Snapask Usability Study

Enhancing homework Q&A support experiences

Spoiler

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Snapask is an edTech company that connects 4M+ students with online tutors, providing instant academic support. As a UX researcher, I led a usability study where I proposed and prototyped four design suggestions that were all implemented into the product roadmap.
This led to an easier page navigation experience for 200,000+ students across various countries.

Overview

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Problem

Snapask was about to release a landing page in two countries. How could we ensure a seamless navigation experience before the release?

Solution

A usability report that was shared among the cross-functional team.

Info

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Role

UX Researcher

Tool

Maze, UserTesting, Miro, Figma

Timeline

2 weeks

Team

1 Researcher (me), 1 Project Manager
3 Designers, 3 Engineers

Impact

A product roadmap informed by research & deeper user empathy within the cross-functional team

Timeline

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Unpacking

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Understand assumptions.

The project began with a rather ambiguous request: 'Can you arrange a few testing sessions before we revamp the homepage in three weeks?' I scheduled stakeholder interviews to understand what the team wanted to learn and what assumptions they were making about the new homepage.

Research Question

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01

How effectively can existing users ask questions using the new homepage?

02

How effectively can existing users review their purchase plans?

03

How does the new design improve experience and add value for Snapask app users?

Scoping, Planning, Recruiting

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Optimize cross-country research with mixed-methods.

Considering the cross-country scope of our research in Hong Kong and Taiwan, I chose using mixed-methods approach consisting of unmoderated & moderated usability testing, surveys, and interviews to obtain user insights.

I recruited 30 users (27 from HK and 3 from TW) via in-app notification to test our hypotheses focused on existing users. I also recruited 5 non-users to gain insight into how they interact with the new homepage.

Pilot Testing

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Good research
requires iterations.

Before the research sessions, I sent the unmoderated testing link to six colleagues - three UXers and three non-UX professionals - to identify any potential confusion in the
tasks and survey.

Analyzing Data

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Quotes & clicks.

By combining data from interviews, surveys, and click data collected by Maze, I used affinity diagramming to quickly uncover crucial insights.

Findings

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01

How effectively can existing users ask questions using the new homepage?

Users were able to ask questions successfully, but not via the new button on the navigation bar, as it is unclear to them what it does.

02

How effectively can existing users review their purchase plans?

Most users successfully reviewed their purchase plans, but the process is time-consuming due to the long mission path.

03

How does the new design improve experience and add value for Snapask app users?

85% of participants rated the new homepage as a positive experience due to its clear and easy-to-find functions.

Sharing

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From findings to
actionable design recs.

After analyzing and synthesizing the findings, I converted them into actionable design recommendations, making it easier for my team to grasp the key takeaways from the research. Here are a few example slides that I've shared with them:

Impact

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Be a Multiplier.

In a cross-functional world, researchers are no longer just methodology experts but discovery guides, enabling everyone to hear the voice of the users.

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Design recommendations

I proposed four design recommendations and they were all accepted and implemented. These design changes have made a significant impact on the experience of over 200,000+ students who use the new home page.

02

Help team be more data-driven

In our product meetings, designers and engineers reference the misclick rate. Numbers can be a powerful tool in telling the story of the user experience and helping stakeholders visualize the impact of their work.

What I Learned

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Use the right tools

Knowing what research tools to use is a crucial skill, especially for unmoderated testing. These tools offer vital context that compensates for the absence of in-person observation.

Involve your team ASAP

UXR multiplies team learning about users. Since stakeholders have limited time, lightweight methods like displaying user quotes in meeting rooms can give them a taste of the research process.

Moving forward: build impact framework

My report resulted in design changes, but I'm uncertain of its impact on stakeholders. To measure impact, I'll ask stakeholders how quickly they make decisions after receiving an insight.

Moving forward: document more

Including my design reasoning, research influence, and user impact would help track my progress and provide context for future team members.

Being More Than Just Researcher

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UX team had a blast, even while working remotely!



I was able to see that not only is she smart, she also has a growth mindset and is able to reflect and learn through asking the right questions. The answers to her questions even led to changes in our three year product plan. The entire product team often rely on Sonia's comments to help us gain a new perspective and to come up with solution that open doors full of possibilities for our products.
- Jason Wang (VP of Design @ Snapask) 

Sonia is a brilliant and gifted UX researcher who really understands how to find valuable insights and advocate for users. She has a strong desire for creative problem solving and the ability to plan, manage and execute end-to-end UX research projects.
- Ben (Senior UX designer @ IBM) 

Inspiring, motivating, and fun! I had the pleasure of working with Sonia in the UX team at Snapask for over 6 months. She's great at handling multiple projects simultaneously, sharp at analyzing and finding insights, and creative in storytelling.
- Vera (UX writer @ HelloFresh)