1. Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
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Introduction
Picnik is a user-friendly, online photo-editing site that provides a
wide array of free and premium photo-editing tools for anyone to use
for their personal or professional needs. Since Picnik is free and
popular to use, it is a great alternative to the expensive, complicated
photo-editing programs. However, Picnik’s instructions on how to
edit photographs and use other Picnik features were extremely
difficult to locate on the website. In addition, the Picnik instructions
did not cover many of the aspects the site had to offer to the users.
Picnik has a lot of amazing features with little instructions or
guidance on how to use various aspects or features, aside from a
small icon next to each feature that can be easily overlooked.
In order to make Picnik more user friendly for a larger
audience, our research group’s objective was to create a step-by-step
tutorial on the basic functions of Picnik that could be used by a large
range of users; regardless of age, gender, or technical prowess. Our
research group designed a set of instructions and collected primary
data with the purpose to improve the usability of Picnik.
Our research group is composed of English majors with an
emphasis in technical writing from Utah State University. As a part
of service learning activity and an innovative assignment designed
for real-world experience.
Starting from scratch, our research group designed a set of
instructions for most of the free features of Picnik: creating an
account, basic edits, and saving photographs. By covering these
basic parts of Picnik, all users following the tutorial would gain a
foundation on how to upload, manipulate, and share photographs
among friends and family. As most users are involved in at least one
online, social networking group, (e.g. Facebook or Twitter) knowing
how to share photographs becomes increasingly important. This
tutorial would provide all users, novice or seasoned, enough
information to edit and share photographs with anyone through
digital interface.
After creating a Picnik tutorial, we conducted a usability
study evaluate our instructions. By finding the gaps in our Picnik
instructions, we were able to add to the instructions and provide a
complete tutorial that would empower users to navigate Picnik with
ease and confidence. In order to analyze the effectiveness of the
tutorial, participants were observed following the tutorial and
completed a survey with closed and open questions. By collecting
Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements
of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
Malinda, Katie, Megan, and Stacey
Students of Technical Writing 3400, Department of English, Utah State University

2. Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
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multiple types of data, we were able to obtain key information that
could improve not only our Picnik instructions, but the Picnik
website as well.
In our study, we found that the most complicated portion of
Picnik for users was sharing a photo across social networks. In
addition, each internet browser is different, which may call for
different instructions or each one. For example, the newest version of
internet explorer will automatically go to the main page of Picnik,
instead of the introduction page with the Get started now! button.
Our instructions were designed using Google Chrome; mild
modifications were needed to use Firefox, Safari, or Internet
Explorer. Overall, the instructions were designed for a wide range of
users, from inexperienced to experienced, computer novice to tech
savvy, and from young adults to elderly. While gaps were found,
95% of users found that the steps illustrated were in linear order and
75% were able to complete the instructions within the tutorial. Our
instructions have been clarified and improved based on our study,
and we would like to offer our results and methods for your
convenience.
Problem Statement
After researching Picnik, our research group discovered that there
were limited guidelines on how to use Picnik. Aside from user
forums, the guides provided by Picnik seemed to lack the basic
information on how to use the website. For this reason, our research
group created a tutorial illustrating the steps needed to: create an
account, upload and edit a photo, and save and share a photo.
Methods
In order to determine the usability of our Picnik tutorial, we
conducted a usability test that would allow us to observe the
participants following the instructions. We also collected surveys
reporting on the users’ reactions to the tutorial’s organization, clarity
of instruction, and visual appeal.
For the usability test, we used convenience sampling to
select our participants. We sought a wide variety of participants, for
the study. From our pool of potential participants, we selected a
variety of individuals representing different age groups and levels of
expertise. They ranged from nineteen to over sixty years old. Some
individuals had no prior experience with Picnik where others had
years of experience with the site. In addition, some individuals were
extremely technically savvy while others were internet novices.
Because of the variation among the participants, the results provided
key insights across the spectrum of user experiences with Picnik
Before each participant began the tutorial, he or she was
provided a Letter of Agreement, informing the participant of our
organization’s intentions relevant to the study, any benefits or
dangers in participating in the study, and full knowledge that
participation was voluntary. Each participant was read the same
instructions via a script in order to create a more uniform testing
environment among participants. Each participant was observed on a
one-to-one basis. By observing participants individually, researchers
were able to focus their attention on what each participant had to say
about the tutorial as they followed the steps. The information
provided by the participant was crucial to finding the gaps in the
tutorial to improve the tutorial for future use.
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3. Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
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Results and Discussion
The purpose of this usability test was to evaluate the effectiveness
and usefulness of the Picnik tutorial built to help new participants
create an account, upload and edit photos, and save photos to a
personal computer as well as upload them to a multitude of social,
online-networks by following step-by-step instructions. From the
observations and surveys collected during and after the Picnik
usability test, 75% of participants were able to complete the
instructions in the tutorial and 65% found the tutorial to be “well
laid-out and appealing”. Although most participants were able to
complete the tutorial, users also commented about being dissatisfied
in several portions of the Picnik tutorial, specifically: Creating a
Picnik Account, Basic Edits Menu, and Saving and Sharing a Photo.
From open-ended survey questions and observations, problem
portions of the tutorials were linked to the participants’ inability to
perform the task due to the clarity of instructions, lack of detailed
information, or unaddressed website errors in the Picnik tutorial.
As the tutorial tested for Picnik was primarily designed for
the benefit of new participants, it is important to recount the
significance of the sampling method selected. Due to the Picnik
usability study’s convenience sampling method, a wide variety of the
population was represented as each researcher sought out five
different individuals to participate in the usability study. As 75% of
the participants were unrelated and unknown to the others, there was
a variety, from age, sex, and technical level, among the participants.
Convenience sampling enabled the research presented to more
accurately reflect the variety of users that could have access to use
Picnik. For the purpose of study to facilitate anonymity, all
participants were given a three digit number to identify their
opinions and thoughts in the following research.
While 35.3% of participants answered the following survey
question: “Were the instructions easy to understand?” with “Clear &
Easy to Follow”, the majority of the participants (58.8%) felt that the
tutorial instructions were “Mildly Confusing”. The selections of the
tutorial that were found lacking by the participants were: Creating a
Picnik Account, Basic Edits Menu, and Saving and Sharing Your
Photo (see graph on next page). The other portions of the tutorial,
Uploading a Picture and Creating Effects, reflected minimal
difficulty from users as only 6% found those sections confusing.
While some difficulty was still assessed in those sections, Uploading
a Picture and Creating Effects sections represent how clear and
concise information can allow participants to feel satisfied with
elements in the tutorial. Participants recommended improving the
problem sections by including more instruction, more detailed
information, and correcting technical problems.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
19-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
NumberofParticipants
Age of Participants
Participant Age Groups

4. Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
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Creating a Picnik Account
While all users were able to create a Picnik account, there were
many complaints about the lack of information presented in the
Creating a Picnik Account section. Complaints about Creating a
Picnik Account were largely gathered from observations and open-
ended survey questions. One participant commented during
observation that Picnik keeps providing the error: “this username is
not available!” (User 101). This error message was not provided in
the tutorial and made users upset when it occurred. Another
participant from a different observational group experienced a
similar problem, and had to try creating five different usernames
before one was available for use (User 204). While the reduced pool
of available usernames is not a fault of the tutorial, not noting in the
tutorial that not all usernames may be readily available is the
researchers responsibility. In Creating a Picnik Account, all relative
information, including error codes, should be accounted for to avoid
feelings of frustration and confusion in users.
An additional problem with Creating a Picnik Account was
the lack of commenting that an additional pop-up window will come
up and ask for personal information after clicking “I accept! Create
my account!” button. While the pop-up window states that inputting
the personal information is optional, nearly half of the users thought
it was a part of the sign-up process. As the optional information was
not an official part of the Creating a Picnik Account, it was omitted
from the tutorial. However, this lack of information also caused
confusion among users sense the new pop-window looked clearly to
be a part of the creating account phase. This information should be
included in the tutorial to the extent that it is optional information
and enables the site to keep record of users’ demographics. By
providing more information, future Picnik users using the tutorial
will have clearer expectations and knowledge about how to sign up
on Picnik.
Basic Edit Menu
Complaints about Basic Edit Menu were different from the
complaints cited in the Creating a Picnik Account section. In the
Basic Edit Menu section, participants had to fix or improve elements
of the photos that he or she desired. The Basic Edit Menu provided
information on how to use the feature, but multiple users commented
that they wanted “more detailed” instructions about features and
locations. When asked “what details could be added to make the
instructions more useful?” One participant stated to define clearly
directions to “zoom in the bottom right” corner. Another participant
0 2 4 6 8 10
More information
More instruction
Address technical problems
Nothing/Less info
Elements Participants Want to
See Improved

5. Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
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commented that the tutorial needed to further “explain golden ratio”
and its location “in the crop drop down menu”. The majority of the
complaints about the Basic Edit Menu section were derived from
either not enough information provided or unclear directions on how
to locate and use the feature. In order to provide new users the best
experience with Picnik, the Basic Edit Menu section in the tutorial
needs to include more information directing users how to use each
feature along with additional information about the feature itself.
This will provide the ability and knowledge to aptly use all the
features in the Basic Edit Menu.
Saving and Sharing a Photo
In concert with the Creating a Picnik Account and Basic Edit Menu,
the Saving and Sharing a Photo section faced similar problems and
complaints. While none of the participants complained specifically
about a lack of information or direction in Saving and Sharing a
Photo, participants experienced a plethora of problems sharing their
photos across social networking sites. This problem was expressed in
both the observations and in the survey. Participants were able to
save to their personal computers without a problem, but most
participants could not share photos between Picnik and social
networking sites.
The problem occurred when the participant was not already
signed into one of social networking sites or site information was not
saved on the computer. Without being connected to those websites,
Picnik was unable to connect and transfer the photos. Twenty percent
of participants were not able to save to their website of choice, and
half of those participants reported specific problems with Facebook
and Twitter. For example, during observing participant 105 complete
the tutorial, the participant read and error message that said:
“Whoops, we were not able to connect to your twitter account” (User
105). To ensure that these errors do not continue to happen,
information in the Saving and Sharing Your Picture section of the
tutorial needs to state that the user must first be signed into the
website and also have an album to save photos across sites.
Tutorial Layout Design
Across the entire tutorial, most participants (65%) liked the layout of
the tutorial. However, most also found the layout or the content a
little confusing (58.3%). In regards to the layout, 30% of individuals
across observations stated liking the use of circles and arrows to
visually direct Picnik users to the next item or to find a menu. Screen
shots were also praised for providing pictorial evidence of specific
places the participants needed to be in order to perform a certain
task. Participants also reported they felt the information looked
“crowded” or out of “place”. Participants also commented that
pictures need to be directly with their instructions, not beneath them
(survey and observations). By having the picture directly next to the
correct text, users will be able to correctly group information
together and move more easily through the tutorial. The use of
directors, like circles and arrows, also provide verification that users
are in the right place. These elements are essential to designing a
detailed tutorial and provide the user with a sense of empowerment
and skill to navigate through Picnik’s many features with ease and
confidence.
From the results of the Picnik usability test, we were able to
gather data from a wide range of people from varying backgrounds,
ages, and technical levels to test a tutorial for new Picnik users.
While using any type of convenient sampling produces a level of
bias, the answers to the survey questions (except for one question

6. Picnik Usability Test: Assisting Users Master the Basic Elements of Picnik Photo-editing with a Step-by-Step Tutorial
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which was thrown out due to obvious bias on behalf of the
participants) were varied and provided insight into how well the
tutorial functioned as a guide and what needed to be improved for a
complete, finish tutorial. We have tried to limit the level of bias in
this study by using scripts and being professional during the data
collection.
Conclusion
The Picnik site provides a user forum and help center, however both
are limited in usefulness. When attempting to access the help center,
there is a pop-up asking if the person is a premium/paid. This leads
one to believe that they have to sign in or be a premium member to
get their questions answered. We created instructions for the site to
provide a platform for a range of users to “jump in” and begin
uploading and editing their photos. The Picnik site offers a range of
simple tools, which are mostly treated as self-explanatory. There are
more sophisticated tools that require a monthly fee for a premium
membership; those tools were beyond the scope of the study we
conducted.
Participants in our study were selected by convenience
sampling. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Picnik tutorial for
helping users to successfully navigate the software. 75% of the users
were able to complete the tutorial. While 58% of them found the
instructions to be mildly confusing. Overall, the users indicated that
their inability to perform a task was linked to lack of clarity in the
instructions, they were asked to follow the tutorial created and did
not know where to go to find the instructions from within the site.
The pool of participants varied in age and technical ability.
We found that some elements of the tutorial were clearer
than others, and participants requested more detailed information in
addition to the correction of technical errors. We have made changes
to the specific elements which proved to be the most problematic
with the hopes of providing future Picnik users with more
information, and clearer expectations.
We recommend making the instructions more readily
available to the end user. Even if the instructions were to remain
within the help tab, it would be helpful to have a sentence on the
home page to indicate that instructions for using the site are listed
under “mastery” or having an arrow pointing to the dialog box
containing the “tips and tricks” link above “Picnik Forums” and help
for “Premium Features” People do not want to scroll to the bottom of
the page to find out how to use the site if they are new to photo-
editing software. Also, in order to make the process of sharing a
photo less complex it would be helpful to address the differences
presented by the various browsers so that users do not have to toggle
between sites to make sure that they saved or shared the picture
successfully.
Very well
laid out
65%
Most
things in
place
10%
Crowded
w/ some
not in
place
25%
Mostly
too busy /
Too Busy
0%
Visual Layout Appeal