Hello!

Welcome to my website!

I am Dr. Zina Alaswad, a Senior User Experience Researcher Passionate about using research to enhance user experiences. My academic background fuels my rigorous approaches while my experience across industries ensures a focus on actionable measurable results. I excel in both qualitative and mixed method from in depth interviews to large-scale surveys.

Take a look at some of my work presented on this website.

Case Study: Establishing a QX score framework to measure and enhance SonarCloud impact

Introduction

SonarCloud was rapidly expanding, but without a comprehensive user experience metric, it was difficult to pinpoint which growth efforts were most impactful, and where improvements were needed to drive adoption. To address this challenge, I established the QX Score Framework, a customized metric designed to quantify and track the SonarCloud user experience.

Methods

This initiative blended a variety of research techniques to capture a holistic picture of user perceptions:

In-depth Interviews: Provided rich qualitative insights into user needs, motivations, and pain points.

Unmoderated Testing: Generated task success rates and helped pinpoint specific UI friction points.

Product Analytics: Revealed quantitative behavioral trends across different user journeys.

Findings

Pricing Confusion: "I'm not sure what I actually get with the free plan..." revealed a lack of clarity between tiers. This confusion impacted conversion rates, with 86% of participants misinterpreting the pricing model.

Navigation & Structure Users struggled to locate core CTAs like "Start for Free". Page view metrics highlighted inefficient exploration patterns. Additionally, users felt the content could be better consolidated and streamlined for clarity.

Security: Key Barrier to Adoption Users expressed hesitation, stating concerns like "I don't want to import a project until I understand how my code is protected." This significantly impacted sign-up conversion and onboarding.

Outcomes

QX Score Baseline: The initial QX Score was established at 48.5%.

Iterative Improvement: Research findings drove targeted design updates focused on pricing presentation, navigational structure, and prominent security messaging. Post-implementation, the QX Score increased to 51.9% in 3 weeks.

Long-Term Impact: The ongoing use of the QX Score framework allows for continuous monitoring and refinement of the SonarCloud experience, fueling data-driven decision-making to optimize growth.

Case Study: Enhancing SonarCloud Upgrade Findability

Summary

SonarCloud's upgrade path was hindering user experience and potentially impacting conversions. To address this, I conducted a rigorous evaluation of two redesigned prototypes. Unmoderated testing revealed the "Discrete" approach to be the clear winner. Users successfully and intuitively located the upgrade option under their profile icon, reflected by a dramatic increase in the task success score from 36% to 92%. This was accompanied by a significant drop in error clicks, emphasizing the improved ease of use. Additionally, the study highlighted the value of a potential secondary access point via a hovering tooltip and the need to improve menu labeling. These findings now directly drive refinement of the SonarCloud upgrade flow, ensuring a smooth and intuitive process for users.

Problem

Users struggled to locate the SonarCloud upgrade workflow, impacting conversion and the overall user experience.

Methods

Balanced Comparison of Prototypes: Two prototypes, "Discrete" and "Loud," were tested with users to identify the most intuitive upgrade path.

UserTesting Platform: Facilitated unmoderated testing for quick insights.

Quantitative & Qualitative Data: Combined task success rates, time on task, verbal feedback, and heatmap analysis.

Key Findings:

Upgrade Confusion: The existing upgrade flow was the least successful and perceived as the most difficult by users. This highlights the need for improvement.

Profile Icon Success: A significant majority (14/19) of users preferred the "Discrete" prototype approach of placing the upgrade option under the user's profile icon.

Hover Tooltips Valuable: While less intuitive overall, the "Loud" prototype's hovering tooltip was helpful to some users (3/19). This could be a secondary feature.

"Administration" Misleading: This menu title confused users about its content in both prototypes, indicating a need for clearer labeling.

Outcomes

Clear Winner: The "Discrete" prototype with upgrade access under the profile icon consistently outperformed the existing flow and was preferred by users.

Data-Driven Refinement: Test results provided actionable guidance:

Implement the "Discrete" approach with a focus on the profile icon.

Consider the hovering tooltip as a possible additional access point.

Rename the "Administration" menu for clarity. (e.g., "Account Settings").

Continued Success Post Release:

When asked to upgrade their SonarCloud Organization account, users' task success score increased by 56% which directly underscores the effectiveness of the refined upgrade flow on conversion rates.

More Case Studies

Prototype Validation

Short Test

Published Work

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INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF A GAME BASED LEARNING (GBL) INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO

A Case Study of Game-Based Learning in Interior Design Studios

Designing with game-based learning: Game mechanics from middle school to higher education

DGames and game-based learning in instructional design

Designing for game-based learning: The effective integration of technology to support learning

What can I do for you?

Services

Questions? Send an e-mail to znaswad@gmail.com to kick things off!

Want to discuss possible opportunities and collaborations?

znaswad@gmail.com