EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

NC Coastal Atlas
Final Project
Team 1
Tiffany Clark, Rachel Vidrine, Melissa Lamaffar

Table of Contents
UX Design Project Executive Summary.......................................................................................4
UX Design Genre Samples..........................................................................................................5
Persona Profile Template............................................................................................................. 6
Grading Criteria Questions..........................................................................................................8

Project Plan.............................................................................................................................. 10
Goals & Objectives.................................................................................................................... 11
Stakeholders.............................................................................................................................. 11
Methods..................................................................................................................................... 11
Data........................................................................................................................................... 11
Technologies.............................................................................................................................. 11
Interactions................................................................................................................................ 12
Project Plan Timeline................................................................................................................. 13
NC Coastal Atlas Usability Report..........................................................................................14
Introduction................................................................................................................................ 15
Executive Summary................................................................................................................... 15
Methodology.............................................................................................................................. 16
Sessions............................................................................................................. 16
Participants........................................................................................................ 17
Results....................................................................................................................................... 17
Task Completion Success Rate...........................................................................17
Task Ratings....................................................................................................... 17
Ease in Finding Information................................................................................17
Keeping Track of Location in Site........................................................................18
Areas for Improvement...................................................................................... 18
Overall Metrics........................................................................................................................... 19
Overall Ratings................................................................................................... 19
Recommendations..................................................................................................................... 20

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Conclusions............................................................................................................................... 21
Attachments:.............................................................................................................................. 21
Appendix.................................................................................................................................... 22
Citizen Scientist Persona Profile................................................................................................23
NC Coastal Atlas Findings Report..........................................................................................24
Introduction................................................................................................................................ 25
Executive Summary................................................................................................................... 25
Methodology.............................................................................................................................. 26
Sessions............................................................................................................. 26
Results....................................................................................................................................... 27
Task Ratings....................................................................................................... 27
Ease in Finding Information................................................................................27
Overall Metrics........................................................................................................................... 28
Overall Ratings................................................................................................... 28
Recommendations..................................................................................................................... 30
Conclusions............................................................................................................................... 31
Appendix.................................................................................................................................... 32
NC Coastal Atlas Prototype ...................................................................................................33

UX Design Project Executive Summary

UX Design Genre Samples

Project Plan
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2012/01/26/ux-research-plan-stakeholders-love/ (Sample is
toward the end of the article.)
http://www.janaowens.com/resume/samples/sample_testplan.pdf
http://immersion.gmu.edu/ttac/fall2010/Deliverables/Usability_Test_Plan.pdf

Usability Report
http://www.dialogdesign.dk/Test_Reports.htm (click on link in site to download copy of the
report)
https://sites.google.com/site/ivrdesigngroup/home/usability-assessment/example-usabilityreport-1 (while lacking in visuals this sample clearly states objectives, goals as well as outlining
the methodology employed)
http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/resources/templates/report-template-usability-test.html
(a template that explains each section very well)

Persona
http://www.uiaccess.com/accessucd/personas_eg.html (accessibility persona)
http://www.buyerpersona.com/example-buyer-persona (buyer persona)
https://wiki.fluidproject.org/display/fluid/Persona+Format (multiple personas with descriptions of
pros and cons, good resources for persona analysis)

Information Architecture Findings Report

http://www.w3.org/WAI/redesign/ut_report/findings.html (written for the web, lacking in visuals
but with a clear outline)
http://www.uxbooth.com/articles/complete-beginners-guide-to-information-architecture/ (explains
information architecture and has tables, flow charts, and templates)

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http://iainstitute.org/tools/ (a huge collection of resources from the Information Architecture
Insitute)

Prototype
http://jenmatson.com/3layer/img/3layer-sketchy-screen.jpg
http://www.caffeinatedcoder.com/img/TheProperRoleofMockupTools_AD66/balsamiq_website_t
humb.gif

Persona Profile Template

(Retrieved from http://guiseppegetto.com/2015/02/25/using-personas-in-ux-research/)
Name

Personal Story

Age

Gender
Education
Occupation
Area of residence
Income
Home life
Ethnic/cultural background
Hobbies and recreation

What problems keep him or

her up at night?

Personal attributes

Goals

Persona Profile Template (continued)

[Picture goes here]

Thumbnail Sketch

Goals

Sample Life
Scenarios

Needs

Ideal System Features

Grading Criteria Questions

Modes/Media
What are the main conventions (rules or customs) of your specific type of writing? (e.g.
should have an executive summary, should be written in third-person, should include
images that depict specific processes, etc.)
What are parts or components that people expect to see in this type of writing? (e.g.
specific headings, specific types of images in specific places, specific fonts, etc.)
How do people recognize your specific type of writing when they see it? (e.g. they see x
component, they encounter the writing in a specific place, they recognize a specific type
of language or image used, etc.)
In creating documentation for a client it is important to provide clear-cut outlines, use precise
language when necessary, and provide the client with visuals and explanations in order to not
only online the specifics but to allow them to understand the process, goals and be involved in
the UX design from its inception. The type of documentation used and the manner in which it is
written, must reflect the stage in the process. Formal reports, such as usability reports or design
findings should include feature areas such as an executive summary, graphics, visuals as well
as the body of the text which contains more specific information. An executive summary
provides an overview, but not the details of the project. It is easily accessible and readable for
all stakeholders in the project. As the reader further delves into the report, specific details
should emerge, including methodology, results, and an analysis of those findings. This body of
information may not be of interest to all involved and as such may not be read in its entirety,
which once again underscores the necessity of a clear and precise executive summary.
Due to the complex at times lengthiness of these types of reports, it is necessary to have
appropriate headings, and create a document that is intuitive in nature. For example, in the
aforementioned usability report, the writer would not provide the results of the test prior to
detailing the methodology employed; rather, the report is somewhat temporal in nature as it
follows the timeline of the project itself. The formal nature of the report underscores the need for
use of the third person, in order to maintain a proper tone. The use of you or I in the report
should be avoided for the most part, as the informality may create an impression of on the
part of the reader. A good report for UX design should in many ways reflect good UX design; it
should be easy to read, intuitive in design and its purpose should be easily understood. If the
reader is looking for specific information, he/she should be able to access it by looking at
specific headings, and visuals should be available as necessary to illustrate issues or
recommendations.
Looking at a sample usability report at http://www.dialogdesign.dk/Test_Reports.htm
we can find illustrations of the previously outlined features of good UX report designs. The
report itself contains an executive summary, details of the methodology and terminology
employed within the report, and addresses the results and recommendations through the use of
written and visual representations. Further elements of this report are easy to identify and find,
so that stakeholders who are looking for specific information can easily access the required
information.

Purposes
What are best practices for this specific type of writing? (e.g. include easy-to-follow
instructions, be sure to include a plan for delivering content, be sure to only use 2-3
images, etc.)
What do people usually try to do to an audience with this type of writing? (e.g. persuade,
inform, educate, entertain,etc.)
In creating documentation for a client, it is best to have a well-developed plan for delivering
content, a plan which outlines process, deliverables, and if necessary, the stakeholders
involved. This allows for the proper allocation of resources and personnel and provides the
client with a clear view of the project. Once a project plan has been established, additional
documentation created such a usability test report should provide clear and concise details of
the methodology, data and results and provide images to illustrate points as necessary. A UX
designer cannot be confined to strictly developed rules in writing, as each project differs, as
does each client. Rather the documentation and content must fit the project and be adjusted to
meet the needs of the stakeholders involved. At times stakeholders may require more images
and less text, whereas others may prefer detailed written accounts of actions and requirements.
The purpose of the documentation is multifold. At times it may be to persuade a stakeholder to
pursue a course of action, but at all times the primary purpose is to inform, whether it is the
projected steps needed or the reasons why such actions are needed.
Audiences
What groups of people are the main target audience for this specific type of writing? (e.g.
marketers, business managers, web designers, professors, teachers, students, people
with disabilities, people from a specific background, people ages 32-64, customers who
purchased a specific type of product recently, etc.)
What kinds of stories do these groups of people find most appealing? (e.g. a story that
teaches them how to learn web design, a story about a product, a story about a process,
a story that connects them to a particular kind of experience, a story that makes a
complex topic understandable to them, etc.)
The target audience includes the key stakeholders in the project. Oftentimes, these are the
developers and designers involved in the web design project, but may also include customers,
staff, etc. The particular demographics (age, backgrounds, etc.) of this target audience will vary
according to the project.
These groups want to read stories that make the usability process and findings clear and easy
to understand and apply. The writing needs to be written in such a way that stakeholders have a
clear picture of the target users and their goals and needs.

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East Carolina University

NC Coastal Atlas
_________________________________________________________
Project Plan
Tiffany Clark, Rachel Vidrine, Melissa Lamaffar

11

Goals & Objectives

The current NC Atlas website has an abundance of information and can be very useful to users.
The UX team will conduct usability testing to test the effectiveness of the current navigation/menu
system in place on the NC Atlas site. Because users will come to the website looking for
information, the effectiveness of the navigation/menu system is essential to the usability of the
site.

The project will be completed after testing at least five users.

Stakeholders

While there are several key stakeholders, for purposes of recruitment to engage in UX research
and testing, the stakeholder base will be limited to NC Atlas staff and ECU departments familiar
with using atlases.

Methods

The methodology employed will include usability testing and questionnaires to conduct
preliminary research to understand the needs and uses of the primary user of the NC Atlas
website.

The UX team will conduct comparative assessments of comparable websites, as well as,
consider the experiences and opinions of other potential users to gather the data on design
problems.

Data

A questionnaire will be developed in order to gather information from identified stakeholders on

issues related to website design, as these stakeholders will have a more in-depth knowledge of
the strengths and weakness of the website based upon user feedback and daily use.

One issue identified by the team is in the lack of an available drop-down menu. The team will
conduct research on user opinions regarding drop-down menus, as well as any other design
issues brought up by key stakeholders.

Technologies

Type
1. TryMyUI
2. UserZoom
3. UXPin

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4. Mobile Devices

It is important to use a variety of devices in UX design as users are likely to use various platforms
in using and viewing the NC Atlas website. Our team has access to a variety of smartphones and
other mobile devices to view the website.

Another element is assistive technologies which are used by a variety of users, not just those with
physical impairments.

The UX team will consider the types of technology used to access the website, as users may use
tablets, smartphones, in addition to traditional desktops or Macs.

TryMyUI will be an excellent tool to use when getting user feedback. TryMyUI will allow us to see
how to user manipulates the site and obtains feedback from the user.

UXPin also has tools which may be used in the UX design, such as developing wireframes,
prototypes and layered design files.

Interactions

Prior to development the team would like to conduct a survey of potential issues/problems with
the staff of NC Atlas website as well as those in specific ECU departments, such as the ECU
Institute for Coastal Science and the ECU Center for GIScience. These departments and
individuals would most likely have well-defined ideas on website design issues based upon
feedback from users.

Secondly, through usability testing a select group will be asked to find specific information on the
website and asked to interact with the atlas. While it is preferable to observe users as usability
testing is conducted, it is not feasible at this juncture as such a questionnaire that accurately
assesses user actions and garners user feedback will be created. If the design elements
employed are good then users should be able to find specific information quickly and easily.

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Project Plan Timeline

Duration

Activity

Output

Whos Involved

Module 1
~1 week

Discovery

Comparative
Assessment

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 1
~1 week

User Research

Field Research

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 2
~1 week

Strategy

Design Brief
(Dropdown tab
organization and image
pixels)

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 2
~1 week

Architecture &
Interaction Design

Sketches and design

concepts
UserZoom results

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 3
~1 week

Visual Design

Wireframes on UXPin
and TryMyUI results.

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 4
~1 week

Validation

Usability Tests

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 5
~1 week

Implementation
Oversight

Additional Design
Consulting

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

Module 5
~1 week

Tracking & Analytics

Review User Feedback

Melissa, Rachel, Tiffany

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East Carolina University

NC Coastal Atlas Usability Report

____________________________________________________________
Tiffany Clark, Rachel Vidrine, Melissa Lamaffar

15

Introduction
The North Carolina Coastal Atlas is an online mapping and investigation system that provides both static
and interactive maps and related data and information for exploration, analysis, and learning about
coastal issues and resources for students, managers, scientists, teachers, and the public. The Atlas
combines physical, ecological and human use data to support education, management and decisionmaking. Thematic maps allow non-technical and advanced users to examine and interact with geospatial
information on topics such as coastal hazards or shoreline change. The maps will allow users to select
their area of interest, cartographic layers, and also search for reference, archival, and research data.
Careful cartographic design paired with GIS functionality allows for real-time remote access via a web
browser or desktop GIS (via WMS and WFS services) and the ability to produce high-quality output maps
for print or download. Most importantly, the users are provided with explanatory text, background
information, and access to references and research that will enable them to delve as deeply as desired
into the topic of choice.
Students in Dr. Getto's UX class at ECU conducted remote and online usability testing using TryMyUI.
TryMyUI provided tasks for the users to perform while the UX team logged notes. The sessions captured
participant's activities such as navigational choices, task completion, comments, difficulties, satisfaction,
and feedback. Due to technical difficulties, the team conducting this usability test was unable to use
TryMYUI.

Executive Summary
The UX team conducted usability testing during the last week in May. The purpose of the test was to gain
knowledge of the Citizen Scientists experience completing assigned tasks on the current NC Coastal
Atlas website.
Each UX team member tested one participant, for a total of three users. Each session lasted
approximately 30 minutes after trouble shooting. All users were able to complete each task with little to
no difficulty. Of those who tested the website, two had intermediate knowledge of GIS mapping and one
was a novice.
In conducting usability testing of the website, all users found the website to be quite user-friendly for both
experienced and novice users of GIS mapping. Users were able to quickly navigate to the maps and
utilize the features as the tasks required.
The test identified only a few minor issues including:
Cluttered homepage
Difficulties identifying bibliography icon
Lack of 3D mapping feature
Examples of this issues can be found in the Figures located on pages 2 and 3. This document contains
the participant feedback, research methodology, results, and recommendations for improvements. A copy
of the usability test data is included in the Attachments section.

Clutter

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Methodology
Sessions
Participants were asked to aid in testing by each member of the UX team, and the individual and team
member agreed upon an appropriate meeting time to complete the usability testing. UX team members
attempted to create a usability test through TryMyUI; however, due to technical difficulties, were unable to
do so. The URL that participants were given is: http://trymyui.com/sta/IY617eO8u09npVXc. Consequently,
UX team members conducted usability testing in person with the user using a previously created script.

Used TryMyUI to
create test but
faced technical
difficulties.

During the session the UX team member testing the user allowed the user to attempt the tasks
independently while taking note of the user actions and comments. Tasks were as follows:
Task #1: Navigate to the Thematic Maps page from the home page (www.nccoastalatlas.org)
Task #2: Navigate to a Thematic Map/map user interface. Find/zoom in on Manteo NC.
Task #3: Navigate to the map interface directly Explore the Coast from the Homepage
Task #4: Find a relevant citation in the Bibliography.
Each UX member asked a set of scripted questions during the task, noting answers on the Usability
Testing template developed by the team.
Post usability test, the UX member asked for feedback from the participant. Questions asked were:
What do you most like about it?
What do you most dislike about it?
What do you find most engaging about it?
What did you feel was the most difficult task you had to complete?
What did you feel was the easiest task you had to complete?
What would you say the site does best?
7. If you could change one thing about the site, what would it be, and why?
8. If you had to characterize yourself as a digital atlas user, what kind of user would you be?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

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Participants
All participants are considered citizen scientists. Three participants were scheduled, one by each UX
team member, and testing was completed between May 25 -31, to allow for completion of this report by
June 3, 2015. See Appendix for evaluation tasks.
Participant #1 - Tester Tiffany C. - May 25 - 31 - Bachelors Degree - 28
Participant #2 - Tester Rachel V. - May 25 - 31 - Bachelors Degree - 45
Participant #3 - Tester Melissa L. - May 25 - 31 - Graduate Degree - 41

Results
Task Completion Success Rate
Participants were successful in completing all of the tasks without prompting. Some tasks were more
challenging than others, taking longer to complete.

Task Completion Rates

Participant

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4

Success

Completion Rates

100%

100%

100%

100%

Task Ratings
After testing, the participants were asked for feedback considering the website and Map User Interface.

Ease in Finding Information

All participants felt that finding the thematic maps was made easy due to the clean navigation bar. They
also felt that manipulating the maps was fairly straightforward and users without GIS mapping experience
could benefit from the experience as well. In task 2, participants performed the same actions such as
zooming, measuring, and clicking on the legend. Task 3 and 4 were a matter of finding the correct links to
click.

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Keeping Track of Location in Site

The navigation bar and ease of the tasks made keeping on track in the location of the site relatively easy.
When searching for the bibliography, a participant went searching versus staying on the map before
coming back to the map, but he was still able to easily track his location.

Areas for Improvement

While the testers found the site in general to be quite easy to navigate, there were three areas in
particular which users felt either needed improvement or features that the site lacked. The users felt that
the homepage of the website was too cluttered and that many of the visuals overwhelmed the screen.
Testers also had issues with the bibliography icon in the mapping area, although there were able to
complete the requested task after navigating for a bit. The third item is the lack of 3D mapping available,
as users felt that this would be a handy feature in GIS mapping.
Users must scroll through
the website to find
information, and found the
homepage to be cluttered
with oversized visuals.

Clutter

19

Users experienced some

difficulties with the
bibliography icons while in
maps.

Bibliography

Users desired 3D
mapping features, such
as those pictured.

3D Map

Overall Metrics
Overall Ratings

20
All participants agreed that the maps on the website were engaging to use, although as citizen scientists
they dont see using the site frequently. A more engaging homepage may help draw users in so that they
will want to explore.

Likes, Dislikes, Participant Recommendations

Upon completion of the tasks, participants provided feedback for what they liked most and least about the
website, and recommendations for improving the website.

Liked Most
The following comments capture what the participants liked most:
Navigation, ...navigate like a boss.
User enjoyed playing with the interactive maps layers and bases.
Taskbar is easy to find. Maps navigated quickly and didnt take too long to load. Easy
to add layers and interact with the maps. Easy to search an address.

Liked Least
The following comments capture what the participants liked the least:
A lot of social media in my face. I get it, you want me to share it.
Bibliography has too many options and was hard to work with.
Didnt like scrolling inside the Identity pop up box.

Recommendations for Improvement

Tone down the social media.
Incorporate 3D simulations in maps.
Make the bibliography easier to find.
Reduce image sizes.

Recommendations
The recommendations section provides recommended changes and justifications driven by the
participant's success, behaviors, and comments. Each recommendation includes a severity rating. The
following recommendations will improve the overall ease of use and address the areas where participants
experienced problems or found the interface/information unclear.

Change
Redesign the homepage to be
more user-friendly.

Justification
Participants across all three tests commented on the
homepage stating it was too overwhelming.
Participants felt that the map interaction was great, but
lacking when other Atlas sites provide the 3D feature.

Add 3D simulations

Severity
High

Low

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Conclusions
All users felt that the NC Coastal Atlas website was easy to navigate and use. Scientific information was
comprehensive and well organized. By implementing the recommended changes and redesigning the
homepage a more welcoming and professional landing page can be created to ensure a user-centered
website.

Attachments:
Attachment A - UX Team 1s Scripted Usability Test results.
Attachment B - Simplified Answers to Module 1 prompt questions.

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Appendix
Evaluation Tasks/Scenarios
Testing script provided by Guiseppe Getto. (http://www.guiseppegetto.com/engl7766ux/wpcontent/uploads/2012/02/NC_Coastal_Atlas_Usability_Script.pdf)
Task #1: Navigate to the Thematic Maps page from the home page (www.nccoastalatlas.org) Do you see
any descriptions of maps that might be useful for you? Which ones?
What would you do next?
What was your experience of the task?
Why did you complete the task in the way you did?
Task #2: Navigate to a Thematic Map/ map user interface. Find/zoom in on Manteo NC (or your
community?)
What can you do with this map?
Does this map have the information that you thought it would?
Is there additional information you wish was available in this map?
How would you find more information about this map, such as the sources of the data?
What is your overall experience of this task?
Why did you complete the task the way that you did?
Task #3: Navigate to the map interface directly Explore the Coast from the Homepage
How would you change the basemap?
How would you add data layers?
What can you do with this map?
Is information/data you would like to add that is not available?
Is there a function that you wished was available for this tool?
Task #4: Find a relevant citation in the Bibliography.
Did the citation contain in the information you thought it would?
What could you do with the information contained in the citation?
What was your experience of this task?
Why did you complete the task in the way you did?
How would you change the basemap?
Overall Questions about the NC Coastal Atlas Website and Map User Interface
What do you most like about it?
What do you most dislike about it?
What do you find most engaging about it?
What did you feel was the most difficult task you had to complete?
What did you feel was the easiest task you had to complete?
What would you say the site does best?
If you could change one thing about the site, what would it be, and why?
If you had to characterize yourself as a digital atlas user, what kind of user would you be?

23

24

Citizen Scientist Persona Profile

Name

John

Age

33

Gender

Male

Education

Bachelors

Occupation

Engineer

Area of residence

Raleigh, NC

Income

70,000/yr

Home life

Married, with 1 child

Ethnicity

Caucasian

Hobbies

Personal pilot and autocross

What problems
keep him up at
night?

Work-related issues

Personal
attributes

Analytical, reserved, tech

savvy

Goals

To move up professional and

on a personal level, obtain his
pilots license

Needs

Ability to easily create layers

and manipulate the map in
different angles.

Ideal System
Features

A user-friendly system that

allows him to quickly find the
information he is looking for
without having to do
unnecessary scrolling.
Availability of 3D mapping
technology to add layers and
see topographical features.

Johns Story
John is a 33 year old engineer, living in Raleigh, who
enjoys autocross and is currently working toward
obtaining his pilots license. John is in good health
and enjoys spending time with his family as well as
pursuing his interests. He is drawn to auto-cross due
to its emphasis on skill and precision versus the raw
power of other motor sports. Analytical and tech
savvy, John is quick to pick up on new technology
and appreciates well designed software.
While John is sociable and uses social media in his
professional life as necessary, he often visits website
with a purpose or task in mind, rather than to simply
share the minutia of his life. John often uses his
phone and iPad, in addition to his laptop to access
various websites, as such he appreciates sites that
are well designed for mobile devices.
Professionally, John often works with GIS maps as he
develops underground piping systems. However, he
also uses GIS maps when researching flight plans
and tends to be prepared for any eventually. He
enjoys reading articles and research data for
personal knowledge and seeks is prone to extensive
research before making purchases or

25

East Carolina University

NC Coastal Atlas Findings Report

Tiffany Clark, Rachel Vidrine, Melissa Lamaffar

26

Introduction
The North Carolina Coastal Atlas is an online mapping and investigation system that provides both static
and interactive maps and related data and information for exploration, analysis, and learning about
coastal issues and resources for students, managers, scientists, teachers, and the public. The Atlas
combines physical, ecological and human use data to support education, management and decisionmaking. Thematic maps allow non-technical and advanced users to examine and interact with geospatial
information on topics such as coastal hazards or shoreline change. The maps will allow users to select
their area of interest, cartographic layers, and also search for reference, archival, and research data.
Careful cartographic design paired with GIS functionality allows for real-time remote access via a web
browser or desktop GIS (via WMS and WFS services) and the ability to produce high-quality output maps
for print or download. Most importantly, the users are provided with explanatory text, background
information, and access to references and research that will enable them to delve as deeply as desired
into the topic of choice.
Students in Dr. Getto's UX class at ECU conducted a card sort for the users to perform while the UX team
logged notes. The session captured participants opinion on organization. After the card sort with users,
Team 1 conducted a content audit on the pages on the NC Coastal Atlas website.

Executive Summary
The UX team conducted a card sort in the first week of June. The purpose of the test was to gain
knowledge of the Citizen Scientists opinion of organization of the website content.
The UX team tested one participant, with the session lasting just over an hour. The participant was able to
complete the card sort after being told that there was no right answer, and we just wanted to know his
opinion on the best way to organize the information. This user has intermediate knowledge of GIS
mapping, but still had difficulty understanding what he was looking at sometimes.
In conducting the card sort and content audit, we found that the websites navigation scheme was already
fairly user-friendly. We expected to see more change suggestions than we received in the feedback.
The card sort and content audit identified a few minor stylistic/consistency issues including:
Social Media icons on the homepage
Moving around the navigation bar
Ineffective tags
Data catalog homepage

This document contains the participant feedback, research methodology, results, and recommendations
for improvements. A copy of the card sort and content audit data has been included in the Appendix
section.

27

Methodology
Sessions
A participant who had previously participated in usability testing of the website agreed to continue to aid in
testing by completing a card sort. The participant and designated UX team member met and tested on
June 6, 2015. Testing took a little over an hour while the participant gained understanding of what was
expected out of the experience. The participant was given only a stack of blank index cards and a
computer with internet connection. During the session, the participant looked through the items on the
nccoastalatlas.org website and was instructed to write down the different parts of the site and organize
them as he felt fit best. Once he finished writing down and organizing the parts of the website, the
participant answered the following questions:

What are categories that fit the easiest together for you? Why do you think that was?
Maps fit well because they should go under the maps title.

Which ones were the hardest to make fit? Why do you think that was?
Data Catalog because it has so much information. Such a diverse range of information and its
hard to organize it in any other way than alphabetical.

[If they had outliers that didnt seem to fit] What about this category? Why do you feel it didnt fit with any
of the others?
N/A

Which category grouping did you feel the most certain about? Why do you think that is?
Maps because there are only 7 maps that it makes sense to create shortcuts so regular users
can go straight to the maps.

Which category grouping did you feel the least certain about? Why do you think that is?
Data Catalog because there was too much information and there still is, but its not in my
expertise to know a better way to group them.

Were there any commonalities in the ways the user organized information?
Drop down menus

What were key differences?

N/A

What were outliers?

N/A

Card Sort Participants

The chosen card sort participant had conducted the usability testing in the prior module with one of the
members of the UX team. This participant agreed to continue testing by doing the card sort.
Participant - June 6, 2015 - Bachelors Degree - 28

Results
Card Sort Task Results

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Navigation Bar
Home
About Us - Put North Carolina Coastal Atlas Partners here.
Maps
Dasymetric Population Mapping
NC Sentinel Site Cooperative Projects
ECU Coastal Research Projects
Flood Inundation Vulnerability
Wetlands, Habitat, and Threats
Oceanic and Estuarine Shorelines
Create a New Map Using Our Data
Data Catalog (No landing page)
Bibliography
Blog - Noticed its not updated often.
Contact

Task Ratings
User found the card sort task difficult at times as he was unsure of the purpose of some areas of the
website. He felt some areas had a purpose and may be more important or less important to professionals
and users based upon the experience level of the user in regards to GIS mapping.

Ease in Finding Information

The participant felt that some areas of the website worked much better than others. He preferred much
more simplicity than some of the pages had.

29

Overall Metrics
Overall Ratings
Most of the content was organized well with only a few suggestions for simplifying certain areas and the
navigational scheme.

Strengths, Weaknesses and Participant Recommendations

During the task, the participant provided feedback for what he liked most and least about the website, and
recommendations for improving the website. During the content audit, the members of the UX team also
identified areas that worked well and areas that needed improvements on the nccoastalatlas.org website.

Strengths
The following comments capture what the participant liked most:

Search Bars
sort images.
There isn't too muchCard
information
on the Maps page. There is a thumbnail size example of
what the user will see in that map, a description of that map, and direct options for
"Explore This Map" and "Layers." The design of the page is consistent and easy to follow
for the user.
The Data Catalog is organized in a way that's easy to find information if the user is
looking for something specific and easy for the user just looking to browse.

Weaknesses
The following comments capture what the participants liked the least:

30

Figure 1. Homepage

The Home page requires

scrolling to get information
under the slideshow. Social
media icons are very large.
Redundant social
media icons
Icons here are large
and repetitive. We
recommend
removing these and
adding Atlas content.

Figure 2. Tags

Tags were
mentioned as
useless and
ineffective because
they didn't work.
Search bar would
be sufficient.

Due to ineffectiveness, we
recommend removing tags.

Figure 3. Navigation Bar and Drop-down Menu

Dasymetric Population Mapping

NC Sentinel Site Coop Projects
ECU Coastal Research Projects
Flood Inundation Vulnerability
Wetlands, Habitat, and Threats
Oceanic and Estuarine Shorelines
Create a New Map Using Our Data

Reorganizing the navigation bar and creating

a drop-down menu under the Maps tab will
also the user to navigate to a specific map
quickly and provide a more intuitive
environment.
Clicking "maps" will also take the user to the
current page with all the maps listed.

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Figure 4. Data Catalog

The homepage is ineffective.

The tag boxes are ineffective
at the bottom again. A user
can just use the search bar to
find necessary terms in the
data. Once in the "All Data"
section, the data is organized
alphabetically
This page does not
seem to have
purpose. We
recommend removing
it and going straight
to the listed Data
Catalog.

Recommendations for Improvement

Our partners should be under the About Us section.
Reorganize the listed maps by hits/views.
Could use a small description of what the user will find by clicking on the link. Maybe

have the list of the main topics when the user first clicks on "Data Catalog" and then the
user can click through the titles to display the data organized underneath. This would
alleviate the overwhelming feeling of data overload when you reach this page.
Many maps have no information of dates, and some of the ones that do are fairly
outdated, going all the way back to 1993.

Recommendations
This section provides recommended changes and justifications driven by the participant success rate,
behaviors, and comments. Each recommendation includes a severity rating. The following
recommendations will improve the overall ease of use and address the areas where participants
experienced problems or found the interface/information architecture unclear.
Change

Issue Classification

Justification

Severity

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Move partners information to

About Us tab

Organizational

Declutter homepage to make the

content more intuitive

High

Reorganize maps by popularity

Organizational

Make it easier to access more popular

maps

Medium

Additional information provided

in maps

Informational

Assist users by providing additional

information in maps.

High

Descriptive box appears over

links

Informational

Provide users with additional information

when hovering over links

Medium

Update/Remove outdated
Maps

Efficacy

It is important to have current

mapping/data available

High

Conclusions
The content audit reiterated previous findings of the current user friendliness of the NC Coastal Atlas
website. The user found scientific information was comprehensive and well organized, although some
maps were found to be outdated or lacking in information. The findings also pointed to the clutter
identified on the homepage as distracting, but easily fixable by resizing images and moving information to
a more intuitive tab. By implementing the recommended changes and redesigning the homepage, a more
welcoming and professional landing page can be created to ensure a user-centered website.

33

Appendix

Content Analysis Table

Content

Strengths

Outdated

Ineffective

Stylistic/Consistency Issues

Homepage

"Search box."Sign In" link.

Navigation bar. Event calendar of
upcoming and recent events.
Scrolling slideshow linking to
different maps.
Paragraph about the atlas. Social
media icons and links. Images &
links to ""Explore the Coast,
""View Thematic Maps"" and
""Learn More."" Logos and icons
for partners/sponsors.

Good navigation bar.

Upcoming events is good.
Other than redundant and
oversized social media
icons, the design is mostly
clean and uncluttered.

Copyright date, but

no date of last
update. Event
calendar seems to
be current.

Requires scrolling to get

information under the
slideshow. Social media icons
are very large and redundant.

Our partners should be under the

About Us section.

Maps

Dasymetric Population Mapping

NC Sentinel Site Cooperative
Projects
ECU Coastal Research Projects,
Flood Inundation Vulnerability
Wetlands, Habitat, and Threats
Oceanic and Estuarine Shorelines
Create a New Map Using Our
Data

There isn't too much

information here. There is a
thumbnail size example of
what the user will see in
that map, a description of
that map, and direct options
for Explore This Map and
Layers. The design of the
page is consistent and easy
to follow for the user.

Copyright date, but

no date of last
update. Two of the
links under "Where
to Find More
Information" are
broken links.

Tags were mentioned as

useless and ineffective
because they didn't work.
Search bar would be
sufficient.

Reorganize the listed maps by

hits/views.

Data Catalog

The homepage is just a search

bar which is ineffective. We could
do away with the homepage and
go straight to the data catalog
where users can find specific
information with a search bar
there, or can browse the data.

Organized in a way that's

easy to find information if
the user is looking for
something specific and
easy for the user just
looking to browse.

Many maps have no

information of dates,
and some of the
ones that do are
fairly outdated, going
all the way back to
1993.

The homepage is ineffective.

The tag boxes are ineffective
at the bottom again. A user
can just use the search bar to
find necessary terms in the
data. One in the All Data
section, the data is organized
alphabetically.

Could use a small description of

what the user will find by clicking
on the link. Maybe have the list of
the main topics when the user first
clicks on Data Catalog and then
the user can click through the title
to display the data organized
underneath. This would alleviate
the overwhelming feeling of data
overload when you reach this
page.

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NC Coastal Atlas Prototype