Once the site had been developed to the standard in which I was happy with, it was time for the site to be user tested, to change any final issues which the site which can be seen by the target users. In total three different users were asked of their opinions of the site to collect together the different opinions and thoughts on the site. When taking each user through the site, the desktop view was looked through first with the questions to the user being;

1. What are your thoughts on the website?
2. Do you believe there are any elements of the site that do not work with the layout/ scheme/ demonstration of the client’s portfolio work?
3. What do you like about the site?
4. Are there any elements which you could see improvement?
5. Would this site demonstrate to you what the user does?
6. Final thoughts?

The first user to test the site was a student who is currently studying the same course as the client, of which is Interior architecture. Having a user within the same industry allowed for any issues which could be related to the target sector to be noted and then changed before the assignment was over. Also, having a colleague of the client allowed for someone who knows the work and style of the client well and could mention improvements or changes to suit the client’s personality more.

1. I really like the site, the different segments work to display all the different parts of the site and also link to some of the work which is actually in the site. How the work is shown is really easy to access and the different pictures of the title pages gives an insight into what each project is about.
2. It might be easier to have links on the burger menu to the different pieces of work as it would be another way to access each piece. In the ‘About Me’ section the ‘dance of the cranes’ is quite a large piece and might be worth making it bigger so all the detail is easier to see. Also, it would be good to have the images clickable so they can be enlarged and looked at closer as there is text on some of the images that is difficult to see.
3. I like the segmentation with the red lines, it makes the site well structured and clearly shows the different parts. The slideshow at the top is also quite fun.
4. I think on the pages with the work on them adding some back buttons to the main website might work, because the burger menu is not too obvious. Also there is quite a lot of spare space on the left hand side of the contact section which could be filled with something, it looks quite bare.
5. Yes, this does demonstrate a portfolio of an interior architect student.
6. I really like the site, although I think a few small changes are needed to improve it.

The second user to test the website is within the field of interior architecture and is a part time lecturer of the interior architecture course at the University Of Brighton and has many years experience within the industry. From being within the industry for many years will provide feedback from looking through many different applications along with knowledge on how to demonstrate portfolio work.

1. My overall thoughts of the website is that it is a very original idea, as most students have a physical portfolio compared to an online portfolio, but I like the idea. It is very clear from the top of the page that it is demonstrating some form of architect’s portfolio and I like how simple the design is. I really like the colours throughout as it does not detract the attention away from the work.
2. The only thing I would say that could improve the look of the the work on the site, would be to enlarge the size of the image of work on the ‘About me’ section as it not clear why it is there or what it is showing. Although I do think the overall looks better on a mobile version.
3. The colours work really well together with the work and the layout of the site, along with the overall demonstration of work. The amount of text through this site is also good as it sticks to the point of what the employer would want to see rather than rambling on.
4. The navigation bar on the site is not that obvious and could defiantly be changed, possibly make it darker so it is easier to see and does not look like it is a part of the page. I also think that maybe it would look good to add something to the slideshow section on the desktop version as I feel like there is a large amount of spare space there in comparison to the rest of the site.
5. It could be made clearer by making the statement that she is an interior architect student somewhere on the site in bold, making it more obvious.
6. I think this is a good representation of an interior architect’s portfolio of work and has been demonstrated in a fun and exciting way.

The final user was another member of the industry who had worked within interior architecture for their whole career and has knowledge of hiring within the industry. with this in mind the user criticised the site in the mind of an employer.

1. This is a very nice simple looking website, I like how it shows all of the work which has been placed well throughout the site. It is very different to websites which have been shown to me in the past which I like.
2. On the pages which are showing the work, it might look better with a grey background on the white pages as the white work on the white background really washes it out and makes it look unfinished. Although the colours chosen for the site work well and do not take anything away from the actual work on the site.
3. I like the slideshow at the top of the page, it is eye catching and makes me want to explore the rest of the site. The red lines also work at dividing the site apart, but I think that on the contact section the title for this should be placed below the lines rather than above them.
4. The contact title should be moved below the red lines and possibly add the red lines to the bottom of the site below the contact form but above the footer. The navigation bar is also hard to notice as you had to point this out to me, so this should defiantly be darker.
5. Yes this does look like a website of an interior architect.
6. I like how the site looks and how

Overall from collecting together the opinions of potential users for the site, there are a range of different elements which would be improved and changed to make the site more appealing for the target user. Although there were a lot of different parts to the site which could be improved and developed on, the general response to the site was very positive and showed that the site would work well within the industry at demonstrating the work of the client. One of the users mentioned that the site was very original and is a layout of which they had not really seen before, which was very positive as one of the main asks of the client was that the site was different and could be noticed clearly between different designs. Overall the response was very positive and although there were many chances of improvement, I am happy with the outcome from the users.

Bibliography:

Chris Knowles. 2019. 8 UX Research Methods to start using in Web Design. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.growthdrivendesign.com/blog/ux-research-for-web-design-8-methods. [Accessed 10 May 2019]

Complete Beginner’s Guide to UX Research | UX Booth. 2019. Complete Beginner’s Guide to UX Research | UX Booth. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.uxbooth.com/articles/complete-beginners-guide-to-design-research/. [Accessed 10 May 2019]

How To Conduct User Research Like A Pro (Step-By-Step Guide). 2019. How To Conduct User Research Like A Pro (Step-By-Step Guide). [ONLINE] Available at: https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/how-to-conduct-user-experience-research-like-a-professional/. [Accessed 10 May 2019]