Understanding user needs
The Ideas + Outcomes UX team regularly undertakes comprehensive end-to-end projects, encompassing various activities from initial customer research to website launch. In the case of Tourism NI, they focused on testing discovernorthernireland.com to accommodate diverse visitor needs, ranging from specific event searches to general browsing for inspiration. Having already been involved in beta launches for both discovernorthernireland.com and tourismni.com, the Ideas + Outcomes UX team honed in on specific aspects of user experience to enhance visitor satisfaction.
The strategy
Tourism NI wanted Ideas + Outcomes to test the overarching main usability themes that would be associated with any travel website.
We were commissioned to conduct this comprehensive end to end project focusing on how well the website met the diverse needs of visitors, ranging from those seeking specific information on events, locations, or accommodations to those who were more generally interested in browsing and discovering content.
The solution
With continued iterating and improving the experience our contribution was one element of a multi–agency programme of work and comprised several stages:
Data analytics provided useful information as a start to understanding the changes required to the site
An initial heuristic review provided further information
General unmoderated user testing deepened the understanding
Moderated user testing completed the picture
Ideas + Outcomes’ research and subsequent prioritised recommendations document, enriched with video highlights, have given us clear guidance as to key areas of focus and attention.
- Lesley-Ann O’Donnell, Web Editor, Tourism NI
The impact
Ideas + Outcomes optimised Tourism NI's travel website, focusing on usability across desktop and mobile platforms. Their iterative process, part of an ongoing optimisation initiative, included data analytics, heuristic reviews, unmoderated and moderated testing. Each stage provided insights influencing subsequent iterations, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of user behaviour. Collaborating with multiple agencies, Ideas + Outcomes' dynamic feedback loop enabled informed decision-making and strategic improvements to the site. By emphasising continuous refinement, they facilitated enhanced user experiences, showcasing the importance of iterative optimisation in digital environments.
Increase in the number of sessions
Reductions in bounce rate
Increase in visit duration