Enhancing WASDI's UX: A Collaborative Approach with Andrea Saran

Andrea Saran's Contribution

As part of his bachelor thesis, Andrea Saran undertook the task of analysing WASDI to identify the causes of its usability issues and to propose solutions. His work involved a comprehensive study of the platform, exploring it from the perspective of a new user while considering the site's foundational principles. Andrea's analysis included:

1. Personal Experience: Andrea documented his own experience as a first-time user, noting the difficulties encountered.
2. User Feedback: He gathered and considered feedback from other users to understand varying mental models and identify common pain points.
3. Comparative Analysis: Andrea compared WASDI with eight other competitors, assessing their strengths and weaknesses across 21 different metrics. This analysis helped establish a benchmark for evaluating WASDI's performance and identifying areas for improvement.

Key Findings

Andrea’s research revealed several key areas needing improvement:

1. Information Architecture: WASDI's complexity made it difficult for users to navigate and understand the platform.
2. User Interface: The site suffered from an outdated design, inconsistent element alignments, and responsiveness issues.
3. Specific Features: Problems were identified in various sections, including the Marketplace, App UI, Editor, Workspace, Plan, and Search functions. For example, the Plan section's primary search button was non-functional, and the Search section lacked image previews.

Proposed Solutions

To address these issues, Andrea developed a series of design improvements, which he tested using a low-fidelity prototype created in Figma. These included:

1. Lazy Login: A "try before you buy" approach, allowing new users to explore core functionalities without logging in, supported by a guided walkthrough.
2. Personalised Landing Pages: Options for users to customise their post-login landing page, choosing between the Appstore, Workspace, Plan, Search, or the last visited page.
3. Enhanced Marketplace: A redesigned user interface with more visible filtering options, including tags and success rates.
4. Improved App UI: Reorganised elements and resolved alignment issues, ensuring a smoother user experience.
5. Workspace Process List Enhancements: Modifications to improve the visibility and management of processes, with new filtering and display options.
6. Functional "Plan" Section: UI improvements to make it more user-friendly, alongside fixing the broken search functionality.
7. Streamlined "Search" Function: Enhanced UI, better interaction with buttons and selectors, and a more intuitive way to add products to workspaces.
8. Feedback Encouragement: Encouraging users to leave reviews and provide feedback, with a direct link from the Workspace Process List.
9. New Visual Identity: Modernising the website's look with a minimal aesthetic, incorporating WASDI's characteristic colour palette, and ensuring responsiveness across different devices.

Experimental Results and Outcomes

Andrea presented his findings and prototype to the WASDI development team, receiving valuable feedback. This led to the creation of a high-fidelity prototype, focusing on the aesthetics of the site and improving the communication of individual button, selector, and field functions. He used Visual Studio Code, Git, Node.js, and Bootstrap to develop the Marketplace page, simplifying the existing design and ensuring responsiveness.

Conclusion

Andrea Saran's work has provided valuable insights and practical solutions for enhancing WASDI's UX. By addressing key usability issues and incorporating user-centred design principles, his contributions pave the way for a more intuitive and engaging experience for both new and experienced WASDI users. The proposed changes, from streamlined navigation to a refreshed visual identity, served as a basis for the redesign of WASDI, which is now more accessible, efficient, and appealing to a wider audience.