A usability test of Crisis.org.uk's desktop site identified barriers preventing users from effectively supporting the charity’s mission to end homelessness, aiming to enhance perception, engagement, and persuasion among visitors.
from March 2023 to April 2023
Crisis.org.uk's website may lack the clarity, usability, and persuasive design needed to effectively engage users, communicate its mission, and motivate support through donations, volunteering, and advocacy. Usability issues could be hindering the public’s ability to understand and participate in the charity’s social impact efforts.
The degrees of persuasion and engagement of the website for the target audience
The overall user experience of the website
The degrees of ease of use and satisfaction with the user journeys which are closely associated with social actions such as donations that help keep the charity running and supporting people in need of help.
The degrees of comprehensibility and wayfinding while exploring the website's campaigns
For this study, task-based questions were formulated and two scavenger hunt tasks with scenarios were asked to perform as well.
Combining the think-aloud method with semi-structured interviews helped reveal a wide range of website issues, as participants brought different perspectives even though they followed the same basic script. Letting some choose their own tasks allowed for broader exploration and more varied feedback.
During the deductive approach to categorising data, the context column on the rainbow chart was created to make sure each usability problem was independent and to specify where they belonged, if a couple of usability problems were interdependent or if a usability problem was overarching broad areas of the website.
68.3%
Noting that quantitative user testing typically has a 19% margin of error and the average usability difference between websites is 64%, quantitative usability research would not necessarily be as efficient and accurate as expected[Nie*11].
Due to the nature of the research, quantitative data garnered from the research was not of paramount importance; however, it helped summarize the data of the variation of perception of task experiences.
The main recommendations focused on four key areas:
Many users felt overwhelmed by the cluttered submenus under ‘Get Involved’. Clearer grouping and labeling would boost findability and reduce effort. While untested, this stands as a strong design hypothesis for improving navigation.
Navigation should make the submenu structure clearer so that users can find items more easily and with less effort.
Consistent location and design of navigation throughout the website. Multiple subpages have inconsistent navigation systems. Main navigation should be shown on every single page for consistency which helps users navigate the website more easily without deviating.
Batch filtering, such as "by date" and "by region" to refine the search result to meet users' criteria. Batch filtering can minimize any waiting time for pages to be loaded if a website is slow or if it works on mobile devices considering latency. It would be the best fit for finding a volunteering role and a fundraising event on the Crisis website as the filter options are not too broad and extensive and it has a limited number of criteria [She*16].
| Filter By Nation | Remote | England | Scotland | Wales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filter by Location | UK - Wide and Remote | Birmingham | Edinburgh | South Wales | ||
| Coventry & Warwickshire | ||||||
| Croydon | ||||||
| London | ||||||
| Merseyside | ||||||
| Newcastle | ||||||
| Oxford | ||||||
| Swansea | ||||||
| South Yorkshire | ||||||
| Filter By Date | By Week | By Month | By Year | |||
| Filter By Role* | Fundraiser | Local Services | Retail | Others | ||
| Filter By Event** | All | Run | Cycle | Walk | Swim | Others |
* : only relevant to the 'Find a volunteer role'.
** : only relevant to the 'Fundraise'.
The research showed people expect real stories and photos of homeless individuals, showing how the charity has changed their lives. This kind of content builds empathy and motivates support, which is the core goal of the site. Since the 'Donate' button stands out, a clear page on where the money goes would grab attention and likely boost donations. The wireframe includes all key recommendations: better navigation, triggers to inspire action, cleaner content, and clearer communication.