Improving the Usability of UT Dallas’ CourseBook Platform

Audited an institutional class searching tool, resulting in shipped improvements for 20K+ students.

Timeline

March - May 2024

Role

UX Researcher

Skills

Usability Testing, Stakeholder Communication

Project Summary and Impact

I led a UX audit of an institutional platform that led to improved clarity and accessibility!

CourseBook is a class searching tool operated by the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). I conducted a mini audit and 4 usability tests, shared heuristic-backed and WCAG-compliant recommendations with CourseBook's developers, and contributed to new, shipped placeholder text and improved contrast ratios in May 2024!

Before

After

How might I improve CourseBook's class searching experience for UTD students?

Usability Testing

Assessing CourseBook's baseline learnability and usability

To determine how easy finding classes in CourseBook was, I conducted two moderated usability testing rounds with first-time users while measuring time on task and task completion rates.

So, while CourseBook is usable and learnable, I noticed opportunities to better guide and accommodate all students…

UX Audit: Usability

CourseBook doesn't convey that you can search professors alongside course names and codes!

In comparing the UTD Grades platform to CourseBook, its tooltip and placeholder text conveying what students can search for caught my eye.

Placeholder text for better clarity, efficiency, and lower cognitive load for every semester students register

New search bar placeholder text could communicate exactly what students can search for!

UX Audit: Accessibility and Edge Cases

Important copy is inaccessible to visually impaired students

CourseBook displays copy for newly released classes and accessing special classes (e.g. internship courses, often needed for graduation) in an inaccessible red shade to students with temporary (e.g. glare) or permanent visual impairments.

Adjusting color contrast ratios to ensure understanding for all

Darker red shades would allow all students to understand when new courses are released and how to access special classes; CourseBook could also meet the AAA WCAG compliance level for its copy, making it accessible to the maximum number of students.

Future Steps

With more time, I'd conduct deeper research into the class registration process.

I'd explore CourseBook's mobile experience and look for more opportunities to support UTD students (especially those with visual impairments) in efficiently scheduling their college classes!

Takeaways

Overall, I learned how to work within real-world constraints and advocate for change through design!

Improving efficiency within constraints of a legacy system

I explored adding a collapsible sidebar to CourseBook to present degree plans alongside courses, but later realized that technical feasibility could prevent implementation.

Identifying actionable solutions to problems and edge cases -> real change.

Seeing my suggested changes ship was not only gratifying, but also revealed how defining real-world significance and possible solutions can go a long way!