RealDealz

RealDealz is an all-in-one website that is dedicated to helping users find the best deals on video games and software products. The platform is designed to simplify the shopping experience for users by presenting all the best deals on games and software in one place, eliminating the need for users to scour the internet for the best offers. With RealDealz, users will be able to conveniently sort deals by category, platform, popularity, most recent, or best deal to quickly find the product they desire. Once the user finds the product they’re looking for, they’ll be able to easily click on the provided link to be redirected to the best place to purchase the product, saving them time and money.

UX Team Members

• William Hunt - Competitive Analysis, Personas and Scenarios, Heuristic Evaluation, Wireframes , Prototype, and Usability Study
• Bryan Brooks - Competitive Analysis, Personas and Scenarios, Heuristic Evaluation, Sketch, Wireframes, Prototype, and Usability Study
• Maxwell Kuse - Competitve Analysis, Personas and Scenarios, Findings, Heuristic Evaluation, Wireframes, and Usability Study

User-Centered Design Artifacts

• Personas and Scenarios
• Sketches and Diagrams
• Wireframes
• Prototype

Phase I: Analyzing Users, Competitors, and Initial Designs

Executive Summary

RealDealz simplifies the process of finding the best deals on video games and software products by aggregating deals from multiple sources and presenting them in one convenient location for users to browse and purchase. By eliminating the need for users to search multiple websites

• Through competitive analysis, we found out that a few of our leading competitors are really effiecent at tracking down the latest and best video game deals. So, we’re going to use their strengths and come up with new ideas to make our product even better.
• Using heuristic evaluation, we identified areas for improvement in our product compared to our leading competitors, giving us an advantage in the market.
• Our team developed personas and scenarios to better understand user needs and behaviors, so we could create a better interaction with the user.
• The use of sketches allowed us to rapidly ideate and visualize design concepts, facilitating quick iteration and feedback.

Full phase I report

Phase II: Refining interaction and designing wireframes

Executive Summary

During Phase II, we designed a wireframe of our website and had others perform three cognitive walkthroughs using various personas and scenarios to assess its functionality. Through this process, we discovered an increased demand for options to filter and sort products based on users’ needs. We incorporated this feedback into the website’s development, which resulted in better integration with informal feedback from the software engineering team, emphasizing the importance of sorting and filtering products.

• Our wireframes were designed to reflect user interactions with our product, and we utilized those insights to create an improved user experience.
• Based on feedback from peer-led cognitive walkthroughs, it has been identified that there is a critical need to enhance the functionality of our product filters and search capabilities to better serve our users.
• The cognitive walkthroughs also highlighted the need for a strategic application of visual design elements, including proper calls-to-action, to effectively highlight critical information and improve the overall user experience.

Full phase II report

Phase III: Prototypes and User Testing

Executive Summary

During Phase III, we initiated a usability study using a prototype of our website, with participants performing a series of tasks, each rated for difficulty on a scale of 1 to 5. The study’s feedback revealed key strengths of the prototype, such as its ease of use, the clear and salient filters and side menus, and the wide array of options available to the users.

• Our prototype usability study gave us valuable insights into how our users interact with our product, enabling us to identify areas of strength and potential improvements to enhance the user experience.
• Based on the participants’ feedback from the usability study, we identified a need to make our calls-to-action more noticeable and to ensure the consistency of our side menus across all pages, to improve overall navigation and user engagement.
• The usability study’s outcomes also underscored the value of a systematic application of design elements, such as the positioning and highlighting of calls-to-action, to effectively draw attention to crucial information and enhance the overall user experience.

Full phase III report