As a group, we decided to look at other websites and applications which are direct competitors and indirect competitors to our product. Due to our product area not being explored we have covered a range of options which are related to healthcare and not - this will allow us to understand elements from other products (which people in our target audience may also use) which could be taken forward into developing our application, allowing elements of familiarity to be maintained across different platforms.
The NHS website is designed well, with simple and easy to follow navigation. It is usable for all ages that would require access to this website and is good to find information with the A-Z tab and search function offering information. The website is well organised and has five tabs which are relevant and useful with the two main sections on home page giving quick access to conditions guide and medication guide. It's main strengths would be the structure and easy access to information along with the clean design. For the public's main healthcare provider this website is very appropriately designed and laid out.
On the NHS website, I have only picked up on small issues on the home page. The references to useful apps is split into two separate locations. Along with this, areas I personally would deem higher priority than others such as 'NHS Services' being above information about the NHS App. This is a personal preference and could differ from person to person. Home page content could be shortened or restructured to be laid out side by side to reduce the scroll.
The health service content is based off informative information to allow patients to look up symptoms, medication advice and other information. The most prominent piece of information on the home page is the large yellow banner for Covid-19, this information is so important at the moment so people can easily access content on symptoms and therefore reduce chance of transmission. Tests are also able to be booked online in this area.
The design of this website is clean and simple. Using the simple colour palette of blue with contrasting colours of blue and green keeps the website easy to follow and not distracting from the task. The contrast colours show areas of significance and with the logo placed in the top left it is a focus point - adding trust into the entire site. The use of the speech bubble adds a personal touch and can fill users with hope that they will find what they are looking for. Throughout the whole website consistent typography is used with a good information hierarchy in place with different weights, colours and sizes of type used for contrast.
The UX is exactly how it should be for a healthcare website, users don't want to spend hours looking for symptoms so the layout and structure make this website good at what it is made for. I wouldn't think it is a positive experience for anyone but it is an easy and simple experience to get to the end point. Everything on the website is clearly displayed and is easily accessible with the categorisation used by contrast colours. With the amount of information on the website it is well organised and allows users to flow through the website with ease.
Opportunities for importance include restructuring the information layout on the home page to reduce scroll on the page and therefore reduce the time users spend looking for information. They could also add more personal touches such as the speech bubble to reinforce the caring nature of the service. This is something I could take forward into our product, adding a personal touch to maintain the theme of human interaction.
Spotify is a great example of good design, it is simple to use and navigate. For the target audience it is easily usable and uses imagery and titles to break up each section. It allows users to browse music easily while controlling what they are currently listening to, with a side menu to access saved or recently played music. The menu at the top of the page allows for the users to filter music they are browsing and the search bar allows for music to be easily found. It is well organised and is easy to understand how to browse, play and save music. It's main strengths would be the structure and ease to move through the application - it has one job and it does it very well.