an audit focusing on content quality and inventory
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Conduct a card-sort study
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Draft new information architecture
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Reimagining new information architecture with hi-fi wireframe
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Test and reiterate
User Pain Point 1
Too many tabs and complex navigation.
WaterlooWorks dashboard with highlighted navigation menus outlined by red boxes.
Conducting a Content Audit
This site has three existing navigation menus that will be consolidated into two:
1) Status Checking (Nav 1): This menu will offer quick access to the user account status concerning recent notifications, system alerts, and real-time updates on their activities.
2) Action-Oriented User Tasks (Nav 2): This menu consists of shortcuts to allow users to perform key tasks and functions.
To do so, a content audit will be conducted to identify and eliminate duplicity and redundancy.
WaterlooWorks content audits for each of the three navigation panels.
Employ a Card-sort Study
To improve navigation, I gathered user insights from participants to assess how they group associative labels together.
Before conducting a card-sort study, I reviewed the content audits for each navigation menu and removed any duplicate labels present in all three.
Using the remaining labels, the card sorts are as follows:
Partipant 1
Participant 2
Participant 5
Partipant 1
Card sorts from five participants.
Analysis
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Users grouped job-related tasks
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There was a clear distinction between full-time and part-time employment
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Users preferred having a separate section for the events and networking opportunities
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Communication and account management tasks were frequently grouped together
Draft New Information Architecture
An 'Overview' section will be added within each main category to enhance user orientation. This section will provide users with a summary of the features and tasks available in that category, allowing them to understand and access the resources they need quickly.
The new information architecture is as follows:
Revised information architecture combining navigation panels two and three into one for simplified user flow.
Reimagine New Information Architecture with High-Fidelity Wireframe
High-fidelity wireframe of the revised WaterlooWorks interface.
User Pain Point 2
Homepage content is often ignored.
New UX copy was written for added and existing pages for clarity and retrievability. In addition, widgets displayed on the dashboard page were removed for content visibility.
Snapshots of the new overview pages with new drafted UX copy.
First iteration of WaterlooWorks interface with new information architecture and added pages.
User Pain Point 3
Complicated processes for applying to a job and booking an appointment.
Testing
I conducted a tree test, assessing five participants' ability to navigate two key user journeys:
1) Applying for a job
2) Booking an appointment with an advisor.
Job Search User Flow
Communication and Account Management User Flow
Reiterate
Opportunities for improvement
1) Improve accessibility
2) Change labelling in navigation panel 1 for consistent voice and tone
3) Add a confirmation message before booking an appointment
Accessibility Considerations
Nested elements (My Home, My Account, My Messages, and My Forms) in the Dashboard page are not detected by screen readers. To ensure an accessible journey, they will be migrated as separate tabs on the homepage.
Labelling
Labelling was altered to ensure a consistent voice and tone.
The new information architecture headings for navigation panel 1 are as follows:
Navigation Panel 1
Navigation Panel 2
Key Performance Indicators
To discern user satisfaction, the following areas will be assessed:
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Error Rate: Detect the number of errors encountered by users while navigating the site or completing tasks.
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Screen Reader Compatibility: Monitor the effectiveness of screen readers in announcing interactive controls and ensuring smooth navigation.
Final Product
