The Problem
For people who are seeking to learn new information on the internet, it can be difficult and overwhelming to navigate through the vast amount of content available. Without effective organization and filtering, it is challenging to determine which resources are of the highest quality and what topics to search for. Additionally, transitioning from one topic to another can be a tedious task. The Jotted platform aims to solve these issues by providing a microlearning community that turns information on the internet into mindmaps, allowing users to effectively context switch on the vast amount of available content and learn new information easily.
The Goal
The goal of the Jotted platform is to help users effectively navigate and learn from the vast amount of information available on the internet. By turning information into mindmaps, Jotted aims to simplify the learning process, allowing users to quickly and easily digest and retain new information. Additionally, the platform aims to help users determine which resources are of the highest quality and which topics to search for, ultimately making the process of learning more efficient and rewarding.
The Design
The purpose of mindmaps in Jotted are to turn information on the internet into an easy-to-digest format that allows users to quickly and easily understand and retain new information. By visually organizing information in a hierarchical, interconnected structure, mindmaps help users to see how different pieces of information relate to each other, making it easier to remember and apply what they have learned.
Research Goal
The primary research goal was to obtain valuable insights into the user experience and identify pain points that could be used to improve the platform. User interviews and usability testing were conducted to achieve this objective. The research also aimed to meet accessibility standards and guidelines, including considerations for users with visual impairments. By incorporating user feedback, design decisions were made to create a more accessible and user-friendly platform.
To achieve these goals, user research was conducted to understand how users interacted with the platform, their motivations, and pain points. Through usability testing, I observed user behavior and collected data on user performance, satisfaction, and ease of use. By analyzing the data collected from user research, I could identify user needs and preferences, which informed the design decisions made in improving the platform.
Node Creation
The app's node creation process was simplified by introducing a new toolbar that allows users to create a new node directly, rather than having to drag from a node handle. This change has made the process more intuitive and user-friendly, reducing the learning curve for new users. The new toolbar provides a consistent and streamlined user experience, and has reduced user frustration and increased productivity. This significant UI improvement has made the app more accessible, intuitive, and user-friendly, which ultimately translates into a more productive and satisfying user experience.
Side Modal
Many users identified as visual learners and preferred consuming content in a visual format. This led to the transformation of nodes from pill static text to dynamic images. After receiving valuable feedback from users, significant UI changes were implemented. The drop-down menu was replaced with a side modal, which resolved the issue of overlapping nodes when expanding and made the user experience more intuitive and efficient. Additionally, an image option was added for each node, improving the overall aesthetic and making navigation between nodes easier for users. The introduction of snap to grid functionality further streamlined the process of creating and positioning nodes, enhancing the platform's user-friendliness and efficiency. These alterations resulted in a more visually appealing and accessible platform, leading to a positive impact on the overall user experience.
Chrome Extension
One significant user experience enhancement change I made to the platform was the introduction of a Chrome extension. The extension streamlined the user flow by allowing users to easily add new links to the platform with just a few clicks. Additionally, the extension included a site full mindmap that enabled users to quickly view a visual representation of the links and nodes associated with a particular website. This change made the platform more accessible and user-friendly, positively impacting the overall user experience. The ability to quickly add resources and view site mind maps directly from the Chrome browser also increased efficiency, enabling users to more easily organize their research and learning.
Impact
The significant UI changes made to the nodes had a significant impact on the platform's performance. Before the changes, the platform's conversion rate was 13% when visiting a mindmap. However, after implementing the changes, the conversion rate increased to 24.5%, indicating a substantial improvement in user engagement and overall platform success.
Takeaways
The changes made to Jotted to accommodate for WCAG accessibility standards have resulted in a more inclusive and user-friendly platform. These changes have also resulted in improved usability and user experience. The new color themes provide better contrast between text and background elements, making it easier for all users to read and distinguish text. The side modal introduced in place of a node dropdown has also improved usability, allowing users to access to retain more information as many individuals are visual learners and it removed the issues with overlapping nodes. In addition, the chrome extension allowed for a quick user flow of adding resources into mindmaps which aligned new features with the goals and mission of the company.
As a designer, the key takeaway from this project is the importance of considering accessibility from the start of the design process. By incorporating accessibility considerations from the outset, we were able to make changes that resulted in a more inclusive and user-friendly platform. Overall, the changes made to Jotted have resulted in a more accessible, usable, and user-friendly platform that better serves the needs of all users.
