Empowering app markets users to better assess and sort applications
This project aimed to introduce new features within one of the main application market, Google Play Store.
I first intended to identify the users needs thanks to a survey. Then I updated the main page template used for each application, adding new features while trying to keep the same visual identity and interaction guidances (positions, colors and shapes of the new buttons and informations ; continuity of the new feedbacks according to the previous ones ; etc.). The last step was to create a comparison tool dedicated to refine short selection of applications, thanks to new informational parameters. This tool was only designed for a smartphone, as the survey metrics confirmed the users appeal for accessing this kind of platform with mobile devices.
You will find the final Axure prototype HERE.
And the paper presenting the project is HERE.
I. Advanced users, mobile devices and filtering options
What are the most important criteria when looking for a specific application ? What are the most common devices for browsing app markets ? In order to solve such questions, I designed an online survey in order to guide my design process from a secured starting point.
I wanted to highlight what were the downside(s) of the current market places for regular users, and what were their consumption routine. On the other side, I wanted to have feedbacks for new functions I was proposing in the survey, in order to reject the least compelling ones.
Results of the survey showing the relevance of more detailed reviews and a demo mode for choosing an app
The results confirmed my guess about the importance of customer reviews. Therefore, if relying on such criteria for further design steps, Google Play Store rating system should be more strict and specific. It would need new 'categories' of reviews to be implemented in order to bring more insights from these reviews, for it currently may be really akward and useless :
Reviews can be pretty hectic sometimes ... here is an example gathered at the time of this project, from a discontinued Obama soundboard application
Filtering options & Mobile devices
The online survey manages to simplify the potential sorting categories. Here is the selected ones, according to how important they are for users :
✓ Ergonomy
✓ Power efficiency
✓ Privacy
✓ Syncing and Offline : this parameter is the combination of two previous ones, as users expressed their concerns for the importance of the Offline use, and because our own concern for the syncing ability (according to its relevance for accessing updated offline data)
✓ Advertising : these parameter was completely new and was the result of a proposition from one of the participant, answering to the question “Would you think to other parameters ? “ (this proposition was considered quite relevant, as a user concern)
According to the participants, mobile usage of app markets is the most frequent. I therefore decided to focus my design on a mobile-first approach.
The gathered results drove me to reject the beginner data in the final analysis because of a very limited number of participants who defined themselves as 'Beginner'. These can be explained by the fact that App Market users can benefit from a fast learning curve, as the overall user flow is rather straigthforward :
- Generally, performing a keyword research.
- Quickly browsing the results.
- Choosing according to 3 main factors : recommendations from contacts & platform, numbers of downloads and reviews rating, and eventually an install tryout.
Focusing on 'Advanced' users guided into on designing a sort of standalone functionality in the Play Store, accessible from the lateral menu and which could work as an extended 'Wishlist', where the user could create several 'Playlists' containing a bunch of applications he would have chosen earlier and would like to compare more thoroughly before using.
Such functionality is obviously trying to reach Advanced users, which backs up our choice to reject 'Beginners' results from the survey analysis.
Along the creation of the survey, I designed 3 personas related to the main user categories which the survey was based on.
Persona 'Intermediate'
II. The 'Playlist' functionality, a 2-steps process
The 'Playlist' functionality would be working in two steps :
1. A select function, fully embedded within the presentation page of every application inside the Play Store. The user shall first rely on the extended reviews options presented above, and eventually pick the considered app in a specific 'Playlist' for a later comparison with other related apps.
2. A comparison tool, fully embedded within the presentation page of every application inside the Play Store. The user shall first rely on the extended reviews options presented above, and eventually pick the considered app in a specific 'Playlist' for a later comparison with other related apps.
In order to confirm these information architecture, I designed medium and high-fidelity prototypes and performed several cognitive walkthroughs with various participants.
Testing the 'Select function'
I decided to work at high-fidelity level for this step, by using paper prototypes based on refined desktop and mobile templates from the Google Play Store. It certainly was an efficient decision as it kept users into the same ecosystem they would be using from the beginning, without having to design a more complex (and time-consuming) dynamic prototype from scratch. I paid attention to maintain the consistency of the visual identity and interaction guidances of the platform (positions, colors and shapes of the new buttons and informations ; continuity of the new feedbacks according to the previous ones ; etc.).
Both mobile and desktop prototypes were tested.
Implementing the 'Playlist' function through a new button, along with another one linking to a 'Demo Mode' for the application
Cognitive walkthrough of the desktop prototype
Cognitive walkthrough of the mobile prototype
These usability testings confirmed my approach, as the participants found easily the newly implemented buttons, while appreciating the new 'Reviews' categories.
Testing the Comparison tool
I designed an medium-fidelity Axure dynamic prototype for testing this tool. Limiting my work not to a high-fidelity level was a matter of efficiency, as I was planning to use these tests mainly to assess the user flow.
As this tool was truly brand new, I chose to perform a heuristic evaluation which would help me gather more spontaneous comments from the participants, while video recording sessions would be another way to pinpoint improvements of the user flow.
You will find the final Axure prototype HERE.
