Google Calendars Usability Research and Findings
This UX project on Google Calendar was conducted for educational purposes as part of a school assignment and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.
Problem Overview
Google Calendar is a widely used online calendar service that helps users organize their schedules, events, and tasks. While it offers numerous benefits, such as ease of use, accessibility across devices, and integration with other Google services, it also faces several challenges and limitations.
I chose the following features and looked to test them for the stated reasons:
1. Managing Multiple Calendars
2. Using the Task Feature
3. Navigating Between Calendar Views
4. Editing Events
5. Customizing Event Reminders
1. Managing Multiple Calendars
2. Using the Task Feature
3. Navigating Between Calendar Views
4. Editing Events
5. Customizing Event Reminders
Research Goals
Our main goal in usability testing is to assess the simplicity and user-friendliness of Google Calendar's basic functions, ensuring tasks can be completed efficiently. To achieve this, specific touch points were established when creating tasks for users to test.
1. Task Efficiency
Evaluate how quickly and efficiently users can complete simple tasks, such as creating an event.
Evaluate how quickly and efficiently users can complete simple tasks, such as creating an event.
2. Learnability
Assess how easily new users can understand and start using the basic features of Google Calendar without prior training or instruction, such as the new feature, Tasks.
3. Feature Awareness
Identify which features of Google Calendar are most commonly used and assess users' awareness of lesser-known features.
4. User Preferences
Gather feedback on users' preferences, needs, and pain points related to calendar management, which can inform future product enhancements.
5. Error Rate
Determine the frequency and types of errors users encounter while using Google Calendar and identify areas for improvement.
Assess how easily new users can understand and start using the basic features of Google Calendar without prior training or instruction, such as the new feature, Tasks.
3. Feature Awareness
Identify which features of Google Calendar are most commonly used and assess users' awareness of lesser-known features.
4. User Preferences
Gather feedback on users' preferences, needs, and pain points related to calendar management, which can inform future product enhancements.
5. Error Rate
Determine the frequency and types of errors users encounter while using Google Calendar and identify areas for improvement.
Assigned Tasks
The following tasks were assigned to the 3 participants in the research study.
Tasks That Did Not Result in Straightforward Success
TASK 2
Editing an Event
You realize that the team meeting scheduled for Monday needs to be moved to Tuesday at the same time. Please edit the event to reflect this change.
You realize that the team meeting scheduled for Monday needs to be moved to Tuesday at the same time. Please edit the event to reflect this change.
TASK 4
Changing Notification Reminder Settings
You'd like to adjust the default notification settings for your meetings. Change the reminder settings to notify you 1 hour before the meeting we created.
You'd like to adjust the default notification settings for your meetings. Change the reminder settings to notify you 1 hour before the meeting we created.
TASK 7
Viewing a Task After Creation
You want to see all your tasks in one place. Change the view to display your tasks in checklist form.
You want to see all your tasks in one place. Change the view to display your tasks in checklist form.
Resulting Changes
1. Most participants change task dates inefficiently
Many users aren’t aware you can simply click and drag to change the date of an event.
Many users aren’t aware you can simply click and drag to change the date of an event.
Current State
The hover state contrast is not strong, and the cursor does not indicate to the user that they can move the item.
The hover state contrast is not strong, and the cursor does not indicate to the user that they can move the item.
Proposed Design Solve
Improve hover state contrast and update the cursor to indicate that items can be moved. Add a tooltip or visual cue to highlight the drag-and-drop functionality.
Improve hover state contrast and update the cursor to indicate that items can be moved. Add a tooltip or visual cue to highlight the drag-and-drop functionality.
2. There is no ability to customize the default notification settings
Users cannot change default notification settings for all events, restricting global notification customization.
Users cannot change default notification settings for all events, restricting global notification customization.
Current State
There is no option to personalize default notification settings when creating events; notifications are off by default for new meetings.
There is no option to personalize default notification settings when creating events; notifications are off by default for new meetings.
Proposed Design Solve
Add a feature in the settings to configure default notification preferences for all new events, such as setting a default reminder time (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour before the event). This would allow users to specify their preferred reminder time once, so that it is automatically applied to every new event without needing to adjust it manually each time.
Add a feature in the settings to configure default notification preferences for all new events, such as setting a default reminder time (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour before the event). This would allow users to specify their preferred reminder time once, so that it is automatically applied to every new event without needing to adjust it manually each time.
3. Limited awareness and inability to create new task lists
Users clicked the list icon expecting it to show tasks in list format, but it is non-functional. Users also cannot categorize tasks into new lists from the calendar page; this can only be done from the Tasks homepage.
Users clicked the list icon expecting it to show tasks in list format, but it is non-functional. Users also cannot categorize tasks into new lists from the calendar page; this can only be done from the Tasks homepage.
Current State (Issue 1)
The list icon, which is meant to help with task organization, is visible but does not link to the task list page. Users expect this icon to navigate them to the task lists, but it currently lacks this functionality.
Accompanying image is from Participant 1’s screen during the usability test. They attempted to click the icon to navigate to the Tasks page.
The list icon, which is meant to help with task organization, is visible but does not link to the task list page. Users expect this icon to navigate them to the task lists, but it currently lacks this functionality.
Accompanying image is from Participant 1’s screen during the usability test. They attempted to click the icon to navigate to the Tasks page.
Current State (Issue 2)
Users cannot categorize a task into a new list while editing it directly from the calendar page. To organize a task into a new list, users must first navigate away from the calendar page to the Tasks homepage, where the list creation and categorization options are available. This process requires additional steps and disrupts the workflow, leading to inefficiencies and user frustration.
Users cannot categorize a task into a new list while editing it directly from the calendar page. To organize a task into a new list, users must first navigate away from the calendar page to the Tasks homepage, where the list creation and categorization options are available. This process requires additional steps and disrupts the workflow, leading to inefficiencies and user frustration.
Proposed Design Solve
Make the "list" icon clickable and implement a drop-down menu that allows users to create new lists and view existing items while creating a task. This feature should be accessible from both the calendar page and the task creation settings, streamlining task organization and reducing extra steps.
Make the "list" icon clickable and implement a drop-down menu that allows users to create new lists and view existing items while creating a task. This feature should be accessible from both the calendar page and the task creation settings, streamlining task organization and reducing extra steps.
