PW

UX Research • Case Study

research.pitt.edu
Usability Evaluation

The research.pitt.edu homepage. A full-bleed photo of a faculty member in a studio sits behind the headline "It's Possible at Pitt" and a button reading "Explore our 2023-24 annual report". The top navigation shows the About menu expanded to People, Committees and Careers.
The site under evaluation. research.pitt.edu following its redesign — the homepage every participant encountered first. Select to view full size.

Project summary

Following a major redesign of research.pitt.edu — Pitt's central hub for research communication — the team was commissioned by the Senior Director of Communications to assess how well the updated site served its users. Using a multi-method research approach, we identified critical usability gaps: unclear navigation, confusing terminology, and a homepage that failed to communicate the site's purpose. Our findings and prioritized recommendations give the development team a clear roadmap for improvement.

  • Heuristic Evaluation
  • User Testing
  • Think-Aloud
  • SUS Questionnaire
  • Empathy Mapping
  • Siteimprove

Research methods & rationale

  • Heuristic evaluation

    Applied Nielsen's 10 usability heuristics and the Pascarella–Quigley accessibility framework to systematically audit the site before any user contact.

    Why: Catches structural issues cheaply and early, giving us a hypothesis-driven starting point for user testing.

  • Think-aloud user testing

    Participants verbalized their thoughts while completing two scenario-based tasks on the live site, conducted in-person and over Zoom.

    Why: Reveals the gap between designer intent and actual user mental models in real time.

  • SUS questionnaire

    After each session, users completed a standardized System Usability Scale survey to produce a comparable, quantifiable usability score.

    Why: Provides a benchmarkable metric that complements qualitative findings and is widely recognized by stakeholders.

  • Siteimprove audit

    A cloud-based scan assessed accessibility compliance, SEO, broken links, and content quality across the entire site automatically.

    Why: Uncovers technical issues — missing alt text, broken links — that traditional observation would miss.

  • Empathy mapping

    Before testing, we constructed a structured empathy map to surface assumptions about user emotions, goals, frustrations, and behaviors.

    Why: Aligns the team on a shared user perspective and sharpens interview questions and scenario design.

  • Transcript analysis

    All sessions were recorded and transcribed. We coded transcripts for recurring themes, user quotes, and task-failure patterns.

    Why: Triangulates subjective impressions with direct user language, making findings defensible to stakeholders.

Research process

  1. Client discovery & goal-setting

    Met with the Senior Director of Communications to define four goals: understanding faculty pain points, clarifying navigation, improving consistency, and enhancing visual appeal.

  2. Heuristic & Siteimprove audit

    Conducted an expert review using Nielsen's 10 heuristics alongside the Pascarella–Quigley accessibility framework, with a parallel Siteimprove scan for technical issues.

  3. Empathy map & script development

    Built an empathy map around primary users (research faculty and potential faculty). Developed a standardized testing script to ensure consistency across all participant sessions.

  4. Participant recruitment

    Recruited a diverse mix of university stakeholders: Undergraduates Graduate students Research assistants Research faculty

  5. Moderated user sessions

    Participants completed two scenario-based tasks using the think-aloud method, followed by behavioral and reflective interview questions and a SUS questionnaire.

  6. Analysis & triangulation

    Coded transcripts to extract themes. Cross-referenced qualitative observations, SUS scores, heuristic findings, and Siteimprove data to produce a prioritized recommendation set.

A seven-part empathy map for university faculty and students, annotated in red. Recorded pains include poor navigational features, cluttered and repeating content, and difficulty finding information quickly. Recorded gains include a professional appearance consistent with Pitt's colour scheme.
Empathy map. Built before any testing to surface the team's assumptions about faculty goals and frustrations, and to shape the session script. Select to view full size.

Key findings from testing

  • Homepage failed to communicate the site's purpose or audience
  • Navigation sent users to external Pitt sites with no warning or way back
  • "Pitt Research Concierge" label confused users expecting hotel-style services
  • Search bar hidden by a Zoom widget, causing one user to miss it entirely
  • Color scheme, typography, and tile layout received consistent praise
  • "By the Numbers" section purpose was unclear to most users
  • Annual report table of contents lacked sufficient context
  • Users requested a clear "About" page explaining Pitt Research's mission
The "By the Numbers" section of research.pitt.edu, showing national ranking statistics: number 6 in NIH funding received by US universities, number 17 in R&D expenditures, and number 14 in US utility patents received, above a further Sponsored Research block.
Purpose unclear. Most participants could not say what this section was for, or who it was meant to persuade. Select to view full size.

"I had no idea what I was about to do on this... it's not very informative."

Research participant, first-impression think-aloud

Recommendations

  • High priority

    • Clarify navigation labels

      Replace ambiguous terms like "Pitt Research Concierge" with plain-language equivalents such as "Research Resources & Services" to reduce user confusion and failed searches.

    • Consolidate into one site

      Integrate externally linked resources — including the annual report — into research.pitt.edu so users never lose their place or get stranded on a separate domain.

  • Medium priority

    • Simplify the menu structure

      Flatten the navigation hierarchy and relocate the search bar to a prominent, unobstructed position aligned with the tab bar to improve discoverability.

    • Add a clear "About" page

      Create a dedicated page explaining Pitt Research's mission, audience, and key offerings so new visitors immediately understand the site's purpose.

  • Low priority

    • Use research-relevant imagery

      Replace generic hero photos with images that authentically depict Pitt's research work, aligning visual content with user expectations and site purpose.

    • Show persistent breadcrumbs

      Display the user's navigation path at all times — especially when deep in the site — to reduce disorientation and support wayfinding across multiple pages.

    • Remove redundant hamburger menu

      Hide the mobile hamburger icon when full desktop tabs are visible to eliminate visual clutter and reduce confusion about which navigation to use.

View full report (PDF) 8 pages • 5.8 MB