Testing & Iteration

1. Outdated Design

Qualitative Findings (Usability Testing):

Early usability testing revealed significant barriers to user engagement and comprehension:

• 62% of participants described the visual design as “dated” or “uninspiring”, highlighting the urgent need for a refreshed, trustworthy aesthetic
• Users struggled to distinguish between sections due to an unclear visual hierarchy, resulting in disorientation and longer task completion times
• Navigation was often misinterpreted—participants had difficulty locating key resources such as funding information and certification tools

Qualitative Findings (Diary Study):

Our diary study uncovered emotional and perceptual barriers that directly influenced users’ trust in the platform:

• Participants frequently described the experience as having a “generic government website feel,” which diminished credibility and trust in the program
• Multiple users noted that the design appeared “unpolished” and “unprofessional,” raising concerns about the platform’s legitimacy
• Several women expressed uncertainty about the platform’s relevance, questioning if the site was still active or maintained based on its outdated visual presentation

Quantitative Findings (A/B Testing):

To measure the impact of the redesigned experience, we conducted A/B testing comparing the legacy design with the modernized variation. The results demonstrated clear improvements across key engagement metrics:

• 67% increase in time on site, indicating stronger user interest and deeper content exploration
• 43% reduction in bounce rate, reflecting a more engaging and relevant first impression
• 58% increase in resource downloads, showing improved content visibility and usability
• 72% improvement in positive sentiment ratings, based on post-session feedback surveys

2. Low Engagement and Retention

Qualitative Findings (Usability Testing):

User testing revealed critical usability gaps that directly hindered task success and user confidence:

• Only 46% of participants completed key user journeys, indicating major breakdowns in guidance and flow
• Users often felt unsure about what to do next after engaging with initial content, citing a lack of clear calls to action
• 74% of users could not locate how to sign up for programs without assistance, highlighting severe navigational friction
• The value proposition was unclear—many participants questioned what tangible benefits the platform offered and why they should engage further

Qualitative Findings (Diary Study):

Longitudinal feedback from participants uncovered deeper issues affecting recall, perceived value, and shareability:

• Users frequently forgot what resources were available, indicating low content memorability and weak information architecture
• Several participants shared they found more value from alternative platforms, suggesting the site was not perceived as a go-to resource during their entrepreneurial journey
• None of the users reported sharing content with peers or their networks, pointing to a lack of compelling, community-driven, or share-worthy experiences

Quantitative Findings (A/B Testing):

We tested a redesigned experience featuring improved content clarity, stronger calls-to-action, and community-oriented elements. The results showed a dramatic uplift in user interaction and conversion:

• 86% increase in account creation, indicating stronger motivation to engage and return
• 93% improvement in return visitor rate, reflecting increased platform relevance and value
• 77% boost in event registrations, driven by clearer flows and better promotional visibility
• 74% higher newsletter subscription rate, suggesting elevated trust and content interest
• 72% more social sharing actions, highlighting increased content appeal and user advocacy

3. Poor Mobile Responsiveness

Qualitative Findings (Usability Testing):

User testing on mobile revealed serious accessibility and interaction challenges that disrupted task completion and user confidence:

• 71% of mobile participants faced significant usability issues, especially during key tasks
• Text frequently became illegible on smaller screens due to overlapping or unresponsive elements
• Critical action buttons were often missed, stemming from poor placement and lack of visual hierarchy
• Navigation menus collapsed in ways that confused users, requiring excessive taps to access core content
• 64% of testers abandoned form completion on mobile, citing difficulty with field sizing, input errors, and lack of progress indicators

Qualitative Findings (Diary Study):

Longitudinal diary entries revealed how mobile usability issues directly disrupted users' ability to engage in real-time contexts:

• Participants frequently attempted to access the site “on the go,” but gave up out of frustration, citing lag, poor navigation, and visual clutter
• Several users reported trying to find resources during networking events, only to be blocked by confusing menus and unclear labels
• One participant described trying to complete an application form on her phone during a commute, but abandoned the process after 10 minutes due to poor responsiveness and form usability

Quantitative Findings (A/B Testing):

After implementing a mobile-first redesign with responsive layouts, simplified navigation, and touch-friendly interfaces, we observed significant improvements across all key mobile metrics:

• 82% increase in mobile session duration, showing stronger engagement and sustained interaction
• 76% improvement in mobile conversion rates, driven by clearer calls-to-action and streamlined flows
• 83% reduction in mobile form abandonment, thanks to optimized input fields and progress indicators
• 94% increase in mobile resource access, reflecting improved content discoverability
• 70% more mobile users completed key user journeys, confirming higher usability and goal completion