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Case study
How we validated the consolidation of CSIRO’s four distinct blogs — CSIROscope (Science), Algorithm (Data & AI), ECOS (Sustainability), and Resourceful (Mineral Resources) — into a single accessible "News" section and uncovered new opportunities for engagement.
Research & Project Lead
Desktop, tablet and mobile
January 2023 - February 2023
Compared the prototype with the staging site highlighting key differences.
Participants were recruited based on existing personas representing CSIRO’s target audience.
Moderated usability testing was conducted to observe user interactions and gather qualitative feedback.
We asked additional questions during usability testing to uncover user motivations and content discovery preferences.
Quantitative research identified trends in content discovery preferences to inform design improvements.
We provided strategic and tactical recommendations based on our findings to enhance the user experience.
By incorporating screening questions like “What motivates you to read science-related content?” we were able to gather preliminary qualitative data during recruitment, shaping our understanding of content discovery preferences from the start. Participants meeting 80% of our persona criteria were included in our report, offering valuable user behavior insights for our client.
Questions in our usability testing research plan about user motivations and content discovery addressed client assumptions regarding content exploration and preferred reading level. These questions revealed deeper insights, such as users leveraging CSIRO’s brand to build their professional reputation and experts exploring content to stay at the forefront of their field.
The expanded research deepened our findings, providing CSIRO with not only recommendations for site improvements but also long-term strategic insights to enhance user engagement and content relevance.
The study uncovered key opportunities for CSIRO, including positioning as a preferred resource, engaging users with targeted newsletters, and leveraging FOMO-based content to drive traffic and boost engagement.
CSIRO engaged our team to validate the consolidation of their four distinct blogs—CSIROscope (Science), Algorithm (Data, Digital & AI), ECOS (Sustainability), and Resourceful (Mineral Resources)—into a unified, user-friendly "News" section.
After a prototype confirmed user interest in a single destination for CSIRO content, we conducted a second round of usability testing on the staging site to assess the implementation. This phase focused on validating content discoverability, engagement, and relevance while uncovering deeper user behaviors and preferences to ensure an improved user experience.
With various content owners representing different blog channels, we needed to balance distinct preferences and maintain audience relevance.
Validating users' understanding of the new blog section to ensure it delivered a relevant experience. The goal was to make content both easy to access and to encourage site exploration.
The biggest question was whether users would explore across different scientific fields in a single news section without losing interest.
To validate the new structure, we implemented a combination of qualitative usability testing on the staging site and a broader quantitative research approach during recruitment to gain deeper insights into how users engage with the content.
We conducted usability testing to evaluate whether the consolidated content was easily discoverable on the staging site.
We used pre-screening questions during participant recruitment to understand content discovery behaviors (e.g., "What motivates you to read science-related content?") and included this quantitative data in our strategic report.
We expanded research questions to identify deeper user motivations, such as why professionals and researchers engage with CSIRO’s content beyond usability.
We made strategic recommendations for further engagement tactics, like a newsletter and exclusive content to increase regular traffic, along with tactical recommendations to update on the site.
Aligning different blog owners with unique priorities presented challenges. Through careful negotiations, we balanced their needs while keeping user experience at the core.
Traditional usability tests wouldn’t have captured the deeper engagement of CSIRO’s users. Expanding the research helped uncover critical insights about content motivation and exploration behaviors.
We learned that understanding how users leverage CSIRO’s credibility in their professional contexts was just as crucial as usability alone.
Intermittent client availability caused delays, requiring us to adapt timelines and manage expectations. This impacted resource allocation, forcing us to juggle multiple projects while meeting a fixed go-live date, creating last-minute pressure for both teams. Clearer expectations on response times and built-in buffer periods will help mitigate these challenges in future projects.
Created a structured timeline in Asana to manage tasks, milestones, and deadlines effectively.
Reviewed Phase 1 research and personas to align with existing insights and refine our approach.
Recruited participants based on personas, incorporating screening questions to gather quantitative data.
Conducted moderated usability testing to assess the new design’s effectiveness and uncover user challenges and included additional questions to gather deeper insights.
Analyzed and synthesized findings in Miro to identify patterns and key usability insights.
Proposed design adjustments based on usability findings to enhance content discoverability and engagement.
Presented research findings and recommendations to the client, ensuring alignment on next steps.
The case study led to valuable insights for CSIRO that extended beyond the immediate project. We were able to inform their long-term content strategy and help them position themselves as a leading knowledge source.
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