Problem Statement:
At VCH new Evaluation Forms collect user feedback for each course to verify quality of the design and curriculum. The evaluation form is an optional activity. The task is to design an anchor image and an icon. To get more people to engage in these surveys the design has to create an Emotional Attachment. The design needs to be flexible enough to be used in different courses, functional enough to communicate its nature and give users the information they need, and creative enough to stimulate the user to take action.
Understanding the User
For Educators, Designers, Developers, and Content Experts who rely on the user feedback the Evaluation results it is None Value Added but Essential (NVAE) as it will help verify quality of the product solution. For the end-user filling out a Survey is a None Value Added Experience(NVA). So why should they spend or waste their time?
Reasonable assumption: a user will voluntarily engage in giving a survey if:
- The user is overwhelmingly happy and satisfied with the experience of the product. Thus the user wishes to compliment and fills out the Survey/Evaluation.
- The user is not satisfied but very upset, frustrated or angry with the experience of the product Thus the user wishes to fills out the Survey/Evaluation in hopes to see positive change.
Creating an environment that would make many users feel as in the above is very difficult. So what can we do to stimulate the user feel emotionally attached?
Design Strategies
Strategy #1: Creating an Emotional Attachment
In advertisement and Marketing there are many concepts and ideas used to make a user voluntarily wanting to act or participate in something that they would not participate in otherwise. Color, playful messages, attention grabbing messages are important here.
Strategy # 2: Eliminating assumption and fear
From experience, Consumers/users understanding of surveys are that it is long and time consuming. This in turn leads to the understanding that it will take too much of their time which in turn deters them from participating in the survey. In fact, when Surveyors approach a person, they often inform the person within the first few seconds about:
- What the Survey is about
- How much of their time then need
- Some sort of incentives (optional)
Concept Design Ideas
A set of photos were selected from Istockphoto.com, then cropped altered and combined with the design and intended message.
[huge_it_gallery id=”8″]
Conduction a Survey to verify design
After the concept design, a set of questions were asked from random set of user. This users could not be designers or anyone involved in the project. The question in the survey were formatted in a manner to verify whether the designs were in fact reflecting the strategies.
The results displayed that users do want to be know how long the survey will take before the take it. Surveys should not take more than 5 min and there should be around 5 to 10 questions.
The solutions
One of the responsibility, privilege and challenge a designer has is to take all the feedback and incorporate the ones that add value to the composition. Finding the balance between function and aesthetics is gift.
