WMP Website Project

User Experience Research Report

Research Overview

About this project

• As part of our design process, Digital Garden conducted User Experience research to understand potential users of the website

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• What we wanted to find out:
• What kinds of content we expect will resonate with users
• What users might want when interacting with the WMP website
• Users’ behaviour as they interact with a WMP digital experience

Research methodology

We use mixed-method research to discover insights about potential users from multiple research angles:

1. Project Team Workshops
• Understand the needs of the WMP website from the perspective of the project team
2. Website Analytics
• Review how users actually interact with the current website
3. Google Keyword Research
• Evaluate search trends across keywords related to the WMP
4. User Interviews (N=8)
• Show users various types of content related to the WMP and understand how they react
5. Global Survey (N=375)
• Survey people across 10 countries about attitudes to mosquito borne diseases and solutions

1. Project Team Workshops

• We ran 3x workshops in Melbourne
• The workshops helped us learn more about the work being done by the World Mosquito Program as well as the personal insights of project team members
• During these sessions the WMP team also provided us with additional resources, including:
• Example enquiries from users on both social media and via the contact us form
• A sample of community release surveys across a number of countries
• Media publications about the WMP from various sources

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• These workshops helped shape the subsequent research activities

2. Website Analytics

• A detailed look at traffic across a range of key pages, organised by type of content, and evaluated by pageviews

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• We used this to identify the types of content that generated the most traffic compared to the volume of content that exists on the site

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• Additionally we explored the volume of traffic across countries and devices

3. Google Keyword Research

• There are over 3.7M searches related to mosquito-borne diseases worldwide every month

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• These searches reveal the topics that users are most interested in when it comes to mosquito-borne diseases and suggest the kinds of content that might resonate with a broader audience

4. User Interviews (N=8)

• We conducted 8x online video interviews with users
• 4x Participants in Australia
• 4x Participants in release areas (Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil)

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• During the interviews we had participants review various pieces of content (articles, maps, newsletters, videos, news) on the WMP website, as well as more impactful content from other websites
• We asked users how they felt about different types of content, what else they wanted to know, and what they would be most likely to share with others

5. Global Survey (N=375)

• We launched a global survey across 10 countries
• Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam

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• We asked participants about familiarity with mosquito-borne diseases, prevention methods, and WMP/Wolbachia

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• During the survey participants were given a brief introduction to the Wolbachia method and then asked follow-up questions

Research Findings: Focus on User Interviews

• Most of our research methods were quantitative which provides insight into how behaviours and attitudes generalise across all potential users
• Findings from our user interviews tended to agree with the quantitative research but provide us with one key benefit: understanding why certain behaviours and attitudes exist
• At this stage of the project understanding the why helps us make design decisions better than simply understanding the distribution of data
• Throughout the report we will mention quantitative insights where they intersect with the relevant qualitative insights from our interviews

Research Participants

Survey Overview - Demographics

Sample Size

375

Statistical Significance

Margin of Error: 5%

Confidence: 95%

User Interview Participants - Overview

Participant 1: João (Brazil)

Highlights from the interview

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"I think my professor said something about this... he said he was working with a company that released mosquitos, or raised them" "I thought i was pretty crazy, it would be hard to market, and explain to people. Everyone in sees mosquitos as evil"

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"One question, can you tell me? Is it expensive to do this?", "[Why?] The other methods - I didn't know there was a dengue vaccine … After what you said it seems less expensive and more beneficial to the area"

Say they are releasing in your area, what would make you want to help out? - "Honestly, if I had the free time I'd just do it for the cause - but people here look for some kind of financial benefit for things, they would want to do the traps if there's a financial impact for them … Most of programs like that take place in south Rio where it's more rich - i've been in my city for 13 years and I've never heard of programs like this"

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"People here are very skeptical, scams are very common here, it would be good to have it in portugese for validation .... [but also] people here tend to try and mirror other countries - be like the US."

Participant 2: Tri (Indonesia)

Highlights from the interview

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"I was called by one of the headhunters in singapore, and I was very interested, amazing work done so far.... How to eliminate and fight dengue, how to use the wolbachia technology ... The thing that really interested me was the technology"

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"[FAQs are] very helpful, from my experience in the last few months with people who don't know that program. [Genetic modification question] is the one they ask the first. Other piece that would be very interesting is [the comparison to other methods] - if you put this as a global website this could be a bit confusing because the existing program is country to country, you may not be able to cover everything in every country"

How important to know that it's a global project: "it is very important but with a caveat. I want to know how my local community contribute, but how do others do. Have we done right? What is the uniqueness of jakarta compared to [another place]. I want to know what happens to others but also to myself" .... "[I want to know] where i stand".

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"I don't think the media can capture that story, it's just economic loss and people who died statistic." "Somehow we want to bring the story much better, unfortunately when come to dengue it's just economic loss but not the real community" "Not exploit that impact, but need to bring the story right"

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Participant 3: Bridie (Australia)

Highlights from the interview

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Of the three things you have read and seen, what is the interesting to you? "That video that I just watched [the cartoon]. The drawings were captivating, and I liked how they explained their trials”

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Anything interesting for you in the FAQ? "Yeah the comparisons to the other methods... I haven't really looked into this much, so I was just curious on what other things they were trying to do"

Suppose you lived in Townsville, how you feel about a release effort? "I would want information about the program, but I'd be very open to it I think, if it means eradicating the disease"

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If there was trap hosting etc, in your area would you participate? "Yeah I would, I love science, I think it's cool"

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Participant 4: Elise (Australia)

Highlights from the interview

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On the animated video: "It explains it clearly and simply, even though it is a complex subject. It explains it in black and white...

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"It is good to see photos [of the community]... It makes it seem more real, that it affects real people. Great to see that statistic too, that 98% of Fijians welcome Wolbachia"

When you compare the styles of MSF and WMP, what do you think? "Yeah they are quite different styles. I know MSF. Instant recognition and trust with them. Whereas [WMP] was more trying to explain who they are and what they do" Do you think [WMP] should have this [personal storytelling] side of content "I think both are essential, you want people with scientific brain to read those. And some people connect emotionally. You want a balance of both"

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How would you feel if [WMP] released in your area? "I personally would be a bit cautious. I am allergic to mosquito bites. I would be a bit wary - while it would be good, there is still the bit of the unknown"

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Participant 5: Young (Australia)

Highlights from the interview

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"There are probably more questions, if I know the answers to more problems it will make more sense. All these other articles would be more acceptable if i knew more about it" Have your questions been answered [on stats]? "I don't see why an organisation would bother faking data or anything like that, because they want to do good. Before I was more skeptical, but [after seeing FAQs] this is awesome!"

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"I just wanted to pick [something] other than Australia, cause i wanted to see what the world was doing... Data speaks a lot, all the percentages, plus photos... Not just the depressing photos, but the successful photos, that's hard to portray"

“Yeah this is nice, things like this... I think positive influence is better than like negative influence. We all know bad things are going on... seeing the positive side makes you more likely to do something"

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"I guess next best thing is celebrities or online influencers that would be big. They have a lot of followers and if you're a fan of an influencer and they post about this kind of thing then you can get more publicity"

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Participant 6: Samantha (Australia)

Highlights from the interview

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What did you think of this [cartoon] video? "I liked it because it explained the the whole process. I'm studying science right now, so I know there's ethics and what testing they've done and it explains it in layman's terms. It's very interesting, explains it in an easy way so that someone without a science background would understand it"

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Comparing MSF and WMP: "Reading the mosquito content [it] was very positive, and in this situation have the personal stories, they need to tug at the heart strings a little bit more"

Let's suppose you live somewhere that is dengue endemic and WMP released in that area, how would you feel? "I'd probably panic, if i didn't know about anything... I'd be a bit angry" But if you knew what you did now? "I think it'd be positive, I'd give my kids the little boxes, I'd welcome the opportunity"

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Participant 7: Emmanuel (Colombia)

Highlights from the interview

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“Because in this region has weather conditions that brings about these mosquitos, it rains everyday.... But if they had this [wolbachia method] it would help. I see people spray the anti malaria but it's not effective because of the rains"

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"The video and testimonials will help best to spread the information. The video will speak a lot, because like I said, people don't like reading. If the videos are being advertised in their locals TV's or internet wise on Youtube ads etc. It creates awareness"

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If you found out they were releasing mosquitoes in your area, how would you feel? "If education has gone down in the communities, it would be okay. I would like to help myself... [If not] some people would raise an eyebrow, they would be like 'hey no'"

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Participant 8: Gloria (Colombia)

Highlights from the interview

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"I think I read something in the local newspaper here, like a university uses the bacteria, wolbachia. This is the second time I have read this" Does it seem safe to you? "As a doctor I can understand how this works, but for other people this may seem scary"

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"I really like new researches, they were talking about trials. Trials make me more secure that the research is going to be well done … I didn't like it, it wasn't enough... How is the trial done? How many people? Preliminary results... more of the science"

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Reading MSF Egypt article: "I really liked because it was a testimony of person that works with reports, and they share information. More empathetic with the information"

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"Yes of course, I think as a survivor of dengue it's important to share their experiences of patients. And how bad they felt with the illnesses. How important it is to stop dengue transmission"

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Research Findings

The first reaction to the Wolbachia method is often surprise and skepticism, followed by hope

• We should make sure that our language and tone of voice are suitable for a potentially skeptical audience
• One way to alleviate potential skepticism could be to reinforce the message of hope by showing progress and positive results as part of any introduction

"It's an eye opener, I never knew this could be done. I think they should implement this asap" - (P5: Young)

"That would be great if this worked” - (P4: Elise)

"I thought it was pretty crazy, it would be hard to market, and explain to people. Everyone sees mosquitoes as evil" - (P1: João)

"If i was expert [the article] would not be enough, but if I was a community affected by dengue, then i would see hopes now" - (P2: Tri)

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Evidence

Recommendation

Explaining the Wolbachia method has to be the first priority

• Given that users may be skeptical when they are first exposed to the Wolbachia method but that they become supportive once they find out, it tells us that the first thing users see should explain the Wolbachia method and how it works

Without any context, using "good mosquitoes" to stop the spread of disease is seen as the least effective method for spreading the disease. But after learning more about the method (in limited survey format) over 50% of participants said they would be "very supportive" or "extremely supportive" of Wolbachia being used in their area - (Survey Results)

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• (See evidence from previous slide)

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Recommendation

Evidence

The animated video is a strong piece of content

• At a minimum the simple language and friendly style of the video should be used when explaining the Wolbachia method
• The visual style also resonated well with users and we should consider carrying that on in the site
• While it would be good to embed the video our past experience has shown that users may not engage with a video if it’s the first thing they see

"I became more positive after I watched the [animated] video" - (P1: João)

"It explains it clearly and simply, even though it is a complex subject. It explains it in black and white" - (P4: Elise)

"The video and testimonies will help best to spread the information. The video will speak a lot, because like I said, people don't like reading. If the videos are being advertised in their locals TVs or internet wise on Youtube ads etc, it creates awareness" - (P7: Emmanuel)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Content about involving local schools sends a positive message about community engagement

• Highlighting content about local schools and local kids is exactly the kind of positive community stories that users want to hear - and it also answers questions about community involvement without having to directly state it

"It's really cool that the kids take part in the... releases.” - (P3: Bridie)

"I think that would be really interesting working here... the school programs. We didn't do any big school projects, cause we didn't have materials. It would be different or out of the routine instead of convincing people" - (P1: João)

"I really like that they get kids involved, included in their content where they can. Maybe these little facts like that are good to have scattered around as well” - (P6: Samantha)

“I like that the project involves the community. I liked the wolbachia warriors program…” - (P8: Gloria)

Evidence

Recommendation

Users want impactful content, but it shouldn't be depressing or exploitative

• While not all users are interested in personal stories and other impactful content, some research participants did comment on the general lack of this content on the WMP website. We need to make sure to show the personal side of the story - but because we are not soliciting donations we should instead focus on a positive message of progress rather than showing desperation.

"Not just the depressing photos, but the successful photos, that's hard to portray" - (P5: Young)

"I don't think the media can capture that story, it's just economic loss and people who died statistic .. Somehow we want to bring the story much better, unfortunately when come to dengue it's just economic loss but not the real community … Not exploit that impact, but need to bring the story right” - (P2: Tri)

"I guess it would be good for people outside of brazil - the impact that these diseases have … I expected to see more information about how it stopped the country for a while" - (P1: João)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Balance the personal stories with explaining how it works

• Personal stories should not necessarily be the main focus of top-level content as users may feel like their questions about the method have not been answered
• But stories from affected communities are considered interesting content and they can be used to answer questions (such as safety and effectiveness of the method) - so use these kinds of stories as a primary focus

"Yeah they are quite different styles. I know [MSF]. Instant recognition and trust with them. Whereas [WMP] was more trying to explain who they are and what they do" - (P4: Elise)

"Reading [WMP] content was very positive, which is good to have both positive, and in this situation have the personal stories, they need to tug at the heart strings a little bit more" - (P6: Samantha)

Personal stories ranked the lowest among all the types of content (but still over 30% interest), but stories from communities helped by the WMP came in 3rd with over 40% interest, with details about the method 2nd at over 50% interest - (Survey Results)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Users want to be reassured that local communities supports what is happening

• The community engagement work done by WMP needs to be a key focus of any high level explanation and also available in more detailed areas (e.g. FAQs)

"It seemed like you guys just went in and let the mosquitos out. If you explain and it's on open TV then it would be way more open here" - (P1: Joãn)

"Great to see that statistic too, that 98% of Fijians welcome Wolbachia" - (P4: Elise)

"Any reader going to the site would get to know how involved people are. I think those personal stories where the community is involved are good" - (P7: Emmanuel)

"Really critical, engaging with the communities... working closely with the community - not just their consent but their help" - (P2: Tri)

Recommendation

Evidence

Some users want to see more data - particularly when it comes to progress

• Include high-level/summary data and statistics even for non-scientific users (as some users respond more to hard facts and data than personal stories)

"I didn't like it, it wasn't enough... How is the trial done? How many people? Preliminary results... more of the science" - (P8: Gloria)

"I expected to see, what sort of results they had, which they did mention, over 4 rainy seasons they haven't had any dengue, which is really good" - (P6: Samantha)

"Data speaks a lot, all the percentage, plus photos" - (P5: Young)

"When they started and are ending it, and what their plans are" - (P3: Bridie)

Recommendation

Evidence

Many people are interested in learning more about the science

• Make sure that there is enough content to explain the science of the method in layman’s terms

"The thing that really interested me was the technology" - (P2: Tri)

"yeah I would [host traps and help out], I love science, I think its cool" - (P3: Bridie)

"what other steps or second plan do [WMP] have when it gets to that point [if the Wolbachia method] is no longer effective" - (P7: Emmanuel)

The second highest point of interest was details about how Wolbachia helps to stop the spread of disease. - (Survey Results)

Recommendation

Evidence

It's important to have some information about the diseases but it's not necessary to go into too much detail

• Make sure that there is content about each of the diseases and their impacts, and include any information about the effectiveness of the Wolbachia method for those diseases (this should include some details about Malaria as the most well known MBD)

"[I know about the diseases] just cause I kinda read about this, I was just curious" - (P3: Bridie)

“I liked the background of the diseases - dengue is only one of the diseases” - (P8: Gloria)

“I think you guys need to talk more about what the diseases does and how it affects people in these countries, instead of look at how good this is." - (P1: João)

There is a big split of people’s familiarity with these diseases. Many have heard of them but don't know anything about them, but a significant portion (over 30%) say they are very familiar with mosquito-borne diseases - (Survey Results)

Recommendation

Evidence

People feel more confident knowing that it's a global project that has been trialled in Australia first

• Include details about the story of the Wolbachia method - highlighting that it started in Australia.
• But do not put too much emphasis on this as local involvement is pivotal (rather than seeing like something imposed on these countries from overseas)

"I guess some of it. People here are very skeptical on if they can trust something or not. Scams are very common here. It would be good to be in Portuguese to help with validation... People here tend to try to mirror other countries, and try to be like the US or Australia. The more information you give on other countries, even 'First World', that would be even better” - (P1: João)

The number of respondents who said the method was very or extremely safe jumped to 51% after finding out it had been trialled in Australia (up from 32% before finding out) - (Survey Results)

Recommendation

Evidence

People want to know about the sustainability of the method - including the costs

• Make sure that detailed explanations of the method include information about cost
• Make sure to highlight the sustainability of the method in both detailed and high-level explanations

"[I am] looking at how effective it would be in regards to time" - (P7: Emmanuel)

"I wanted to know if it was worth it, if it would last" - (P4: Elise)

"Yeah it seems a lot cheaper than vaccines... A $1 per person seems cheap compared to the price of vaccines" - (P6: Samantha)

"One question, can you tell me? Is it expensive to do this?" - (P1: João)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Because users have so many questions they will gravitate towards FAQs

• Make sure to keep FAQs and keep them up to date across languages

After an initial introduction to the WMP users were given a choice of 3 different pieces of content. Most gravitated towards FAQs over details about release efforts in 2 regions. - (Interview Observation)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Users really like that WMP are open about comparison to other methods - in particular to GMO methods

• Make sure to explain alternatives to WMP’s Wolbachia method and why this approach is worth doing - this will instill trust in users about the effectiveness of the method

"Yeah the comparisons to the other methods [is interesting]... I haven't really looked into this much, so i was just curious on what other things they were trying to do" - (P3: Bridie)

"If you spray around and it rains, it washes away the effectiveness" - (P7: Emmanuel)

Most participants looked at the FAQ question about whether the method involves genetic modification - (Interview Observation)

Using "good mosquitoes" to stop disease ranks (just) lower than genetic modification. After the method is (briefly) explained, over 30% say that using Wolbachia is superior and 30% say that both methods are worth doing. - (Survey Results)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Make sure that users from all parts of the world can see global progress (rather than just local news)

• For content “localisation” we want to make sure that users see what is most relevant to them personally (what is happening in their region)
• But we also want to make sure that it is very easy for them to explore WMPs work around the world (regardless of language)

The most popular topic was case studies about the progress of the WMP “around the world”, with case studies of the progress "near you" ranked 3rd last (still over 30% interest) - (Survey Results)

Most participants first wanted to see what was happening in their area (including those in Australia) rather than what was happening around the world. - (Interview Observation)

This conflict with qualitative and quantitative research suggests that (1) when asked what they would do users say they want to know about what is happening globally, but (2) when they are actually presented with the scenario they choose to look up information that might affect them first.

Recommendation

Evidence

Users cover a wide range of interests and behaviours

• Make sure to have a variety of content across different mediums (video, graphics, text) to capture the widest range of users, including:
• Personal stories, community stories, scientific information, data/statistics

"The video … will help best to spread the information. The video will speak a lot, because like I said, people don't like reading." - (P7: Emmanuel)

“Probably [share] the article - I tend to share more articles from a reputable source [than videos]” - (P3: Bridie)

"I don't think the media can capture that story, it's just economic loss and people who died statistic .. Somehow we want to bring the story much better” - (P2: Tri)

"Data speaks a lot, all the percentage, plus photos" - (P5: Young)

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Recommendation

Evidence

Information Architecture Recommendations

Overview

• Based on keyword research and user research we are proposing a top-level “Information Architecture”, which describes the top-level menu items and sitemap for the website

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• This recommendation includes a discussion on managing regions/languages

Top-Level Information Architecture

(Recommendation)

Content that only shows for relevant regions

Content that may include additional info for some regions

Global content translated into local languages

Localisation & Translation

• Content should be translated for each of the release areas

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• Additionally some content may be specific only to a region (e.g. local contact information, news items just for the local community)

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• Other content may also need to be localised not just translated (e.g. information about diseases may need to include some information that is only relevant due to local conditions (e.g. climate) or that may not be suitable for a global audience

Missing Translations

• It likely will not be possible to translate all content on the website into the local language for each current and potential release country

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• A decision needs to be made about what to do when there are missing translations, with two options:
• Do not show content if it is not in the local language
• Or, show the content in English

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• As an Agile project it is possible to decide this down the line when we have a clearer idea of the potential content gaps across languages

Thank You