research-synthesis

- P2 and P4 never found it. **Implication:** The current location fails for most first-time users. Share and Settings are the mental models to design around, and either could be a more discoverable home or entry point. #### Theme 2: Task failure and time-on-task are high **Prevalence:** 2 of 5 failed; 3 of 5 succeeded **Observations:** | Participant | Outcome | Time | Rating | |---|---|---|---| | P1 | Success | ~4 min | 6 | | P2 | Gave up | 5 min | 3 | | P3 | Success | 40 s | 7 | | P4 | Gave up | 4 min | 5 | | P5 | Success | 3 min 30 s | 6 | Among the 3 completers, times were 40 s, 3 min 30 s, and 4 min. Excluding P3, successful participants needed roughly 3.5-4 minutes. **Implication:** Discovery is the problem. Nobody reported trouble once they found Export, though this test didn't isolate the later steps, such as choosing CSV or the date range. #### Theme 3: Self-reported ease doesn't match behavior **Prevalence:** 4 of 5 rated 5 or higher **Observations:** - P4 gave up after 4 min but rated 5 ("Fine once you know where it is"). - P1 took 4 min and rated 6 ("Pretty easy"). - P5 took 3.5 min and rated 6 ("Easy enough"). - Only P2, who gave up, rated low (3). **Interpretation (not directly observed):** Participants may rate the ease of the action once found, not the search. Politeness or moderator effects could also play a part. P4's comment implies they learned the location, possibly with help from the moderator, which should be confirmed. **Implication:** Don't use the post-task rating alone as a success metric for this flow. Use completion, time-on-task, and path data. ### Insights → Opportunities | Insight | Opportunity | Impact | Effort | |---|---|---|---| | Users look in Share and Settings first | Add an Export entry point to Share (and possibly Settings) | High | Low | | Export is buried in "..." | Promote Export to a visible toolbar button or label the menu item more clearly | High | Low-Med | | Ratings overstate ease | Track completion and time-on-task as primary metrics | Med | Low | | 2 of 5 abandoned after 4-5 min | Add a search or help route that surfaces "Export" | Med | Med | ### User Segments Identified Five participants isn't enough to define segments. The only visible split is behavioral, by whether people went to "..." first (P3) or not (the other four). We don't know whether P3 had prior experience with the product. ### Recommendations 1. **Make Export discoverable outside "..."**: add a visible button or a Share entry. 4 of 5 participants missed it there, and 2 failed. 2. **Re-test after the change**, measuring completion and time-on-task. Target: all participants completing in under about a minute. 3. **Don't rely on the 1-7 ease question alone**, since it conflicted with observed behavior. ### Questions for Further Research - Was P3 a more experienced user, or was "..." a lucky first guess? - Did P4 eventually find Export with help? What did "once you know where it is" refer to? - What word or location do users expect for export ("Download," "Share," "Save as")? - Does the flow after finding Export (CSV selection, date range) have its own problems? ### Methodology Notes - **Sample is very small (n=5).** Treat counts as directional, not statistically reliable. - Participant roles, experience level, and recruitment criteria weren't provided, nor were the dates or researcher. - Time cutoffs for giving up (4-5 min) may reflect moderator judgment, not user choice. - Only P1, P4, and P5 have quotes, and they came from the post-task rating, so evidence on *why* participants looked where they did is thin. I haven't inferred reasons beyond what's labeled as interpretation above.