Empowering teachers through improved user engagement
At a glance
Ambition Institute offers professional development to teachers through a wide range of different programmes. They sought to enhance its digital platform for aspiring teachers by improving user engagement, addressing usability challenges, and staying competitive within the teacher training sector. Through rigorous analysis, user testing, and actionable recommendations, the project aimed to achieve a more intuitive user experience, boosting engagement and application success rates.
Project type
Sector
Services provided
Project length
Defining success workshop
We began this project with an alignment workshop to establish a shared understanding with the client. This process allowed us to engage all stakeholders, providing an opportunity for them to share their priorities and expectations. Recognising that stakeholders often have varying goals based on their departmental focus, we ensure that every voice is heard to align motivations and objectives effectively. Through targeted exercises, we explored core values, project challenges, strengths, and goals. Importantly, we also defined SMART goals which stated current benchmarks and desired outcomes for this project. This will allow us to measure success after the reccomendations have been actioned.
UX/UI audit
We conducted a comprehensive UX/UI audit to identify usability issues, design inconsistencies, and barriers to user engagement. The audit was structured around four key pillars: usability, consistency, accessibility, and content. This multi-faceted approach allowed us to conduct a wide-ranging strategic evaluation of Ambition’s platform, effectively performing four specialised audits in one.
The primary goal of the audit was to pinpoint areas needing improvement through the lens of UX best practices. By forming initial hypotheses about potential challenges, we created a foundation for validation during the subsequent user testing phase. While our expertise provided a solid starting point for identifying issues, we prioritised validating our insights with Ambition’s specific audience types. This combined approach, of combining audit findings with real user feedback, gave us confidence in the actionable recommendations we delivered.
Competitor analysis
The next step was to conduct a competitor analysis to evaluate the positive aspects of competitors’ user experiences. This process helped identify what competitors were doing well, such as engaging landing pages, simplified journeys, and mobile optimisation, to uncover gaps in Ambition’s platform. By analysing these areas, we formed assumptions about how Ambition might perform compared to competitors during user testing and pinpointed opportunities for improvement.
Test strategy report
Before beginning the ‘Conduct’ phase, we provide our clients with a detailed Test Strategy report to ensure all stakeholders understand the critical importance of user testing. At Full Clarity, we believe testing and measurement are fundamental to understanding and enhancing user experiences. By emphasising this in the test strategy, we align cross-functional teams and establish a strong foundation for the testing phase.
A key component of the Test Strategy is a clear and comprehensive outline of the testing methodology. This section describes our approach to testing, including practical considerations such as the target users, specific elements to be tested, and the scope of each test. Detailed scenarios are also addressed, such as contingency plans (e.g., “If X occurs, we will resolve it by Y”). The objective is to gain client approval of the proposed testing approach, ensuring alignment and confidence as we enter the Conduct phase.
Problem statements
Problem statements are concise, clear descriptions of specific user challenges that help identify pain points in functionality, usability, or communication. This UX technique guided us in focusing user testing on critical issues and therefore preventing resources from being wasted on less impactful areas. We were then able to shape realistic test scenarios to observe behaviours, validate assumptions, and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Focus questions
Once we had created the problem statements, we moved on to developing focus questions. These are targeted queries designed to direct attention to specific aspects of a user’s experience during testing. The purpose of focus questions is to frame a selection of important questions which we want to learn from user testing.
For example, one key focus question was: “What makes one platform more credible than others?” This stemmed from the recurring theme of ‘credibility’ identified during the Analyse phase. We aimed to explore what users perceive as credible and how this perception influences their decision-making when comparing two platforms. Framing such questions allows us to systematically investigate user behaviors and attitudes, ensuring that the insights gathered are both actionable and aligned with the project’s objectives.
Create test scenarios
Creating test scenarios was an essential preparatory step to ensure the live sessions ran seamlessly. We worked closely with a specialist company who helped with the recruitment of participants. Over two weeks, we collaborated with the recruitment agency and prepared detailed documentation to ensure all logistics were addressed. This process included setting up remote meeting invitations, distributing consent forms, crafting a comprehensive testing script, and preparing follow-up questions.
Given that we conducted 25 testing sessions across different audience segments and devices, this step was pivotal in ensuring everything was ready and well organised. By addressing these logistical and administrative aspects in advance, we were able to create a controlled environment that maximised the efficiency and effectiveness of the live sessions.
User testing
The live user testing sessions were a cornerstone of the Conduct phase, involving 25 participants across three key audience segments: graduates, career changers, and those already working in education. Participants were tasked with completing a specific scenario on two of the four platforms we were testing, on either desktop or mobile devices.
Each session was meticulously structured to capture insights on task completion rates, user frustrations, and overall impressions. For example, participants were observed navigating the platform to find suitable training providers, explore location-specific options and apply for programs.
By conducting these live sessions, we gained actionable insights that directly informed our recommendations, ensuring that all proposed solutions were grounded in real user feedback and aligned with Ambition’s goals.
Competitor comparison
The first step in synthesising the data was evaluating how Ambition’s platform compared to the four competitors tested. This process provided a comprehensive view of the competitive landscape, helping identify which competitors posed the most significant challenges and which features set Ambition apart. For each Ambition vs competitor comparison, we focused on four critical areas where either Ambition or a competitor excelled, for example; landing pages, credibility, navigation, and user engagement.
Audience comparison
Different audience types often have unique expectations, pain points, and motivations that influence how they interact with a platform. Understanding these variations enables tailored features and content, improving engagement and satisfaction. Testing revealed distinct preferences across segments, allowing us to provide the client with targeted recommendations for meaningful improvements.
Gains
Ambition’s platform demonstrated several strengths that resonated with users during testing. Highlighting platform strengths provides valuable insights into features that resonate positively with users and can be leveraged for further success. Understanding these gains not only reinforces existing best practices but also helps prioritise enhancements that build upon what users already appreciate.
Pains
To identify key pain points, we deconstructed the user journey into seven critical steps. This breakdown enabled us to assess conversion rates at each stage and align them with user insights. By doing so, we pinpointed specific issues reflected in both the data and participant feedback. Each step of the journey was analysed to highlight pain points and corresponding completion rates, helping us identify where users were most likely to drop off during testing.
This detailed approach allowed us to isolate problem areas and better understand their impact on user behaviour. To provide actionable context, we paired each pain point with ‘competitive examples’, showcasing how the competitors effectively addressed similar challenges. This comparative analysis offered valuable insights for Ambition to prioritise enhancements and stay ahead in the market.
Device comparison
A key consideration during user testing was the comparison of mobile versus desktop functionality. Although neither platform posed significant challenges, mobile users faced more issues. This finding is common, as mobile interfaces offer less screen real estate, often requiring additional optimisation compared to desktop experiences. Issues identified on mobile included content being hidden below the fold, unclear tab functionality, and technical glitches, all of which hindered task completion for some users.
Recommendations
We provided tailored recommendations across eight key areas, offering practical guidance and competitive examples to help the client easily implement meaningful changes. Each recommendation was linked to specific user pain points uncovered during testing and aligned with best practice user experience standards.
To support effective decision-making, we included detailed examples of how similar challenges had been successfully addressed in comparable contexts. This approach ensured that the client had actionable insights and a clear roadmap for enhancing the platform’s usability, functionality, and overall user experience.
Prioritisation
We applied the MoSCoW prioritisation framework to focus recommendations on the most impactful improvements. The recommendations were categorised as follows: ‘Must have: essential, non-negotiable product needs’, ‘Should have: important features that add significant value but not critical’, ‘Could have: nice-to-have features with minimal impact if omitted’ and ‘Will not have: features deprioritised for the current timeframe’. This approach ensured high-impact changes were implemented first, delivering measurable improvements to the user experience while aligning with Ambition’s long-term goals.
As England’s largest training provider for the education sector, we partnered with Full Clarity to improve the user experience between our website and application portal. Through user journey analysis and user testing with 3 distinct persona groups across 25 participants, they identified key areas for enhancement. Full Clarity were highly strategic, demonstrating superb attention to detail while efficiently delivering the project on time and within budget. Their expert facilitation of workshops with our senior stakeholders was also invaluable, and we were very happy with the outcomes and insights from their work.
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