A professional matching platform that helps you find your nemesis! Don't just get mad, get even.
- Alexander Haga - Phase I intro and exec. summary, Phase II report, wireframe areas, Phase III report, graphs, exec summary, some of the pilot study, User Study Protocol
- Ivan Gavrushenko - Personas and Scenarios github page, Phase I Conclusion and Caveats, User Study Protocol
- Caleb Ray - Wireframes, Wireframe Walkthrough, Phase I Methods and Findings, Phase III Executive Summary, User Study Protocol
Executive Summary
The initial phase of Archenemy has set a dynamic foundation for an app designed to empower professionals by pairing them with a worthy rival. Using a blend of competitive analysis (with insights drawn from leaders like Tinder), detailed persona creation, and heuristic evaluations, we uncovered a uniquely untapped market and distilled key design imperatives that emphasize clarity, intuitive interaction, and a compelling user journey. Although the findings are based on subjective methods without direct user testing, the research has effectively mapped out both the innovative potential and the critical areas requiring further empirical validation, ensuring that the subsequent design phases will be deeply aligned with real-world user needs.
Executive Summary
During Phase II of our Archenemy UX development, we focused on refining our wireframes and validating our design through our research methods: cognitive walkthroughs and attempted informal peer feedback. Our primary goal was to ensure the core matchmaking functionality meets user expectations and follows established UX principles. Our cognitive walkthrough validated that the primary matchmaking flow is intuitive and effective. A UX evaluator successfully navigated through the wireframes as the "Elong Mask" persona, confirming that our core user journey is discrete, traceable, and linear.
However, our research and validation efforts were constrained by several limitations:
- Only one cognitive walkthrough was conducted, focusing solely on the matchmaking functionality
- Informal peer feedback was not received from the Software Engineering team despite a structured process
- All feedback came from individuals with software/tech backgrounds, limiting perspective diversity
Based on these findings, we have maintained the core structure of our wireframe design artifact while implementing minor stylistic refinements to enhance visual clarity. No significant changes to our personas or scenarios were deemed necessary, as the cognitive walkthrough confirmed their validity for the primary user flow. The limited scope of our evaluation has highlighted the need for additional research into secondary functionalities to ensure comprehensive usability across all features of the Archenemy app.
To address the identified gaps in our research and design validation, our major takeaways are as follows:
- Expanding cognitive walkthrough participation to include multiple evaluators and a broader range of personas and scenarios
- Establishing a more reliable feedback channel with the Software Engineering team
- Incorporating perspectives from non-technical users to ensure broad appeal
- Conducting targeted testing of secondary functionalities.
Executive Summary
The Phase III testing of the Archenemy Prototype went well, validating previous work and providing key takeaways for future development.
- Core task completion was promising for the initial design of the website. (100%)
- Account creation and profile editing proved very easy (5.0/5.0)
- Password Reset Functionality presented navigation challenges (3.8/5.0)
- Users found the rivalry concept novel and entertaining, but only expressed moderate likelihood (2.8/5.0)
- Relocate navigation by relocating the Help/FAQ sections
- Enhance system feedback for user actions
- Refine chat functionality for clarity
- Optimize account management pathways