UX Research Projects

Research Projects

Jan. 2020 - Jun. 2020

Master's Thesis

A Mixed‐Method Usability Study on User Experience with Systematic Review Software

This was an evaluative UXR that shed light on the future development of AI-featured systematic review (SR) software. After interviewing several librarians specialized in SR and literature search, I identified the caveat that the AI-featured (e.g., text mining, machine learning) SR tools are not considered to provide substantial benefits to the systematic reviewers. Thus, I conducted a mixed-methods usability study on 8 participants with SR experiences to understand whether AI-featured SR software can improve their performance and reduce the workload. Although AI-featured software helped with higher precision in citation screening, the user experience with it was not satisfactory, especially regarding system transparency and user interface design.

Role: UX Researcher

Research Methods: Interviews, A/B Testing, Eye-Tracking, Usability Testing, Experimental Design

Research Type: Evaluative UXR

Course Projects

Mar. 2019 - Jun. 2019

INLS 718 User Interface Design

Redesigning GoBe HealBe Android Mobile App Interface

This was an evaluative UXR that yielded interface redesign attempts. After selecting a healthcare-related device offered by the instructor, I created personas and use cases for potential users and conducted several hierarchical task analyses using OmniGraffle to break down the key tasks step by step. I also built the system architecture of the Mobile App. Based on the heuristic evaluation, I proposed several revisions to the user interface design and created an interactive prototype using Adobe Xd. Finally, I carried out a usability testing plan to test out the redesigned interface. The feedback collected from the testing provided new insights into the next design iteration.

Role: UX Researcher, UX Designer

Research Methods: Personas, Hierarchical Task Analysis, Gamified Design, Heuristic Evaluation, Think Aloud.

Research Type: Evaluative UXR

Mar. 2019 - Jun. 2019

INLS 418 HF in System Design

Adaptive Keyboard Design and Preliminary Evaluation

[This project was one of three finalists of the student competition @ UXPA 2019]

This was a project that I led and pushed forward during and after the course, where our team of three identified a human factors issue -- keyboard layout switching in response to different input types. We proposed an adaptive keyboard and I designed and prototyped the keyboard layout using Axure. I also conducted two mini-usability studies on two volunteers. The results indicate several potential benefits of having such an adaptive keyboard that adjusts its layout based on the input context.

Role: Researcher, Prototype Developer

Research Methods: Usability Testing, Interview

Research Type: Exploratory UXR

Sept. 2018 - Dec. 2018

INLS 719 - Usability Testing and Evaluation

Usability Evaluation on the SILS website

This website usability study aimed to evaluate the newly redesigned School of Information and Library Science (SILS) website. Three tasks focusing on ease of use, information organization, and information structure were selected after creating user profiles and understanding their goals and tasks. Both qualitative and quantitative measures were included to evaluate the website usability. Corresponding recommendations were proposed to improve the user experience of the SILS website.

Role: User Researcher, Data Analyst

Research Methods: Usability Study, Personas, Think Aloud, Observational Study, Questionnaire

Research Type: Evaluative UXR

Sept. 2018 - Jan. 2019

Course: INLS 582 System Analysis

Contextual Design for Open House Visit Scheduling System at the Department of Epidemiology

This was a contextual design project where I collaborated with two students. The high-level objective of the study was to understand the breakdowns in the current scheduling process that created an extra workload for the graduate program coordinator. A combination of research methods was used to identify the potential issues and propose possible solutions.

Role: Modeler, Analyst

Research Methods: Semi-Structured Interview, Contextual Inquiry

Research Type: Exploratory UXR, Contextual Design