As part of a Human Factors Engineering project (Technion), I conducted a usability evaluation and UX-focused optimization of the Qualtrics platform.The project did not aim to redesign the UI visually, but to improve usability, efficiency, and cognitive alignment through human-factors–driven analysis and UX principles.
Scope
The evaluation focused on two core user actions:
-
Home – creating a new survey/project
-
Survey Creation & Editing – writing, editing, and managing survey questions
Overview
Goals
-
Reduce unnecessary steps, task switching, and cognitive load
-
Identify usability and cognitive friction points
-
Understand task structure and users’ mental models
-
Improve efficiency and clarity without changing the visual language
Methodology
-
Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) of survey creation and items editing
-
Usability evaluation of the existing interface
-
UX specifications focused on interaction, flow, and cognitive efficiency
-
Low-fidelity prototype (Figma) illustrating UX improvements (not a visual redesign)
-
Comparative usability testing of:
-
Original interface
-
Optimized prototype
-
-
Metrics
-
During - - Response time & number of errors records.
-
Post - - Satisfaction Ease of use & Eefficiency questionair.
-
UX-Driven Improvements
-
Reduced the number of actions and steps required to create a new survey (See Gallery Image A)
-
Users can complete the task faster with less friction
-
Reducing the number of steps from four to three)
-
-
Streamlining task flows and minimizing unnecessary steps → Increases efficiency and supports intuitive task completion.
-
Improving hierarchy and emphasis of existing actions (e.g., buttons) → Directs user attention to primary actions, supporting smoother navigation.
-
Reducing the number of controls and decision points → Minimizes cognitive load and simplifies decision-making.
-
Refining terminology to better match users’ mental models → Enhances understandability and reduces errors caused by misinterpretation.
-
Minor typography adjustments strictly to support readability and cognitive processing → Facilitates quick scanning and reduces mental effort.
Example: Improving hierarchy and emphasis of existing actions
The survey creation flow was simplified by:
-
Improving efficiency
-
Lowering cognitive load
-
Better supporting users’ task-focused workflows
Evaluation | Results | Outcomes
-
Reduced task completion time, particularly in the survey creation flow.
-
Higher user satisfaction scores in the optimized prototype
-
Fewer user errors compared to the original interface
-
Improved task efficiency and perceived ease of use
-
Shorter task completion times in the prototype condition
-
The project demonstrated that UX and human-factors–driven changes—without visual redesign—can significantly improve usability, efficiency, and cognitive load.
-
Small, targeted interaction and flow adjustments led to measurable improvements in performance and user experience.
*This project was conducted in collaboration with Lior Ron
Project Gallery
