User Experience Improvements getbevel.com

1. Perry Randle III
Usability Test for getbevel.com
TestPreparation
In order for me to know whether my participants could complete the tasks, it is important
to try to complete the tasks myself. This also helps me understand how difficult the tasks are to
complete. I wanted to try to complete the tasks as if I were actually using the website to shop for
a friend or myself. I sat on my couch and only had my phone next to me. Other than that, there
were no other possible distractions. I also like to shop late at night so I made sure to attempt
these tasks before I went to bed. The only light I have on is the one on my laptop or whenever
my phone gets a notification. I use my home Wi-Fi that is connected through Suddenlink. I have
the fastest internet speed package to avoid any connection issues for my electronics. However,
Suddenlink still tends to have connection issues sometimes. I also use the Google Chrome
browser and do not have any plug-ins connected to the browser.
My initial thoughts on the website is that it looks very organized and has a design that
will catch the eye of anyone from today’s society. The first thing I saw was a pop-up promotion
for 10% if I signed up for an account with Bevel. Although I declined, that usually entices me to
want to buy something from the website before the promotion expires. After I closed the pop-up,
I noticed how visually appealing the website was and the amount of information that was
available on the homepage. I also get the sense that this could be an up and coming product since
the homepage advertises that Bevel’s products are sold at Amazon and Target.

2. The scenario is familiar to me since I am an African-American male that has experienced
troubles with ingrown hairs. The product that is most popular among my community is Tend
Skin. Tend Skin is a liquid solution that is applied to the bumps to reduce them. Bevel’s products
could change the game if they actually work.
I completed the first task of finding out what a razor bumps are and how they happen in
under a minute. I found the “Help” button at the bottom right corner of the page and typed in
“What is a razor bump?”. I clicked the first result and found a similar answer to the description
from the WebMD. I also learned different methods of preventing razor bumps and ingrown hairs
from Bevel’s description.
I also completed the second task under a minute by clicking on the “All Products” tab at
the top of the homepage. I found the following products: face wash ($11.95), exfoliating toner
($13.95), moisturizing face gel ($13.95) and spot corrector ($15.95).
I was not able to complete the third task of finding out if there were subscriptions for the
skin products. I typed in “subscriptions” in the “Help” option and found that Bevel offers
quarterly subscriptions for a package that includes priming oil, shaving cream, restoring balm
and razor blades.
I completed the final task in three minutes by clicking on the “Offers” tab and then
clicked on the “Learn More” option on The Bevel Replenishment Program graphic. I scrolled
down and clicked on the “Get First Shipment” option to find out more information on what I was
purchasing. It listed a safety razor, shave brush, 60 blades, priming oil, shave cream and
restoring balm as the products included in the deal. The deal is for $200 and the subscription will

3. be shipped every quarter. It also mentions that I would be saving $160 with the yearly
subscription.
My final thoughts is that Bevel’s website is informative but can be difficult to find what
I’m looking for. I used the “Help” option often, which sped up my tasks. I was able to find all of
the products that Bevel offers easily. There were times were I click around the website to find
what I’m looking for and would get frustrated. I wish there was a “Subscriptions” tab to take me
straight to what I’m looking for if I’m going to be a long-term customer. Other than that, I was
comfortable with what I chose for my friend because of the information provided to me on
Bevel’s website.
Choosing Participants
Tester 1: Kari Harris
Kari Harris is a 22-year-old African American female that is currently a senior in college.
She has a job on campus and likes to shop online in-between classes. She is not too familiar with
ingrown hairs or razor bumps but hears her African American boyfriend mention them from time
to time. She says that she uses the internet for about eight hours every week according to her
iPhone. She believes that she splits her time 50/50 between social media and shopping on sites
like Amazon and Fashion Nova.

4. Environmentfor Tester 1
Location of test:
Kari likes to browse the internet on her couch in the living room. She likes this location
because she spends most of her time in her room when she is done with classes, so this allows
her to be ready to leave her house in a timely manner. She also likes to sit “crisscross-
applesauce” while she browses.
Physical environment:
She has two cats that roam the house throughout the day. She keeps all of the lights
turned off, as she likes to allow natural sunlight to fill the room. Her only distractions are when
her cats meow and when her phone gets a notification since both of her roommates are at class.
Technical Environment:
Kari’s Wi-Fi is connected through Century Link. She says that the service is terrible and
has to call in often to find out why her connection is so slow. She has the 400 mbps package. She
uses the school laptop that is provided to her, which is a HP laptop. She uses the “Google
Chrome” browser and has the “Pinterest” add-on.
Tester 2: Joel Bradley
Joel Bradley is a 55-year-old African American male that works at Ford Motor Company
and owns a lawn business. He rarely uses the internet and usually has to ask his children for
assistance when he is trying to figure something out. He has experienced razor bumps before, but
has a consistent routine to reduce them from affecting his appearance. His ballpark estimate of
how much time he spends on the internet is about two hours each week. He guessed that he

5. probably spent of 70% of his time on social media and 30% of time shopping. He mentioned that
he allows his wife to do most of his shopping for him.
Environmentfor Tester 2
Location of test:
Joel prefers to get online on at his kitchen table at home in-between jobs. He says that
this area is quiet and peaceful to him. He also enjoys lunch while browsing online. His wife is
usually at the gym around this time each day so he does not have to worry about her interrupting
him during this time. He mentions that if he was in his bedroom then he would fall asleep
because he would be too comfortable while laying down.
Physical environment:
All of the kitchen lights are turned on while Joel browses. He doesn’t like a lot noise
during this time so his phone getting a notification is the only possible distraction. He doesn’t
have any pets and his grandkids are at school. The only sound that can be heard is his neighbors
mowing their yards at this time.
Technical Environment:
He uses “Safari” as his browser on his MacBook laptop. His Wi-Fi is conncected through
Google Fiber at 25 mbps. He doesn’t have any add-ons on his computer and claims that he
doesn’t even know what those are. He also mentions that sometimes the pages load slow because
of how slow his internet package is.

6. TestResults
Initial Site Thoughts
Tester 1: Kari thought getbevel.com was organized and liked the simplicity of the website. She
scrolled past most of the information as she was more interested in the looks of the products and
the pictures. The before-and-after picture of the razor bumps disappearing after the use of
Bevel’s products impressed her. She also thought it was interesting that Bevel’s products are sold
at Amazon and Target since she shops at both places often.
Tester 2: Joel liked the “slick” design of getbevel.com and appreciated all of the information
that was shown on the homepage. He would stop to read each section of the page to learn more
about Bevel and the products that are offered. He also said it was “refreshing” to have shaving
products dedicated to black men because “a lot of people don’t understand their struggle”.
Similarities and Differences: Kari and Joel both liked the design of the getbevel.com. Both
thought the structure was up to date with what consumers want in the 21st century. A difference
that was observed is Kari paid more attention to the pictures and graphics, while Joel paid more
attention to the information on the homepage. It seems that they were both intrigued by the
products being advertised particularly to African American males
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 discoloration, spotting or scarring.
You want to learn details here, not superficial information.

7. Summary for Both Testers:
Tester 1 Tester 2 Average
Average Satisfaction 1 5 3
Success Rate 0% 100% 50%
Top 2 Observations
1) Testers were surprised that information on razor bumps were not included on the
homepage. They both some of the information would be included with the dermatologist section
of the homepage. They mostly saw information about results and who approved Bevel’s
products, but nothing about what razor bumps actually were.
2) Testers were unsure of how to get right to what they wanted without a “search” option.
They tried clicking on the “User” and “Cart” options in the top right corner, but to no avail. They
felt that “search” was a feature used on most websites, especially ones where people do their
shopping.
Biggest Problem

8. The biggest problem that both testers mentioned was that there was not any information
about razor bumps on the “Skin” tab of the website. Kari clicked through all eight options at the
top of Bevel’s website and still didn’t complete the task. Joel clicked the “Skin” option, didn’t
find what he wanted until he decided to use the “Help” option. Kari said she felt like she spent
more time with information that wasn’t necessary to what she was looking for. Joel said he
preferred that “razor bump” information be provided on the homepage or skin tab rather than
having to click around.
Alignment to Heuristic: The “Consistency & Standards” heuristic is most relevant to these test
results because the testers are familiar with having a “search” option on most site, but there was
not one available on getbevel.com. This heuristic means that users are familiar with the website
content and it makes sense to them. This task was more difficult to complete without the
“search” tool.
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?
Summary for Both Testers:
Tester 1 Tester 2 Average
Average Satisfaction 3 4 3.5
Success Rate 100% 100% 100%
Top 2 Observations
1) Testers were surprised that none of the products addressed “razor bumps”, instead only
addressed “ingrown hairs”. They both clicked each product to find out if it would help avoid

9. razor bumps specifically. Both testers got confused and wondered if the exfoliating toner would
help avoid razor bumps.
2) Testers were unsure if they were to order the product based off the descriptions Bevel
provided, would they be wasting their time and have to request a refund. All of the descriptions
are short, and left the testers with the same questions they started with.
Biggest Problem
Kari and Joel went straight to the “Skin” to find products to help avoid razor bumps and
spotting. The only product they found that they were confident in was the “Spot Corrector”. Kari
said she became frustrated because she wanted to know for sure what she was getting into if she
purchased a product. Joel said he would guess that the exfoliating toner would work for razor
bumps but couldn’t be sure because it only has four reviews.
Alignment to Heuristic: The “Help & Documentation” heuristic is most relevant to my test
results because the testers needed help on deciding which skin products with help prevent razor
bumps. This heuristic offers users help whenever they have a problem while using the website.
Neither of the testers were able to find a skin product that prevented razor bumps by reading the
descriptions and reviews.

10. Task 3: Determine whether there is a subscription available for those skin products related to
razor bumps and spotting.
Summary for Both Testers:
Tester 1 Tester 2 Average
Average Satisfaction 1 1 1
Success Rate 0% 0% 0%
Top 2 Observations
1) Testers were surprised that there were only subscriptions for shaving products. They
wanted to know why the other products were treated as such. Both testers clicked on all three
packages on the “Offers” tab but couldn’t find any skin products.
2) Testers were unsure if the shaving balm, priming oil and restoring balm did anything
to prevent razor bumps or spotting. Neither of testers did any more research into those products
included in the three packages.
Biggest Problem

11. The biggest problem the testers experienced was there weren’t any skin products listed on
the “Offers” tab. Kari said it frustrated her that the shave kits made her think skin products would
be included with the kit. Joel said he didn’t understand why he couldn’t find the answer to the
task in the “Offers” tab or while using the “Help” button. Both testers visited the “Skin” and the
“Offers” tab multiple times before deciding that there weren’t any skin product subscriptions.
Alignment to Heuristic: The “Flexibility & Ease of Use” heuristic is most relevant to these test
results because the testers struggled with finding the answer to the task. This heuristic means that
users are able to use “filter” and “sorting” tools to narrow down their results. If the testers had
this option then they may have been able to come to their conclusion sooner that there weren’t
any skin product subscriptions available to them.
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 product
will be shipped and what’s included with each shipment.
Summary for Both Testers:
Tester 1 Tester 2 Average
Average Satisfaction 5 5 5
Success Rate 100% 100% 100%
Top 2 Observations
1) Testers were surprised that they had to click “Learn More” under the “Offers” tab and
then click “Get First Shipment” to find out the answers to the task. They both said that the
amount of steps to find out their answers were unnecessary and could’ve been reduced.

12. 2) Testers were unsure of why the “Bevel Replenishment Program Subscription” wasn’t a
tab on it’s own because of the limited amount of products that Bevel offers. They thought that it
is possible for customers to find it difficult to complete what they thought was a simple task.
Biggest Problem
The biggest problem the testers had was that they wished that Bevel put the “Get First
Shipment” option where the “Learn More” option is under the Bevel Replenishment Program
description in the “Offers” tab. Kari said it confused her that she had to click numerous times to
find a simple answer. Joel said that after he clicked “Learn More” he thought he went back to the
homepage but the pages just looked similar.
Alignment to Heuristic: The “Aesthetic & Minimalist Design” is most relevant to these test
results because both testers wished the amount of steps that it took to complete the task were
shorter. The Aesthetic & Minimalist Design means that website looks good and works
beautifully. It also removes unnecessary elements. The testers did not believe that getbevel.com
followed this heuristic for this task.

13. Final Site Thoughts
Tester 1: Kari loved how the site looked but found it hard to navigate through the site to
complete the tasks. She became frustrated often and claimed that the site wasn’t what she is used
to. She said she is going to recommend the site to her boyfriend because maybe he may be able
to find the right products better than she did.
Tester 2: Joel appreciated the organization of the website but thought the navigation process
could’ve been better. He thought he kept seeing the same pages on the site but realized that was
just the design. He is excited that a company finally caters to his demographic and can’t to see
how successful Bevel will become.
Similarities & Differences: Both testers struggled with navigating through the website to
complete the task. They also thought that the product descriptions could be more elaborate. Kari
said that the site is too hard to use and the products don’t apply to her so she probably won’t visit
getbevel.com again. Joel said he will probably visit the site again to see if there are any updates
to the products in case he wants to purchase anything.
Recommendations to improve user experience
Single Problem Being Fixed
Task 1: Users were unable to search for information about razor bumps and how they
can be avoided. On most sites there is a “search” tool where users can type in the information
they are looking for and be taken to the page that they’re looking for. Having a “search” tool is
consistent to what users are familiar with and will make navigating through getbevel.com much
easier.

14. Problem Improvement
Before:
After:

15. The addition of a search bar will eliminate the hassle that the testers experienced in the
first task, along with anyone else who chooses to visit getbevel.com. Although there is already a
“Help” option in the bottom right hand corner of the website, a “search” tool will help users find
what they are looking for faster. The features listed below will help build an effective “search”
tool and make the user’s experience with getbevel.com more delightful.
 Auto Suggest
A function that recognizes root words, predictive text and suggestions while the user enters will
help speed up the search process and keep users get closer to what they’re trying to find.
 Correct Typos
The chances of users making typo mistakes while using the “search” are high. The “search” tool
will show results for the corrected search term instead. This helps avoid user frustration instead
of not returning any results at all.
 Keep Recent Searches
It is important to respect the user’s effort by keeping their last 10 recent searches. This should
help the user’s recall of previous experiences with the website.
 Provide Alternatives
If a user’s query doesn’t produce any results, then common products should be recommended to
the user. This is better than returning no results and helps the user find out if the website offers
what they’re trying to find.