Khan Academy
Information Architecture Analysis
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Resolve
Identify
Understand
Agenda
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Resolve
Identify
Understand
Agenda
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
What is Khan Academy?
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization which provides set of online tools that help educate students.
They create content in the forms of articles and video lectures, as well as provide exercises and assessments that educators can use to track students’ progress.
Khan Academy’s values
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Empower students with free, “world-class” education, accessible to anyone
Utilize technology to provide personalized curriculums
Inspire students to find new passions in learning
Company Background
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Created in 2008 by Salman Khan
Started on Youtube, now has its own platforms
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Now works closely with Google, Pixar, and College Board
Khan Academy’s Impact
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Khan Academy’s Impact
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Target Audience
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Core Target Audience: Students (12-18)
Educators: Highschool teachers (25-75)
Parents of students
Target Audience Uses
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Students: Completing lesson content, which entails watching videos, reading articles, and taking quizzes
Highschool teachers/Parents: Tracking students’ progress on lesson content
Competitors
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Content: Crashcourse, Veritasium, PBS Idea Channel
Platform: LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Codeacademy, Udacity
Unfair Competitive Advantages
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Detailed content which breaks surface level understanding
Completely free-to-use content, all donor backed
Vast variety of content, all unified under one platform
Business Goals
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
As a non-profit, their main objective is to become as rooted into educational systems as possible. Once students have to use the site for one subject, they can discover new subjects and content elsewhere on the site.
With more users comes more opportunities to innovate and expand.
Resolve
Identify
Understand
Agenda
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Systems
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Desktop
(focus platform)
Native Mobile App
Desktop Sitemap
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Mobile Sitemap
Desktop Sitemap
Organization Scheme
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Exact organization scheme, which creates small problems
Sections start general and become more and more specific
Algebra II Course Sections
Algebra II Course Lessons
Organization Scheme
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Desktop Courses menu
Topical:
Organization Scheme
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Desktop Courses menu
Topical:
Subject matter
Organization Scheme
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Desktop Courses menu
Topical:
Subject matter
Specific testing
Organization Scheme
Desktop Courses menu
Topical:
Subject matter
Specific testing
Outliers
Organization Scheme
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Math vs. Math by Grade:
Because math is the most popular and in depth subject on the site, they decided to split the category to benefit those users
Organization Scheme
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Mobile organization scheme is not consistent to desktop, leading to confusion
“Subjects”
Organization Structure
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Unified balance between breadth & depth
Begins as hierarchical system, then once user gets into content, changes to sequential system
Most Common User Flow
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Getting users from the Home page to the Content page as efficiently and quickly as possible
Most Common User Flow
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Getting users from the Home page to the Content page as efficiently and quickly as possible
Most Common User Flow
Areas Slowing Down Flow
Organization Structure
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Polyhierarchy system, multiple ways to get to “Courses” and “Course Sections”
Organization Structure
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Polyhierarchy system, multiple ways to get to “Courses” and “Course Sections”
Most accessible routes are through Courses tab or My Stuff
Organization Structure
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
While Search allows for users to be taken very deep into the structure, titles for “Course Lessons” are too specific for users to remember, so “Courses” and “Course Sections” are the usual search queries.
“Complex and repeated roots of characteristic equation”
“Plate tectonics: Geological features of convergent plate boundaries”
Organization Structure
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
“Course Sections” ends up choking off access to final content
How can users get put into the sequential system (Content Page) faster?
Organization Structure
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
On mobile, Bookmarks is a crucial aspect of the organization structure.
Takes user directly to saved content
Bookmarks is not found anywhere on the desktop version
Labeling System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Very complex and deep, but needed system
Content labeling system:
“Subject”
Labeling System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Very complex and deep, but needed system
Content labeling system:
“Course”
Labeling System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Very complex and deep, but needed system
Content labeling system:
“Course Section”
Labeling System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Very complex and deep, but needed system
Content labeling system:
“Lessons”
Labeling System
Very complex and deep, but needed system
Content labeling system:
Content
Lessons
Course Section
Course
Subject Matter
Labeling System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Many inconsistencies and vague terms
Navigation System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Global Navigation on desktop is polished and easy to use.
While courses menu may be overwhelming, making it smaller would require more clicks from users.
Navigation System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Global Navigation on mobile is much more minimal
Courses selection takes up the entire home page
Navigation System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Breadcrumbs are inconsistent
Styling changes on Content page
Navigation System
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Search is straightforward, however filters are different on desktop and mobile
Information Architecture Problems
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Takes far too long to get from home page to content page to start learning
Desktop and mobile platforms don’t interact with each other very well, seems like two separate systems in certain areas
Many labels are vague and redundant, leaving users confused
Resolve
Identify
Understand
Agenda
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Improvement Opportunity #1
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Takes far too long to get from home page to content page to start learning
Improvement Opportunity #1
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Takes far too long to get from home page to content page to start learning
Improve user flow so that users can get to sequential content quicker and easier.
Original Desktop Sitemap
Revised Desktop Sitemap
Home Page Changes
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
“Continued Learning” renamed to “Resume lesson” for clarity
Raised priority on home page
Links directly to Content page
Home Page Changes
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Got rid of “My Stuff” and “My Account”
Moved “Teachers” and “Profile” to the User tab
Removed “Learners Home”
Original Home Wireframe
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Revised Home Wireframe
Original Home Wireframe
Improvement Opportunity #2
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Takes far too long to get from home page to content page to start learning
Improvement Opportunity #2
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Takes far too long to get from home page to content page to start learning
Incorporate elements such as Bookmarks into desktop navigation to improve consistency between platforms
Added Bookmarks on Desktop
Original Global Navigation Wireframe
Revised Global Navigation Wireframe
Changed Search filters
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Made search filters tabs instead of sub-pages
Kept consistency with mobile search filters
Original Search Wireframe
Revised Search Wireframe
Improvement Opportunity #3
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Many labels are vague and redundant, leaving users confused
Improvement Opportunity #3
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon
Many labels are vague and redundant, leaving users confused
Fix labeling issues to reduce confusion among users
Labeling fixes
Executive Summary
Business Goals
Target Audience
Problem:
Takes far too long to get from home page to content page to start learning
Desktop and mobile platforms don’t interact with each other very well, seems like two separate systems in certain areas
Many labels are vague and redundant, leaving users confused
Core Target Audience: Students (12-18)
Educators: Highschool teachers (25-75)
Parents of students
Solution:
Improve user flow so that users can get to sequential content quicker and easier.
Incorporate elements such as Bookmarks into desktop navigation to improve consistency between platforms
Fix labeling issues to reduce confusion among users
As a non-profit, their main objective is to become as rooted into educational systems as possible. Once students have to use the site for one subject, they can discover new subjects and content elsewhere on the site.
With more users comes more opportunities to innovate and expand.
Thank you :-)
Andrew Goodridge - IACT370 - Spring 2020 - Professor Yee Eun Yoon