Dashboard Usability Study

Tools & Methods: Moderated usability interviews, task-based comprehension testing, live prototype evaluation with real customer data.

A usability evaluation of the Petline impact dashboard prototype — conducted before development began, with findings intended to directly shape what shipped as the beta.

I designed and led one-on-one moderated sessions with 5 veterinary practices (including one multi-location group). Each session used that practice's real Petline data loaded into the prototype, combining comprehension tasks with open-ended probes on missing metrics, drill-down needs, and what participants would do with the data.

I prevented the attending PM from answering participant questions during the main session — when a participant didn't understand something, that confusion was the data. Sessions were recorded and live-streamed to additional stakeholders, with their questions funneled in without the participant seeing them.

Two structural findings: core metrics resonated but required clearer definitions (users mis-defined terms like "owners reached" and "confirmation rate"); and users read the layout as a causal funnel when it wasn't. Participants also surfaced high-value missing metrics including no-shows, cancellations, revenue attribution, and channel effectiveness.

Usability fixes were incorporated into the design before code was written. Metrics that were related but not causally linked were visually separated. Phase 2 — an unmoderated beta evaluation with real live data — followed.