As web designers and developers, we tend to take our design for granted and we expect the user to get it right away. But, what’s obvious to us, might not be as obvious to a person who sees our website for first time and has no idea what it’s all about.

Last week, I had the opportunity to give a usability test to two MMP students from BMCC on my final project for my MMP 240 class: Primavera de los Realizadores.

The test consisted of a one-on-one half an hour session where the user was asked to perform tasks such as “reserve a ticket for a Saturday night movie.” You can check the full test’s outline here.

I had some interesting and unexpected outputs, both positive and negative. Sometimes also funny: for example, Jeremy, my first victim, told me that the image I used as lead image for the festival reminds him of an appointment to the eye doctor! While Andres, my second victim, figured that it comes from an “some kind of old school movie.”

Since I expect 90% of my audience to have an interest or to be related somehow to Spanish cine, I am not too concerned about this. However, this test has given me a few ideas on how to make my website more user friendly. Ideas that I will have to implement and explain for my final presentation at the end of the semester. Which is around the corner, right after Thanksgiving! I am already working on it.

By the way. Did you get it? Where that picture comes from?