Tyler Peebles

How I Recruited Users to Test the Amazon Website's Usability Ease 

• My goal was to test Amazon's ease of navigation and usability and to write a script detailing my observations.
• I recruited two participants who browsed Amazon's website and completed tasks given to them
• I observed areas where users hit roadblocks and where users became most frustrated
• I devised what could be done to resolve these issues and pitched my suggestions (hypothetically) to Amazon's design team

I first scouted out a website that I believed could be improved (Amazon), then recruited participants based on their age and the time they spent browsing through Amazon's online store. My participants were separately observed for roughly 20 minutes as they performed tasks that were asked to narrate aloud. After detecting areas where participants had the most trouble, I took extensive notes on my observations, and then devised a script. I narrated my observations and suggestions over a slide show I created of my findings for a hypothetical audience of Amazon designers. 

Firstly, I learned how much I loved usability testing! Being able to study the decisions that a user makes when faced with an unfamiliar website/tasks was both interesting and exciting. I also realized how essential UX testing is to a websites overall performance, and how much I would love to be a part of improving user experiences.

• Amazon's AI tools (Health AI, Rufus)
• Amazon Haul, Grocery
• Amazon's filters, search bar, and lists
• Other commonly performed tasks such as scrolling and clicking links
• Overall, how participants felt (frustration, satisfaction?) while scrolling through Amazon's website

I worked closely with participants, ensuring that any issues were addressed. When I detected that a participant wanted to opt out of a task, I  intervened. When a participant misunderstood a task, I clarified. It was my job keep the test running smoothly.