Working Title: News Environments
Author: Matt Wilson
Date: Dec. 3rd, 2009

Subjects:

Three individuals, two of whom are currently television professionals, and a third who has no experience in television. None of the subjects had any experience in a news director/station manager role, which is the most likely target audience for this project, but a subject of that position was not available at the time of testing.

Think Aloud Task:

Each subject was asked to assume the role of station manager for a small-market television station in search of an image makeover. They were tasked with exploring the site in the manner that befitted that role, and giving their thoughts in regards to the success in generating interest in the company and product.

Summary of Think Aloud:

All participants immediately commented on the vibrance of the pinkish color, noting that it is too pink. Two respondents noted that the "welcome" page appeared sparse in some respect. All participants were able to easily navigate through the site, all choosing to move from the "welcome" page, to the "portfolio" page, to the "about" page. One responded commented strongly that the "portfolio" page did not do a sufficient job of highlighting the links on the sidebar which actually lead to the project examples, and commented that she initially assumed there were no work samples posted. Each participant also commented on the sparse appearance of the "contact" page.

Summary of Post-test Interview:

When asked why the participants thought the pinkish color was problematic, they generally responded that it didn't represent the image of the company properly. When asked if a more vibrant blue would work, to match some of the colors in the header image, they each responded favorably.

With regards to some of the sparseness issues, when questioned, the respondents commented that it was mostly the result of layout or color issues. Some thought the white background was too bland and plain, which made the page feel sparse. Others attributed the sparseness to the small amount of sidebar content, and the small sidebar link font. The user that mentioned the "portfolio" page confusion responded that a change in the sidebar font would help to alleviate that situation.

When the topic of the "contact" page was discussed, the users suggested an opportunity for marketing and networking by creating a facebook page, and adding that contact information to the page.

Findings to be Implemented:

Following the recommendations of the participants, the following changes will be implemented:

•A color change for the menu bar, from pink to a cool blue.

•A remodel of the sidebar content, at least in terms of font size, to make the pages feel more full and vibrant with content.

•Increased content on the contact me page with the possible inclusion of more social networking tools and features.

Changes that will not be implemented:

•A background color change. The white brings a cleanness and helps to highlight content rather than layout.