# Conducting a UX audit **URL:** \ **Category:** Design proposals\ **Created:** [August 5, 2024, 11:53am UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694 "2024-08-05T11:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asengupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asengupta](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/asengupta)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 11:53am UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/1 "2024-08-05T11:53:55Z")
Hi everyone, I'm interested in conducting a UX audit on OpenRefine. I'd propose: - Structuring it around a set of heuristics (e.g. [NNG's usability heuristics](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/)) - Ranking issues from minor to critical - Triangulating findings with existing issues and priorities to propose solutions Since there are many user flows in OpenRefine, I think it would make the most sense to focus on one specific area to start (e.g. install, project setup, facets, etc) and move on from there. I'd be curious to hear from community members if this project idea resonates and hear suggestions for initial areas of focus! For context: I'm a UX designer and have worked on a couple open-source projects in the past few years. I'm relatively new to OpenRefine, so I'm coming in with fresh eyes. ---
**Author:** ![thadguidry](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/thadguidry/32/653_2.png) [@thadguidry](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/thadguidry)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/2 "2024-08-05T12:36:11Z")
Hi @asengupta and welcome! There's 100's of areas actually. And each one needs love more than ever. We've had discussions on various improvement areas and you've likely seen the other posts in the #Development & Design and posts tagged with #design-chat. Honestly, this kind of topic is best done in a collaborative meeting(s) so I'd suggest to coordinate a scheduled collaborative meeting with interested parties. We often use [https://meet.jit.si](https://meet.jit.si) As far as picking a time or scheduling a meeting, I created a new event for this to narrow down a date and time the community could agree on and where I've marked my availability over the next month or so [OpenRefine UX Audit - When2meet](https://www.when2meet.com/?25809399-GAqbn) But maybe @Martin knows of other planners. I'd love to join and help where I could. ---
**Author:** ![Martin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/martin/32/7_2.png) [@Martin](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/Martin)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/3 "2024-08-05T20:27:17Z")
Over the past few months, we have conducted extensive community outreach and documented user feedback. I have listed two potential projects below and included links to some of the most recent results from community feedback. As Thad mentioned, depending on your interest and time availability, there could be hundreds of areas to work on. Reviewing those reports may help you identify interesting topics to work on. Let us know what picked your interest. **1. Ease new user onboarding** We are aware that OpenRefine has a steep learning curve. How can we make it more accessible? This was in the top request of our last two large outreach: - A better UX (3 requests), which makes it easier for newcomers to use OpenRefine (3 requests). [OpenRefine's 2022 user survey: the results are in! | OpenRefine](https://openrefine.org/blog/2022/06/28/2022-survey-results) - Make OpenRefine easier to learn and get started with: better or easier UX / interface. ([Results of two user surveys for Wikimedia Commons users of OpenRefine](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/results-of-two-user-surveys-for-wikimedia-commons-users-of-openrefine/1111#results-of-the-voting-process-11)) This work may be done by following one of the existing [online courses](https://openrefine.org/external_resources), and identifying what makes user onboarding hard. On a similar topic, from [User Interviews Results Part 2: Exploring Feedback Regarding OpenRefine Feature and User Experience](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/user-interviews-results-part-2-exploring-feedback-regarding-openrefine-feature-and-user-experience/1181), "Four users mentioned that the current menu management is hard to navigate" (see the related section in the linked post). **2. Working with GIS data** At our recent Barcamp, we discussed working with GIS data. Analyzing how OpenRefine interacts with GIS data can help guide our future support for this data type. - [https://barcamps.eu/openrefine-2024-barcamp/sessions](https://barcamps.eu/openrefine-2024-barcamp/sessions) (see session proposal mentioning GIS) - [OpenRefine 2024 Barcamp: If only OpenRefine could be more like](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/openrefine-2024-barcamp-if-only-openrefine-could-be-more-like/1626#qgis-3) - [Teaching the use of OpenRefine with GIS data](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/teaching-the-use-of-openrefine-with-gis-data/1596) ---
**Author:** ![asengupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asengupta](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/asengupta)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2024, 1:07pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/4 "2024-08-06T13:07:29Z")
Thank you for the input, @thadguidry and @Martin! @Martin I looked into the reports you linked - very helpful! I think focusing on ease of new user onboarding is a good place for me to start, especially given my level of familiarity with the tool. I can cover installation, in-app initial onboarding, and online documentation in the analysis. @thadguidry A community meeting on the topic sounds great! I input my availability on the when2meet. Looking forward to discussing with whoever would like to join 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![asengupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asengupta](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/asengupta)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2024, 10:49am UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/5 "2024-08-13T10:49:12Z")
@thadguidry Looks like just the two of us have input availability in the When2meet! Based on our input, I'd suggest a meeting this Friday, 16 August, at 11am CEST to chat about the UX audit. I made a Jitsi link for the call: [Jitsi Meet](https://meet.jit.si/moderated/07af69e04f7f2c4b97660787f1fe95969604a05b894394c72647b58f4b3e1cd4) Open to other time suggestions and places to cross-post this for more visibility! ---
**Author:** ![thadguidry](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/thadguidry/32/653_2.png) [@thadguidry](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/thadguidry)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2024, 11:58pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/6 "2024-08-15T23:58:19Z")
I'll be on the meeting today at 2024-08-16T09:00:00Z→2024-08-16T10:00:00Z > **[Jitsi Meet](https://meet.jit.si/moderated/07af69e04f7f2c4b97660787f1fe95969604a05b894394c72647b58f4b3e1cd4)** > > Join a WebRTC video conference powered by the Jitsi Videobridge ---
**Author:** ![thadguidry](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/thadguidry/32/653_2.png) [@thadguidry](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/thadguidry)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 9:45am UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/7 "2024-08-16T09:45:32Z")
@asengupta if you are still around I am online ---
**Author:** ![thadguidry](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/thadguidry/32/653_2.png) [@thadguidry](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/thadguidry)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2024, 11:21am UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/8 "2024-08-17T11:21:11Z")
Had a great call with @asengupta ! I was very impressed with her background in UX and fostering better user interactions. I really liked her approach where she began to document and show areas of user interaction categories which will eventually map into OpenRefine feature areas. I told her that I really liked the decoupled approach and her mindset and encouraged her to continue the research and eventually have more meetings with the community and groups of users. In addition, I encouraged her to coordinate with @lozanaross and others on overlapping concerns of the UI/UX. She has a deep background in these areas and has supported KDE among other projects and was initially introduced to us from @antonin_d where they met at FOSDEM. Let's support her continued research and design considerations with the community as things progress. ---
**Author:** ![asengupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asengupta](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/asengupta)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/9 "2024-08-19T14:44:20Z")
Thank you for the kind introduction and guidance @thadguidry! I'm looking forward to continuing the research, getting to know more of the community, and contributing to the project ---
**Author:** ![asengupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asengupta](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/asengupta)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 6:21pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/10 "2024-09-06T18:21:04Z")
Hi everyone, I wanted to share my first steps on this project. I started an analysis of the installation flow, since it's the first flow users go through and small enough to get a sense of whether this type of analysis is a good approach before moving forward to more complex flows. My work can be found in this file: [OpenRefine Heuristic Analysis](https://www.figma.com/board/ySwg52nUCbZArlsDwKAKw0/OpenRefine-Heuristic-Analysis?node-id=0-1&node-type=CANVAS&t=9xKxz3Q4MnI2KnaK-0). It has two screens; more can be added if/when we continue the analysis on different flows: - [Heuristics Matrix Template](https://www.figma.com/board/ySwg52nUCbZArlsDwKAKw0/OpenRefine-Heuristic-Analysis?node-id=1-14&t=9xKxz3Q4MnI2KnaK-1): the starting point for the analysis. It's organized by heuristic (rows) and issue severity (columns). - [Heuristics Matrix: Installation](https://www.figma.com/board/ySwg52nUCbZArlsDwKAKw0/OpenRefine-Heuristic-Analysis?node-id=1-195&t=9xKxz3Q4MnI2KnaK-1): my analysis for the installation flow. One sticky per issue, color-coded by location (e.g. website, documentation, operating system, application), grouped by severity. I've also included possible solutions, which I'd love to discuss with the community, and linked open GitHub issues where I could find them. A quick summary of the findings: the biggest issue I found was the need to circumvent security warnings to open the app, which I know is a known issue. This could be improved by fixing developer certificates or, barring that, improving guidance on security circumvention on the website and in the documentation. I also found a handful of ways the installation guidance on the website and in the documentation could be improved. Full details are on the stickies. I think it'd be great to discuss the findings on a call with whoever is interested, then make GitHub issues based on community consensus. Here's a when2meet for scheduling: [OpenRefine UX Audit: Installation Flow - When2meet](https://www.when2meet.com/?26317278-yAhGW) Tangentially, for my own clarity, I documented the installation flow I followed here: [OpenRefine User Flows: Installation Flow (Mac)](https://www.figma.com/board/UvWNdZ5c4RvzxZioJ8YFXe/OpenRefine-User-Flows?node-id=2-2040&t=uWYkkRuvU1ZQG65r-1). After I mentioned this to @Martin, we talked about how flow documentation itself might be a worthwhile project, as it could support UX and development workflows and, possibly, be used as a resource for end users. It would be interesting to hear others' thoughts on this! ---
**Author:** ![antonin\_d](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/antonin_d/32/32_2.png) [@antonin\_d](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/antonin_d)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:09am UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/11 "2024-09-10T10:09:11Z")
Hi @asengupta, This is fantastic work! Thank you so much! I think by choosing to investigate the install process you made a great pick. It's something we often forget the importance of. Your findings are a great reminder of the urgency of signing apps. A few days ago I have reminded CS&S of the current issue with Apple signing. We have never signed the Windows distribution so far but we're likely not very far from that, we'd mostly need to buy a certificate. Your suggestions to improve the "Thank you" page are also really great - you're right that it feels like a great opportunity to give missing info. I hadn't thought of using this page for that! I have filled the poll with some availability. ---
**Author:** ![Martin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/martin/32/7_2.png) [@Martin](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/Martin)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2024, 7:41pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/12 "2024-09-11T19:41:48Z")
@asengupta Thank you for sharing your progress! I created the following two issues regarding the post-download page and the Getting Started documentation page. We can edit them later on. > > > This issue follows the Heuristic Analysis done by \[asengupta\](https://forum.open…refine.org/u/asengupta) on \[the forum\](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/10?u=martin) > > The proposition is to update the next step on the post-download thank you page for \[linux\](https://openrefine.org/post\_download?version=3.8.2&platform=linux), \[maxOs\](https://openrefine.org/post\_download?version=3.8.2&platform=mac) and \[windows with java\](https://openrefine.org/post\_download?version=3.8.2&platform=win-with-java) to > \* add a link to the documentation and relevant tutorials > \* make the instructions for the installation process more granular with numbered steps or screenshots. See the \[macOs installation heuristic\](https://www.figma.com/board/UvWNdZ5c4RvzxZioJ8YFXe/OpenRefine-User-Flows?node-id=2-2040&node-type=section) and process to circumvent macOS security warning. Those can be linked to specific documentation pages. > \* remove the mention of the financial donation. It does not make sense to ask for financial support to first time user > \* Reframe the community with an emphasis on support > > > This issue follows the Heuristic Analysis done by \[asengupta\](https://forum.open…refine.org/u/asengupta) on \[the forum\](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/10?u=martin) > > Create a getting started page in the documentation that we can easily reference. That page will contain the same information as the updated post-download page (see #371) and can be used by trainers or support personnel as an entry point for new users. > > > This issue follows the Heuristic Analysis done by \[asengupta\](https://forum.open…refine.org/u/asengupta) on \[the forum\](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/10?u=martin) > > The call-out warning on https://openrefine.org/docs/manual/installing can make the process feel high stake or intimidating. > > Possible Solution > \* integrate call-out warnings with the text > \* Use neutral language to not scare the user > \* Use consistent pattern for warning > \* type of content that's body content vs warning > \* language templates > \* consistent styles (font size, weight, case, icon, color) We also have this conversation regarding [Open source onboarding libraries](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/open-source-onboarding-libraries/1124) I indicated some time to chat next week that have the most overall with @thadguidry and @antonin_d ---
**Author:** ![asengupta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asengupta](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/asengupta)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 5:01pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/13 "2024-09-12T17:01:40Z")
Great! Looks like the four of us are all available 2024-09-16T12:30:00Z, so let's do the call then. Here's the link for the call: [https://meet.jit.si/moderated/31f5f04e5a745f7148d4415340315b3fa3c99c3b29a0c21eee59aa0111a0d826](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://meet.jit.si/moderated/31f5f04e5a745f7148d4415340315b3fa3c99c3b29a0c21eee59aa0111a0d826&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3ifg8npXvcX8i9bzcxuMzz) ---
**Author:** ![thadguidry](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.openrefine.org/thadguidry/32/653_2.png) [@thadguidry](https://forum.openrefine.org/u/thadguidry)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://forum.openrefine.org/t/conducting-a-ux-audit/1694/14 "2024-09-12T23:20:22Z")
Here's the Google Calendar link: > **[Invitation via Google Calendar](https://calendar.app.google/6PBSUVDnJuqZWJ2aA)**