Suchan usability getbevel

Joe Suchan
Usability Test for getbevel.com
Test Preparation:
In order to better understand the tasks that I have asked my two testers to accomplish, I
went through and attempted to complete the tasks myself. While completing these tasks I was
using a standard HP laptop while using a chrome browser. Throughout each tasks I had a well-
established internet connection and did not run into any connection issues that affected the site.
To give a sense of the distractions I may encounter while conducting these tasks with my testers
I tested myself in the B.D Owens Library. The Library is also a place where as a consumer, I find
myself often doing online shopping.
My initial interaction of getbevel.com was an unpleasant large pop up ad that encouraged
users to sign up for a discount. After closing out of the ad I was able to observe the home page.
Getbevel.com has a very neutral color scheme, which is very professional but fails to grab and
draw in the users eyes. As I scroll down the page I noticed a lot of content including visual aids
displaying both before and after the use of the products, professional recommendations and
where a consumer may find these products. What I found displeasing from the home page was
the collapsing banners, the horizontal labels were hard to read without physically turning my
head for each section.
The first usability task is to determine whether there is any information available at
getbevel.com that explains what razor bumps are, how they happen, and whether they cause
discoloration, spotting or scarring. The goal is to learn details compared to just superficial
information. My first thought to complete this task was to click on ‘Why You Need It’, a button
on the top of the ‘home’ page. However, the link just directs you to the ‘All Products’ page. This

was slightly frustrating because the link had no indication that I would be sent to a list of
products. From there I scrolled through the page, where I found the ‘FAQ’ link in the footer.
After getting access to a search bar I was able to type “razor bumps” where the results for
various articles on what razor bumps are and why the happened appeared. I ranked the task a
three satisfaction rating due to being able to find the information in a short amount of time but
felt like I got lucky by clicking on “FAQ”, my initial thoughts did not help find the answer to the
task.
The second task is to determine if Bevel has any skin-care products available that address
razor bumps and skin spots. What are the products and how much do they cost? For this task I
went to ‘all products’, my thought was that this would be the fastest way to compare everything
Bevel offered. If there was not a product to complete the task on this page then I would have
assumed there was not anything on the site to for this specific issue. As I scrolled through the
page I quickly found a product that would address razor bumps and skin spots. That product
being the “Spot Corrector” for $15.95. The Spot Corrector claims to reduce dark spots with just a
few drops. Being able to find the appropriate product and read the description to assure it would
work for my suited needs in under two minutes gives this task a five satisfaction rating.
The third task is to determine whether there is a subscription available for those skin
product related to razor bumps and spotting. Using the same logic for task two I went to “All
Products” looking for the subscription services. With no clear option for subscriptions I started to
look elsewhere and thought the next best place to search would be the “Shave” page. The first
thing I saw when I arrived on the page was a banner that instructed users to get their first
shipment. This is the button I clicked on to find the subscription options. From here I could

choose one of three options for subscriptions all offers have products that address razor bumps
and spotting.
The fourth task is to give your friend a one year subscription to Bevel’s Replenishment
Subscription. Determine how much that will cost. Determine how often products will be shipped
and what’s included with each shipment. With being familiar with subscription services from the
task above I was able to find the one year subscription by following the banner on the “Shave”
page. The year subscription would cost $200 and you would get shipment every four months. In
those shipment I would receive 60 Blades, 2 ounces of Priming Oil, 3.4 ounces of Shave Cream,
and 3.4 ounces of Restoring Balm. This first initial shipment I would additional get the Safety
Razor and Shave Brush.
Choosing Participants:
Tester 1: Kori Simmermon
Kori Simmermon is a twenty-two year old female heavily involved at Northwest
Missouri State University. Some of the organizations she is involved in include Bearcat
Steppers, Career Services, Teaching Assistant and a Tutor for the Science Department. She
actively spends time online, with an estimated thirty-five hours a week of time online
between work, class and personal usage. She does not spend much time on social media, only
about four hours a week. Kori described her rough split between social media and browsing
by roughly 75% of her internet free time browsing and only 25% going through various
social media outlets. Kori’s dad is non-white American male, making Kori an ideal tester for
someone shopping for Bevel products as a gift.
Environment for Tester 1:
 Location of Test:

The test was conducted in the Administration Building within the Career Services
office. The reason behind this location was because this is was Kori works. The
office environment is often a place she finds herself shopping online while the
office is not busy. In order to make the shopping process as natural for the tester,
we mutually agreed to test in this office.
 Physical Environment:
The tester sat at a large table with her phone and a water bottle next to her. The
environment was well lit and had plenty of space to comfortable sit next to her
while allowing the tester to feel like I was not hovering over her shoulder. The
Career Services office has a steady flow of students coming in for help with
resumes and cover letters as well as families from campus tours that come in to see
the office. The stream of students and her phone provided multiple potential
distractions while testing.
 Technical Environment:
Kori used a HP laptop that was set to a low brightness and chrome browser to
complete the tasks. There were no chrome extensions that had an effect on online
shopping. With the exception of a few lag spikes, Kori had a good internet
connection. She was using the secure internet server provided by Northwest
Missouri State University.
Tester 2: Jefferson Palo
Jefferson Palo is a twenty year old Cuban male. Jefferson makes a good tester because of
his experience with irritation while shaving. Shaving between once or twice a week for the
last three years has given Jefferson a well based knowledge of grooming products. Jefferson

works as a student manager at Northwest Missouri State University, his job is to trouble
shoot any problems during any events on campus as well as help students walk through the
online process of reserving rooms on campus. His work experience has taught him to think
through a site before clicking on buttons. This thought process will serve him nicely when
completing the tasks. Jefferson spends roughly fifteen hours on the internet, 40% of the time
on social media and 60% of the time browsing or shopping.
Environment for Tester 2:
 Location of Test:
The test was conducted at the Office of Student Involvement on the campus of
Northwest Missouri State University. This is the office Jefferson works from,
Jefferson selected this location because it is where he has the freest time to shop or
browse the internet.
 Physical Environment:
The Office of Student is the central hub for all student organizations on campus,
making it a loud and heavily populated area. These were possible distractions
while conducting the test. The test was conducted at Jefferson’s normal work
station, which is well lit and had plenty of room for seating. This setting replicated
Jefferson’s work environment as if he was browsing the internet naturally.
Technical Environment:
Jefferson used a HP laptop that was set to the highest brightness setting. The tasks
were completed on a chrome browser that had the Honey extension. Honey is a
program that searches the internet for discount codes on products. However,
Honey did not have any effect on the Bevel products Jefferson found. The

connection to the internet was strong there were no abnormal delays or technical
issues when testing.
Test Results:
Initial Thoughts:
 Tester 1: Kori Simmermon
Kori quickly became
conflicted when going to
getbevel.com. Her first words
were “I hate when these things
pop up”, referring to the pop up
ad asking users to subscribe to
Bevel, shown by the image to the right. She went on to say that she loves getting
discounts but wishes she would have a chance to get to know the site and the
products before getting emails about them. Moving on from the pop-up ad, Kori
liked the neutral color scheme and was glad the colors weren’t too bright and
distracting from the product. Kori thought the sleek and professional look gave a
sense of upscale. As Kori continued down the home page she understood that
Bevel’s products aimed to help irritation and give a better shaving experience.
 Tester 2: Jefferson Palo
Jefferson thought the initial colors were monotone while the layout was
neat and looked professional. Jefferson said “it seems pretty basic but yet a very
formal website”. Jefferson could tell from the start that thee products promote hair
and facial products. As he scrolled down the page it became more apparent that

the products seemed tailored for adult males. He liked the before and after images
as well as knowing the products have medical backing via a dermatologist. The
last items Jefferson noticed was their social media as well as were he could buy
the products, those places being Amazon and Target.
 Similarities and Differences:
Both testers noticed the professional layout and the monotone or neutral
color scheme. A slight difference between the two testers was that Kori was
impressed and attracted to the professionalism while Jefferson found it clean yet
boring. While scrolling down the page both testers noticed Bevel’s claim for “The
Most Advanced Trimmer on the Planet”. Both users chuckled and thought that
this title was a bold claim. Jefferson was evening questioning what proof for that
claim is there. Through the initial thoughts it seemed Kori was focused more on
the visuals and the layout of the page, as that is what was attractive to her. Where
Jefferson did not find the visuals attractive but did seem to pay more attention to
reading the content of the page.
Task 1: Determine whether there is any information available at getbevel.com that
explains what razor bumps are, how they happen, and whether they cause dislocation,
spotting or scarring. You want to learn details here, not just superficial information.
Top 2 Observations:
Summary for Both Testers:
Tester 1 Tester 2 Average
Average Satisfaction 2 3 2.5
Success Rate 100% 0% 50%

1. An observation I made was the confusion both testers had on what “Bevel
Code” was. After exploring the home page and its content Jefferson went on to
check each individual product page hoping that a description of the product
would give information on what razor bumps are. After he went through all the
products the only navigation tab left was “Bevel Code”. Not knowing what was
on the page, he quickly skimmed the title of the articles but did not find one he
thought would answer the task. Kori found “Bevel Code” via an internal link
and said she would not have checked the navigation’s “Bevel Code” because it
wasn’t clear what it was.
2. While completing task one another observation I made was that both testers
assumed that “Dermatologist Approved” banner would have answers to the
tasks. Kori and Jefferson reasoned that a doctor would tell consumers the
science behind razor bumps and why they happen. When Jefferson clicked on
“Learn More” all he found was statistics on the products but no real
information on what problem they solve. Kori found videos on the page and
focused on a video labeled “Clinically Tested” about thirty seconds into the
video she realized it was no help. Both users left this page to continue
searching but it was interesting that two different testers with different
backgrounds both had the same thought.
Biggest Problem:
The biggest problem in this tasks was that the answers were buried under a large
amount of content, with no easy way for a first time visitor to find the right page. As
Jefferson could not complete the task and Kori took roughly fifteen minutes to find

any relevant information. Kori started this task by checking the “dermatologist
approved” banner link, after finding no text contacting what razor bumps are she
decided to watch the various videos on the page. Kori started to get frustrated after
spending several minutes watching these videos only to be shown how to use the
products and consumer testimonies. As she went to the bottom of this page she found a
section labeled “Get Advice” where she followed the article link titled “Get Treated:
The Ingrown Hair Dilemma”. From here she realized it took her to the “Bevel Code”
page and after skimming the selected article she clicked on “Bevel Code” in the
navigation bar. Kori spent about five minutes skimming through the articles on “Bevel
Code” looking for any title that could help her solve task one. However she did not
find any. When getting to bottom of the page Kori noticed a small link for “FAQ” in
the footer, out of ideas she clicked on the link. Her frustration was relieved when she
landed on the page and noticed the search bar. She was able to search “why do I get
razor burns” and found the information she wanted. Kori went on to voice her
frustration saying “if razor bumps are such a big deal then why is it so hard to find out
what they are!” Kori’s frustration and Jefferson inability to find any relevant
information is why Bevel’s biggest problem on task one is to make this information
more accessible.
Alignment to Heuristic: Consistency and Standards
The goal of Consistency and Standards is to make users think the site makes
senses and has a feeling of familiarity. Users should not have to wonder whether
different words or actions mean the same thing. In this tasks case Kori tried to follow
her normal route when searching for information online. However due the sites set up

and inconsistency, Kori had a hard time finding and relevant information on tabs that
normal would have key information.
Task 2: Determine if Bevel has any skin-care products available that address razor
bumps and skin spots. What are the products and how much do they cost?
Top 2 Observations:
1. After struggling to complete the first task Jefferson started relying heavily on the
navigation bar to complete his tasks. While in tasks two looking for skin products,
this tactic worked nicely for him. As he found products under the “skin” page that
would address razor bumps and spotting. The product Jefferson ending up
choosing after reading the description of the other three products on the page was
the “Spot Corrector” listed at $15.95.
2. Jefferson was able to find the product to complete the task very quickly, however
even after reading the description and ingredients he did not understand the
difference it would make. He liked that on the shave page there were before and
after photos showing consumers improved skin. A similar graphic on the product
description or reviews would have assured Jefferson even more that he had the
right product for his needs.
Biggest Problem:
The biggest problem on task two was the help button on the lower left hand
corner of each page. This button caused Kori frustration, after completing task one Kori

went back to the home page because she did not know how the pages she finished on
worked. From the home page she noticed the “Help” button. Using that she typed in
“razor bumps and skin products”. The help bar gave her various information about how
Bevel products work but no results with links to purchase products. Kori spent about
three minutes looking through all the information until she got irritated and tried a new
method. From there Kori went to “All Products” under the assumption the products
mentioned in the “help” section would be located there. Kori found the “Shave Kit” listed
at $89.95 which included shaving cream and restoring balm, two products she believed
would help irritation and skin post shave. Kori’s extended time and frustration on this
tasks distracted her from think about the navigation bar or the “skin” tab.
Alignment to Heuristic: Help and Documentation
The goal of help and documentation is give the users help when needed. Though
it is better if the system can be used without document, it may be necessary to provide
help and documentation. This applies to task two because of Kori’s experience with the
help bar. Even though there is documentation there, the answers given to Kori’s result did
not lend any help to solve the problem. The results added more content for Kori to read
and ultimately led her farther away from skin products. Cleaner document and more
relevant information in the help section would provide more assistance to users.
Task 3: Determine whether is a subscription available for those skin products related to
razor bumps and spotting.

Top 2 Observations:
1. While testing a few pricing inconsistencies were discovered. Kori looked at the
“most popular” option under “subscriptions” and was concerned that if she bought
the quarterly subscription she was going to be roped into keeping the subscription
throughout each quarter. Kori quickly started to question cancelation and refunds
and realized she could cancel after completing any quarterly payment. Her
thought was if she “Shave Kit” was listed as $89.95 under the “All Products” tab,
wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy the first quarter and get the same products for
$59.95 in the “starter kit”.
2. Jefferson had a hard time confirming whether or not that the products in the
subscription were the best for spotting or scarring. While looking at the products
he determined that for razor bumps he knew he had what he needed. However for
spotting he kept looking at the different plans looking for more skin based
products such as the “spot corrector”.
Biggest Problem:
The biggest problem in task three was product descriptions within Bevel’s
subscription services. Jefferson was able to complete the tasks by going the “shave”
page and finding the subscription offers under the “get first shipment” banner. He
compared the three subscription offers. However, he could not come to a conclusion on
what product would be best for a gift because he was unaware of what the products
contained in the shipment are used for. Jefferson remembered from previous tasks there
were product descriptions on the “All Products” page. Jefferson left the subscription
services to go learn more about the products and what all is included in the

subscriptions. With six products in each subscription the informational look up added
about five minutes to Jefferson’s time. Jefferson had to go back through the “shave” and
“get first shipment” links to return to the subscription offers. The lack of product
descriptions available could have caused Jefferson to leave a possible purchase and
forced him to spend more time digging around the site looking for information.
Alignment to Heuristic: Recognition rather than recall
The goal of recognition rather than recall is to give users the sense that they know
what to do when going to a page. Pages should minimize the user’s memory load by
making actions and options visible. The user should not have to remember information
and instructions should be visible or easily accessible. Tis heuristic aligns with task three
because Jefferson was not able to recall the product information. There was no easy way
for Jefferson to find out what each product does within the subscription without going to
its original source.
Task 4: You’ve decided you want to give your friend a one-year subscription to Bevel’s
Replenishment Subscription. Determine how much that will cost. Determine how often products
will be shipped and what’s included with each shipment.
Top 2 Observations:
1. After making a claim of the “most advanced trimmer on the planet” Kori was
puzzled on why there were no subscription options that would include “The Bevel
Trimmer”. With only starter kits, Kori wanted to know more about repetitive
Average Satisfaction 5 5 5

users and if they continued with same basic subscription or if there were more
advanced option for the more experienced user.
2. After becoming experienced with the site Jefferson started to remember small
details that allowed him to feel like he made the best purchase decision. While
picking subscriptions he remembered that the “safety razor” just by itself cost
$49.95. He reasoned that being able to get a starter kit at a not much higher price
than the razor alone then the purchase was a good deal and was satisfied with his
subscription decision.
Biggest Problem:
The biggest problem in task four was the savings breakdown. While comparing
options Kori could clearly tell that each option, monthly, quarterly, and yearly all had a
larger savings amount being $0, $120, and $160 respectively. Kori reiterated that she
looks for exact numbers and where exactly she is saving money. Kori searched the
“subscription” page but could not find any information on where the savings were
coming from. Kori decided to go into one of the options and see if that would give any
insight. Kori selected the yearly plan and clicked the button labeled “choose”. At first
glance Kori noticed the images of the products on the left side of the screen. She then
looked at the schedule of deliveries and what comes included in the packages. The last
thing she noticed in small print on the right side of the option to remove the product from
her cart. Which is where the “promotion (Annual Discount)” is listed. Kori was weary
about the wording “promotion” as in her experience online shopping promotions are a
limited time. Without this promotion the annual subscription would cost $359.40

compared to just $200. At such a high price Kori was hesitant to purchase any renewing
charge in case the price increased without her knowledge.
Alignment to Heuristic: Visibility of System Status
The goal of visibility of system status is to let users know what it going on. The site
should always keep users informed about what is happening through appropriate
feedback. This aligns with task four because Bevel failed to give outlines of the
promotions until after the product was in the user’s cart. In Kori’s case having that
breakdown of cost would have been an important part of choosing what subscription to
order.
Recommendations to improve user experience:
Single Problem Being Fixed: Task One: Users can’t find consistent information
Problem Improvement:

After:
While conducting task one I learned that users don’t know what Bevel Code is
and when searching for information they typically start with what product it may be
under. This is why I decided to re-structure the product pages and rebrand “Bevel Code”
Rebrand
Bevel
Code
Added,
relevant
Article
Organized,
products
to one line
Added,
products
overview
Help

to give it a more appreciate label. The change from “Bevel Code” to “Recent Articles” is
to give users a clear outline on what content can be found on that page. Eliminating the
phrase Bevel Code will lower any immediate confusion when visiting the site. The large
visual below the navigation is set to be a relevant article pulled from the “Recent
Articles” page. This will provoke more insight on Bevel and the product that it represents
on its relative pages. For example in the wireframe above this article will focus on Hair.
This would give users the correct information they are looking for especially when their
first instinct to look for information under the respected products page. The product
description added underneath the visual is to maintain a sense of consistency throughout
the site. Currently only the “All Products” page has descriptions of each category of
product. While conducting task one Kori got noticeable irritated because of this
inconsistency, these fixes will allow users have a better sense of familiarity on each page
they visit. Based on the two testers this layout would make searching through
getbevel.com for product information more efficient and user friendly.

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