This project sought to aid CBS Sports in providing an optimal experience tracking and following athletic teams on their mobile app. To achieve this goal, twelve test users were recruited to participate in moderated mobile usability testing. Their individual interview sessions were captured on their personal devices and then reviewed to create the foundation for the recommendations found in this report. Each session asked the participants to complete four tasks. These tasks included walking through the app’s onboarding process, finding and listening to a specific podcast episode, adding three teams to their favorites list, and finding three players that meet specific criteria.
While CBS Sports’ application provided a strong environment for the users to interact with, some implementation and choices created frustrations for the test participants. Issues with the podcasting workflow, UI contrast, ad placements, and application functionality mishaps created confusion for the subjects during their test sessions.
The research completed for CBS Sports utilized moderated test sessions conducted and screen recorded on the participants’ mobile devices. Twelve participants were recruited to complete a set of three tasks as well as a walk-through of the CBS Sports’ onboarding process. This information was then reviewed and synthesized in order to formulate recommendations for CBS Sports to help improve their mobile app’s user experience.
This research utilized 12 participants. Each test user was recruited after meeting the following criteria:
> 20 – 45 years old
> Male or Female
> College Educated
> A sports enthusiast / fan
> Watch or listen to sports at least once a week
> Interested in at least two different sports
12 out of 12 users were able to successfully download the app and complete the initial onboarding process.
6 users were completely successful while 5 users were partially successful while trying to find and download an episode of CBS’ podcast “Cover 3”. 1 user failed to complete this task.
10 users were completely successful while 1 user was partially successful while trying to add three teams to their following list. 1 user was unable to complete this task
1 user was completely successful while 10 users were partially successful while trying to view specific stats about players from the teams they followed. 1 user failed to complete this task.
1.) When onboarding new users, give them the ability to choose what leagues they wish to follow rather than forcing them to organize a predetermined list.
2.) The podcasting feature is the CBS Sports app’s weakest link. The app presents this feature as if the user can listen to shows in-app; however, if they wish to listen to a show they must leave the ecosystem after going through a complicated workflow. This created high levels of frustration during use. To combat this, allow for in-app listening. If this is not possible, consider cutting this feature from the app.
3.) The ability to sort and filter episodes and shows in the podcast section of the app needs to be implemented.
4.) Ensure that all UI layouts and elements achieve a WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio of at least 3:1. Additionally, make sure key elements, such as the View Player Stats button, properly stand out in the environment.
5.) Utilizing the My Teams page as a home page would help users cut through some of the informational noise.