Project Overview
I focused on understanding the mental models of users as they attempted to complete four tasks* related to digital identity (DIDs).
Scope of Work
This project sought to determine how users navigated through a Web3 app to complete tasks relevant to digital identity management.
Explorative Design
Usability
Testing
Insights &
Recomendations
Iterative
Design
Problem Statement
How can we provide more clarity to improve users’ understanding of how to use (Verida) Vault and have user flows that are more aligned to their expectations (mental model)?
Research
Usability Testing
I wanted to understand users' mental models for four tasks relevant to digital identity (DIDs).
Methodology: Moderated, Remote, Explorative Usability Testing
I conducted remote usability testing for four days to learn how users navigated through a Web3 app. I moderated test sessions with a task-based script** which also included open-ended questions to gain a clear understanding of user needs. Qualitative data was also acquired from an ease of use question posed at the end of each task.
Quantitative findings were gained from task completion rates and time taken on tasks. These metrics will serve as benchmarks for future rounds of iterative design.
Overall Findings: Usability Testing
This is just a fragment of insights gained from usability testing.
Only 2 users knew what a DID (Digital Identity) wallet might be and the remaining users never heard of such a term.
All users achieved some form of success for task 1. The remaining tasks were not aligned to users' mental models and therefore did not experience user success, in terms of at least 4 out of the 6 users successfully completing the tasks.
Synthesis
Methodology: Affinity Mapping**
In order to get a clear understanding of the users' mental models, I synthesized insights from qualitative and quantitative data gained from test sessions to discover any trends related to their behavior and needs.
The responses and completion data from usability testing led to the synthesis of data.
Finding
This is just a fragment of the findings synthesized from usability testing.
During synthesis, I realized that users' biggest fear was being scammed or hacked through data.
There's also need to have a consistent function with the use of jump navigation for UI of text relevant to tabs within global navigation.
Final Recommendations
There were a plethora of recommendations given to the design team including:
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Increase awareness of what DIDs are and how they are useful.
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Make sure to manage the expectations and design for fear - let the users know and understand that everything that they receive cannot become an exploit or a vulnerability.
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Make the tab jump navigation functionality consistent when compared to the (Redacted) tab in the global navigation in terms of UI.
Overall, tasks 2 and 3 contained the most recommendations.
Overall Findings
Since there were multiple recommendations provided, the design team was advised to start with recommendations that are high impact, low effort to improve user flows of tasks 2-4.
* The exact type of tasks were intentionally omitted per request from Verida.
** Artifacts were intentionally omitted per request from Verida.