To begin unmoderated testing my mobile app for Flexfly, I would first conduct a tree test and then a card sorting test.  FlexFly is meant to be a time-saving, stress-saving app that can provide a flexible opportunity for users to enjoy themselves once arriving in their destination.  Early in the user flow, each screen has a minimal number of choices (or places to click), therefore “first click” at this stage (wireframes) would provide very little information.

I have organized this app based on the assumption that the user knows where they want to fly first (as opposed to choosing a location based on the availability of the car/picnic combo), however, this is the biggest question that would need to be answered earlier in the design process.  If, for example, a user wanted to first find out which location they could fly to that had the FlexFly combo, the way I have organized the site would be very clunky and inefficient.  I think that an inexperienced designer would want to spend more time making sure they haven’t made assumptions about user needs, so tree testing to see if the information is organized well would be a great start.  Consider the following tree testing questions:

  • Where would you go to find out if the location has the FlexFly combo?
  • Where would you go to rent a car?
  • Where would you go to find out how many airfields are on Vancouver Island?
  • Where would you go to find out what you can do in March in Tofino?
  • Where would you go to let the catering company know you have an allergy?

-by using tree sorting first you could hopefully uncover whether the existing organization of the app is working first, then further testing by card sorting would then consider your average users and how they tend to think.

Because I think I have made an incorrect assumption about my users needs, I think the information gained by the questions in BOLD would reveal that the user cannot find their way to that section easily.

A simple fix may be to change the icons on the map to indicate whether the FlexFly combo is available in that location, which would be easy, inexpensive and quick to implement at this stage.  Then, card sorting could help to further define my user’s needs.  One of the most important pieces of this puzzle would be to find out if the user knows already about the destination.  If the user doesn’t know where Tofino is, or that you can watch whales in March, for example, they also wouldn’t know that it is a very difficult place to get around without transportation, and therefore, FlexFly wouldn’t be as valuable a resource for them.