Finding the MVP for Site Search and Product Finder
A 3-month-long follow-up project after updating Lumen’s Product Finder and Site Search pages. Using user research and UX strategy to identify the problems and determine the proper steps for improvement.
My Role
Remote Lead User Researcher,
UX Strategist
Project Duration
3 - 4 month project
Area of Focus
Site Searching, Product Finding, & Filters
Synopsis
This project comes after updating the Lumen.com site search and product finder pages, with the goal of finding which improvements worked and which didn't. Then use those findings to determine what needs to be changed, followed by prioritizing which solutions could be done based on the resources and goals of the team.
Timeline of the project
Usability testing & analysis
How I took the data from the testing and created potential solutions.
Feedback from data and business
How I consulted with other stakeholders and reviewed data to gather their perspectives.
The MVP: streamlining solutions
How I used the feedback to determine which features should be MVP.
Previously, the Site Search and Product Finder were not up to standards based on user research and competitive analysis.
What was done before this project?
Improved tools to make filters more robust and convenient to use
Users would have the tools necessary to narrow down the search based on their preferences.
Internal metadata change to enhance the search results
Users can get the searches that they expected, and not some page that is unrelated to what they typed in.
After 6 months we came back to see how has the improved Site Search and Product Finder performed.
What pages are being changed
NOTE: These wireframes are recreated in Figma for this project, since the actual pages we tested have already been changed.
What are the challenges?
Prepping to test the pages
Moderated testers to provide best feedback
Each tester would be tested on both pages, not just one.
Limit the testing and analysis to 2 weeks
So that I have the time to provide an analysis to management and stakeholders.
Get assistance from user researcher
Focused on getting testers and asking the test questions I provided.
Primary Testing Goals
What are our users' wants and needs when using the pages?
Which features are either helpful or determining to their experience?
What are their expectations? Do the tools and features satisfy their expectation and why?
What's the results?
Features on both pages meet the tester's expectation!
9/10 say the filter search tools meets their expectations
Specifically, it's similar to what they were experiencing in other competitors
7/10 say the results align with what they are selecting
All the search results options are related to what they input into the search bar or when they filter out specific options.
6/10 say the filters are detailed & matches their preference
Especially for the product finder, where the filters are the go-to place for testers to narrow down their search.
5/10 say the search bar in the Site Search page is easy to spot
Compared to the product finder, a couple of testers mentioned that they find the site search page easier to use.
However the devils in the details
6/10 experienced confusion when adding more filters
They expect the search results to increase not decrease when selecting more filter options.
4/10 felt the filters with "0" should be remove, takes up space
They feel its redundant and makes it harder for them to comb through multiple filters with "0".
3/10 expressed confusion when using the category buttons
Nothing changes when they select the category buttons, most don't even use them at all.
3/10 mentioned long wait times from the site search page
Most testers want fast and seamless experience, yet they are experience long wait times in Site Search.
So how can we fix multiple problems the users face on site search and product finder pages while also considering the limitations that the team has?
My proposed solutions
I prioritize these changes based off of the user's feedback
Product Finder:
Change category buttons, make it checkmark
They serve the same purpose, plus users always go to the filters.
Switch filter logic from "and" to "or"
The majority of users expect the results to improve when more filters are selected.
Hide all the Filters with "0" in them
So that the user can focus on the filters that are relevant to the results they searched.
Streamline the search bar, like in Site Search
Makes it more prominent and easy to find, making the design consistent
Add ability to customize the amount of results shown
So that the users don't have to constantly click show more.
Add more description to each result
A few mentioned that to wish there were more info from each product tile before they invest the time to go to its respective page.
Site Search:
Switch filter logic from "and" to "or"
The majority of users expect the results to improve when more filters are selected.
Hide all the Filters with "0" in them
So that the user can focus on the filters that are relevant to the results they searched.
Adjust the naming of tier 1 filters; Lumen Help
Due to many users not knowing what these filters are for.
Decrease load times for the results to finish
From what the users mention, they prefer to have their search done as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.
Add the ability to customize the number of results shown
So that the users don't have to constantly click "show more".
What does data and teams say?
To obtain feedback from other teams involved in the project, and to see which changes are feasible
Filters and search bar being used the most, both pages
Based on the attractive and click rates in Adobe Analytics.
This means that the filters tool and search bar should be a high priority.
Time limitations from software developers
Software developers are getting swamped; they have limited resources to do the work.
They say switching the filter logic and hiding the "0" filters would take too long to finish.
Time limitations from visual designers
Visual designers are getting swamped; they have limited resources to do the work.
They say that if the components have to be adjusted, the changes cannot be completed on time.
Lumen Core Values of Customer Satisfaction
The business core of valuing customer experience above all else.
This means we still need to take user pain points and goals.
Solutions I ended moving with
By combining the needs of the user and the limitations of the team and business needs.
Solution change to deactivating the filters when reaching "0"
The reason is that it's almost impossible to hide the filters with the current dev tool that the developers were given.
In short, streamlining most of the features between the two pages allows us to solve most of the users' needs and overcome their limitations.
What the streamline entails
Both pages will have no category buttons, but checkboxes in filters
Visual designers and developers have stated that they can remove the category buttons; the tier 1 filter check mark component has already been created.
Both pages will have the same size and placement of the search bar
Visual and developer components exist, so it's easy to change the search bar into the Product Finder page
Both pages, all filters with "0" will be shown deactivated
A stopgap solution by the devs until we can figure out how we can completely hide the filters with "0"
Both pages, filter logic would remain the same
Similar to filters, so far, we cannot change the filter logic before the start of the project.
Streamlined wireframes
The image below shows what the wireframes look like with the streamlined features.
Product Finder page
Site Search page
What's next?
Most solutions were carried out and completed; however, a few didn't change.
Create a roadmap and delegate tasks
Work with product managers to delegate tasks to other stakeholders, and create a roadmap on which phase is due.
Looking at the competitors
Especially for logic "and" or "or" to see if we do need to fix it in the end, despite the user feedback.
What I learned?
Need to state the barriers in the unmoderated test.
Otherwise, they would go off on tangents and not answer the question.
Using impact and time to help prioritize solutions
So that we don't end up having so many solutions to deal with, especially when one team is swamped with work.
The importance of consulting with other teams
Since they are expert in the fields they do, I learned how to ask for their assistance, especially on big projects such as this.
What I can improve moving forward:
Time management in presentations
Especially when presenting is such a short amount of time, due to limited time slots.
Focused on the mobile experience
Since the mobile experience has additional features to use, I should conduct the test on mobile rather than desktop.
Focused more on the tester's experience
I should have focused more on the pages themselves, instead of asking questions in order to build a user persona.
Should have looked at the competitors from the start
It's so that I have all the information and use alternative solutions, as looking at other competitors can find solutions that fit the limits of the business needs.
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