Usability & A/B Testing | BBC Sports
Business Research
The BBC Sports app is a widely used platform for sports enthusiasts, providing comprehensive coverage of various sports, including football. To further enhance the user experience and cater to football fans,I propose a research initiative aimed at redesigning the football section of the app. The primary objective is to reduce the amount of scrolling by introducing separate accordions for football match news, match statistics, and player ratings, ultimately streamlining the user journey.
Problem Statement:
The existing design of the football section in the BBC Sports app can be cumbersome for users, especially those seeking match-specific information such as news updates, match stats, and player ratings. The excessive scrolling and content overload can lead to user frustration and impact overall satisfaction.
Design Review
What Works:
Content Depth: The BBC Sports app provides an impressive depth of content for football fans. It covers a wide range of tournaments, leagues, and events, offering news, live scores, and in-depth analysis. The app is a comprehensive resource for football enthusiasts.
Accessibility: The app is accessible, with a user-friendly interface that allows users to easily navigate through various sections. The hierarchy is well-structured, making it simple to find the desired information, match schedules, and results.
Live Updates: Live score updates, minute-by-minute commentary, and live match statistics provide an engaging and real-time experience, keeping users informed during matches.
Rich Media: The integration of images, videos, and highlights adds an engaging multimedia aspect to the football coverage, enhancing the overall user experience.
What Could Be Improved:
Scrolling Overload: One of the main issues in the existing design is the excessive scrolling required to access various elements within the football section. Users often have to scroll through a long list of content to find the specific information they seek. This can lead to user frustration and a less-than-optimal experience.
Accordion Design: To address the scrolling issue, introducing separate accordions for football match news, match statistics, and player ratings is a promising solution. This would significantly reduce scrolling and make it easier for users to access specific content without having to scroll through lengthy lists.
User Feedback: Implementing a feedback mechanism within the football section would be beneficial. Users should have a way to report issues, provide suggestions, and give feedback on content quality, enhancing the app's responsiveness to user needs.
Usability Testing
I organised a user testing session where participants interacted with a replicated prototype of the original BBC Sports app. I used this session to gather feedback on their experiences and pain points within the football section of the app.
Below are the questions I asked during the session and the feedback received from each participants
A/B Testing
The A/B test for the BBC Sports app focused on evaluating two designs for the football section of the app. The existing design, which required users to scroll through a long list of content, was compared to the proposed design that introduced separate accordions for match news, match statistics, and player ratings. The goal was to assess user preferences and performance in the context of improved content accessibility.
Results:
User Satisfaction: 100% of participants found the proposed design with accordions to be more user-friendly and efficient, expressing satisfaction with the reduced scrolling.
Reduced Scrolling: Participants consistently reported a significant reduction in the amount of scrolling required to access desired content in the football section.
Content Accessibility: 100% of users stated that they found it easier to access specific information, including match news, statistics, and player ratings, within the accordions.
Task Completion: Users were able to complete typical tasks, such as checking live match scores and accessing player ratings, more quickly and with fewer steps in the proposed design.
User Feedback: Feedback received during the test indicated that the proposed design was favoured for its streamlined user experience and intuitive navigation.
The full results can be viewed here: A/B Testing for BBC Sports