Creighton University | 2020

Evaluating Graduate School Website Usability Through Structured Testing

Overview

Led a structured usability testing initiative to evaluate the newly redesigned Graduate School website prior to broader rollout. The goal was to validate navigation clarity, task completion success, and overall usability while identifying potential friction points early in the launch lifecycle.

This project focused on establishing a scalable usability testing framework within a higher education digital environment.

The Challenge

Following a major website redesign, the Graduate School needed validation that prospective and internal users could:

  • Locate program information efficiently

  • Navigate key academic workflows

  • Understand content hierarchy and structure

  • Complete high-priority tasks without friction

The challenge extended beyond testing a single website — it required formalizing a repeatable usability testing process that could scale across future university initiatives.

Scope of Ownership

Designed and structured the usability testing plan

  1. Developed facilitator and participant testing guides

  2. Defined task scenarios aligned with core Graduate School workflows

  3. Conducted moderated, in-person usability sessions

  4. Trained internal web strategists to serve as facilitators

  5. Established reusable research documentation framework

mac with homepage of creighton university

Research Methodology

A moderated, in-person usability testing approach was selected to capture both qualitative and quantitative insights.

Methods included:

  • Task-based usability sessions

  • Direct observation of participant behavior

  • Post-task survey questions to measure usability perception

  • Structured participant commentary and facilitator documentation

This approach allowed for real-time behavioral insight while capturing measurable usability indicators.

Testing Planning & Preparation

Significant preparation ensured consistency and reliability across sessions.

Preparation included:

  • Development of participant-facing usability testing guides

  • Creation of facilitator scripts to ensure structured moderation

  • Identification of task scenarios representing key Graduate School workflows

  • Selection of participant groups reflective of user audiences

Internal marketing strategists served as the initial testing group due to their familiarity with academic workflows and website content structure.

Undergraduate students were identified as a second critical participant group to represent prospective Graduate School users.

Faciltator Training & Enablement

To scale the initiative, I trained fellow web strategists to serve as usability testing facilitators.

Training included:

  • Observation of live moderated sessions

  • Guided facilitation practice using standardized scripts

  • Instruction on objective documentation of findings

  • Structured debrief discussions

This approach established a consistent moderation standard and expanded the university’s internal research capability.

Constraints & Interruption

Before student recruitment and broader testing could occur, the onset of COVID-19 resulted in campus closures and suspension of in-person research activities.

While the full study could not proceed as planned, foundational research infrastructure had already been established.

Outcomes & Impact

Despite interruption, the initiative delivered meaningful value:

  • Established a formal usability testing framework for the Graduate School

  • Created reusable participant and facilitator documentation

  • Conducted initial moderated sessions to surface early usability insights

  • Trained internal staff in structured usability research methods

  • Laid groundwork for future prospective student testing

This project strengthened the university’s research maturity and formalized usability testing as a repeatable, scalable process within the web strategy team.