1. microLife Institute is designed to help educate and connect people who are interested in micro living for various life situations. There are many communities of people that can benefit from downsizing or living minimal. How might we get the word out to more people about our education resources and connect people to best facilitate the transition.
2.The microLife Institute website is one of the primary channels to interact with the organization and connect with resources on sustainable living. How might we improve the organization of content and navigation on the site so that users can better understand the organization’s offerings.
User Research
User Persona
Wireframing
Site Architecture
Usability Testing
Prototyping
Style Guide
Outreach, advocacy and education on micro living needs to be expanded and more accessible so that a broader population of people are aware of how it can benefit society, how they can adapt to the lifestyle or support micro living initiatives. Online presence via a more organized and better designed website needs to be improved and in-person events and outreach increased.
"I have been wanting to downsize for a while, but the challenge is finding the right place for my wife and I."
- John, 57
"Our main goals are to help people understand what we offer.
1. Education
2. Communication
3. Advocacy
4. Communities"
- Will, Stakeholder
"I seriously considered building a tiny house in college, but we couldn't find land in the area that we were living that would allow for the structure to not be attached to the ground... it had to have a foundation."
- Lauren, 29
1. The layout was very simple and needed an overall grid structure to appear more organized
2. Color scheme is basic and the navigation titles did not pass accessibility tests
3. An inconsistent use of white-space and color
4. Above the fold image was too large and images could be more meaningful throughout
1. About Us took you outside the website with no way to return
2. Important resources were buried in the bottom navigation
1. Headings were not clear
2. Needed better explanation of the purpose of the site and what is offered
3. Contact information could be more clear
4. There was no important content above the fold
Joe is a retired sales manager who is ready to downsize with his wife from their two story house. Joe and his wife saved money for retirement, but they are looking for a way to spend less on housing so they can invest in their grandchildren and travel. Joe also hopes that his new place will have a community that enjoys social gatherings and maybe even a gardening club.
1. Downsize his current lifestyle and save money
2. Learn more about micro living
3. Find a community with a good vibe
4. Secure financing and locate viable housing options
Users were given four tasks to complete on the website in order to test the functionality and user experience on the site. These were straightforward tasks such find out more “about us”, locate events, find the latest projects, and become a member.
The tasks were for the most part completed with ease. A few respondents couldn’t locate the latest projects due to an inconsistent naming convention.
Feedback was also solicited on our aesthetics appeal. Improvement was needed in a few areas:
1. More graphically pleasing arrows/directionals
2. Consistent wording of elements on the page and navigation
3. Event navigation should note difference in upcoming events and past event
