3. Research Design and Findings
3.2 Research Design and Data Collection method
In this section, I will detail the three tools used for the analysis, the survey, the card sorting and the Attrakdiff. The three of them could have been performed thanks to the software Testapic. For each of them, I will explain what it involved, what was the survey population and what were the specificities about the company case.
3.2.1. Online survey
With the online survey, we are trying to measure the user's feeling about the way the navigation menu is ordered and the naming of the categories and sub-categories. We wanted to collect quantitative data, through closed questions. By using TestApic’s platform, we sent 6 questions to the users. The population sample was 104 cat or dog’s owners. You will find below the instruction given to users, translated in English. Please note that there is a question N°7, which corresponds to the Attrakdiff analyse. We will detail this part in the next section.
• N°1 – RETROSPECTIVE OF FIRST USE: Finding food for my pet
You have a Labrador Retriever puppy. You would like to buy pet food online adapted to your dog.
Would you think that finding this information has been:
(Single-choice answer) Very easily / Rather easily / Rather difficult / Very difficult
• N°2 RETROSPECTIVE OF FIRST USE Browse the site using the menu, try to find the way to:
- Contact Royal Canin by mail.
- Learn more about Royal Canin, - Find a shop.
2.a - After browsing this menu, you would say that it seemed Easy to use?
(Single-choice answer) Completely agree / Rather agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Rather disagree / Completely disagree
2.b - After browsing this menu, you would say that it seemed Quick to use?
(Single-choice answer) Completely agree / Rather agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Rather disagree / Completely disagree
2.c - After browsing this menu, you would say that it seemed Logic?
(Single-choice answer) Completely agree / Rather agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Rather disagree / Completely disagree
2.d - After browsing this menu, you would say that it seemed Clear?
(Single-choice answer) Completely agree / Rather agree / Neither agree nor disagree / Rather disagree / Completely disagree
• N°3: CATEGORIES AND SUB-CATEGORIES NAME
In general, the words used to name the different categories and sub-categories were:
(Single-choice answer) Perfectly clear / Rather clear / Rather not clear / Not clear at all
• N°4: CATEGORIES’ NUMBER
In your opinion, the number of categories on the main menu is :
(Single-choice answer) Perfectly correct / Rather correct / Rather incorrect / Not correct at all / Other
• N°5 : GLOBAL EVALUATION OF THE TOPNAV Is the TopNav complete according to you?
(Single-choice answer) Completely agree / Rather agree / Rather disagree / Completely disagree
• N°6: IMPORTANCE OF THE TOPNAV
On a website, does the TopNav matter according to you?
Single-choice answer: Completely agree / Rather agree / Rather disagree / Completely disagree
• N°7: Attrakdiff.
Finally, we would like to assess your impressions of the overall experience you have had on our site, in the different activities you have just completed.
This questionnaire is in the form of word pairs to assist you in evaluating the system. Each pair represents contrasts. The scales between the two ends allow you to describe the intensity of the chosen quality.
3.2.2 Attrakdiff
AttrakDiff is a system evaluation test created by Marc Hassenzahl, Professor at the Folkwang University (Essen, Germany) and its co-workers Burmester et Koller. This test is a quantitative method, to measure the User Experience of a website or a part of a website, post-utilization. Since it was only available in a German version, Carine Lallemand has validated and created a French version of the AttrakDiff in 2014. The test is composed of 28 items pairs of opposite meanings. The user will evaluate the system, based on the given items and its previous experience on the website, on a Likert scale (sometimes called “satisfaction scale”).
These 28 items, split into 4 dimensions:
Pragmatic Quality (PQ), measuring the product’s usability. In other words, this dimension will evaluate the system’s ability to help the user achieving his goal on the website / application. It is focused on the criteria of clarity and flexibility.
• Hedonic Quality Stimulation (HQS), measuring the stimulation generated by the system. Unlike the Pragmatic dimension, the HQS will focus more on the user than
on the system. It will evaluate the user’s stimulation relative to the system and its functionalities. What the AttrakDiff defines as a “Stimulating product” is based on criteria such as the creativity and the originality of the website / application.
• Hedonic Quality Identification (HQI), measuring the user identification to the system. Not to be confused with the HQ Stimulation, if the HQ Identification also focus on the user’ stimulation given by the product this dimension also evaluates to what extent the system is aligned to the user’s identity. The purpose of the Hedonic Quality Dimension is to ensure that the system responds to the user’s personal needs and expectations.
• Overall appeal or Attraction (ATT), measuring system’s global value based on the hedonic and pragmatic qualities
For your understanding, I have created a tab with the different items in French version (Carine Lallemand) and its translation. You will find this tab below:
Table 1. Attrakdiff Items translation
Prior to launch a new top navigation bar, Royal Canin wants to measure the “Attrakdiff” of the current navigation bar behaviour. The test will measure the current User Experience of the navigation of the website through the navigation bar, and it will give insights on user’s feelings about the website. There are 105 respondents for the survey, composed of 51.4 % of men and 48.6 % of women. The age group concerned is situated between 21 and 65 years old and the average age of the population studied is 41 years old. 49.5 % used a desktop to participate to the survey and 50.5 % experienced the questions with their mobile phone. The last condition to participate to the survey is to be a cat or a dog owner.
3.2.3 Card Sorting
Card sorting is the method used to build the information architecture by directly involving the end users.
We present to the user 31 cards. Each card represents a sub-category (e.g “How to find a vet”
or “FAQ”), already existing on RoyalCanin.fr. We ask to the user to sort and group the cards (according to information or items that should logically be grouped together, according to himself). Then, he is asked to group them into a category which will be created by the user himself. (e.g He will group the existing items “Our e-mail” and “Our address” into a category created, such as “Contact us” or “How to contact Royal Canin?”. Besides it may help the company to arbitrate in case of internal disagreements. Indeed, in order to choose between different views, on subjective questions, it might be easier to follow the user’s opinion if a great number of opinions converged together.
The first purpose here is to understand the mental models of the users and their organisational logic. Another objective here is to identify potential irritant in the navigation menu. For instance, if some information is difficult to find for the user. And identifying the cause of this irritant: is it because the information is situated at a place which is illogical for the user?
Is it because the appellation is unclear for the user? Finally, the headings suggested and
created by the users can help Royal Canin for the potential creation of the new navigation bar, by receiving a fresh look, from people outside of the company but deeply concerned by Dogs and Cats alimentation products.
The population sample is the same than for the survey.
3.3 Findings
In this section, you will find the data collected from the survey, the attrakdiff and the card sorting.
3.3.1 Online Survey
You will find below the users’ responses to the online survey:
N°1 – RETROSPECTIVE OF FIRST USE – Finding the right food for my pet You have a Labrador Retriever puppy. Using the menu, you would like to buy pet food online adapted to your dog.
Would you think that finding this information has been:
(Single-choice answer) Very easily / Rather easily / Neither agree nor difficult / Rather difficult / Very difficult
57 % of the respondents claimed that they completely agree.
24 % of the respondents rather agree.
13 % of the respondents neither agree nor disagree.
6 % of the respondents rather disagree.
• N°2 RETROSPECTIVE OF FIRST USE
Browse the site using the menu, try to find the way to: