OmegaOne is an all-in-one communications application that allows sororities and fraternities to plan events, track attendance, and manage bills. The application was created in 1992 primarily to help college students in greek life chapters manage finances. Since then it has expanded its tools to help students plan events, send files, and communicate with the rest of their chapter. Now, over one million students across the United States use OmegaOne.
As a user of this platform and as a temporary expert in user-experience design, I completed an expert evaluation of OmegaOne and discovered new strengths and weaknesses. Some of which I (surprisingly) hadn’t noticed as a user. Here’s what I found.
The Advantages
As a user of this platform and as a temporary expert in user-experience design, I completed an expert evaluation of OmegaOne and discovered new strengths and weaknesses. Some of which I (surprisingly) hadn’t noticed as a user. Here’s what I found.
The Advantages
Three features that make OmegaOne successful are its consistency, readability, and familiarity. Consistency appears in the brand identity throughout the application. The colors used in the application have been chosen from the logo. The logo appears centered at the top of the homepage and the content throughout the application reflects the colors in the logo. This design choice does a number of things for the user. It helps the user navigate through the application without distraction, and it also provides the user with a sense of credibility. Consistently is so important for the user because it minimizes slips by decreasing distractions on the page.
OmegaOne is also successful in regards to readability and therefore helps users quickly skim for information without frustration or distraction. The application presents content so that it is easy for users to raid for information. The font size is large enough to read on a mobile device, and the content is spread out enough so that the user is not overwhelmed with information. These design choices allow the user to skim for the information he or she needs to achieve a task.
Finally, OmegaOne does a great job of making the application familiar for new users. It includes many features that reflect common trends of websites and other applications including the following: a navigation bar, icons (house, magnifying glass, bell), a left-aligned menu, dropdown tools, a search bar, and more. This familiarity is so important because it attracts new users and allows them to learn how to navigate through the application without too much confusion.
The Flaws
Now to discuss the flaws. There are some significant usability problems within this application, but there are not as many as my biased frustration originally imagined. Here are the problems that need the most attention in my (expert) opinion.
Let’s begin with the search function. Overall, the search function is misleading. It can be confusing to a user because it appears to be its own page when it is not. A user can also naturally expect to search for any information throughout the application, but instead the search function only covers content from the feed. The search function is misleading, and it is prone to cause slips. It is too easy for a user to unintentionally select a search result due to the overcrowding of information in the small results box. Changing the appearance and functionally of the search function will improve its usability because it will cause less confusion and allow the user to find information more efficiently.
The next most pressing issue is accessibility from the homepage. The most commonly used functions should not be deeply hidden within the application. Users can become easily frustrated when time is wasted clicking and searching. Hidden functions can be especially frustrating for new users as it is not obvious where to locate important tools. From the homepage, it should be obvious where to navigate to the most important tools, and it should not take more than 2–3 clicks to get there. Although OmegaOne includes a navigation bar and a chronological feed of posts, it does not allow for easy access to other important tools from the homepage. OmegaOne replicates the look of social media (like Facebook or Instagram), but it has a very different purpose. Its two most important tools (event planning and attendance tracking) are not easily accessible from the homepage.
Finally, in OmegaOne, it is not always clear which page the user is on or how he or she got there. The icon in the navigation menu shows no indication that it has been selected once a user navigates to a page. Plus, once a tool has been selected, there is no visible path to show the user where he or she is. Having a visible navigation trail is important so that users can navigate through the application as efficiently as possible without having to memorize steps or start over at the beginning. A breadcrumb trail allows users to go back one step or recall how to get to a different step in the future. Making this path visible will improve navigation through OmegaOne and make the user experience more efficient and enjoyable.
Conclusion
OmegaOne is a great resource for fraternities and sororities, but there are features that need to be fixed in order to improve overall efficiency and enjoyment of the application. Overall, OmegaOne could improve its accessibility and navigation. It does, however, have strong visibility and consistency. The next steps for OmegaOne should include improving the search function, making the calendar and attendance tracking tool more accessible, and visually representing a breadcrumb trail for users to reference.
OmegaOne is also successful in regards to readability and therefore helps users quickly skim for information without frustration or distraction. The application presents content so that it is easy for users to raid for information. The font size is large enough to read on a mobile device, and the content is spread out enough so that the user is not overwhelmed with information. These design choices allow the user to skim for the information he or she needs to achieve a task.
Finally, OmegaOne does a great job of making the application familiar for new users. It includes many features that reflect common trends of websites and other applications including the following: a navigation bar, icons (house, magnifying glass, bell), a left-aligned menu, dropdown tools, a search bar, and more. This familiarity is so important because it attracts new users and allows them to learn how to navigate through the application without too much confusion.
The Flaws
Now to discuss the flaws. There are some significant usability problems within this application, but there are not as many as my biased frustration originally imagined. Here are the problems that need the most attention in my (expert) opinion.
Let’s begin with the search function. Overall, the search function is misleading. It can be confusing to a user because it appears to be its own page when it is not. A user can also naturally expect to search for any information throughout the application, but instead the search function only covers content from the feed. The search function is misleading, and it is prone to cause slips. It is too easy for a user to unintentionally select a search result due to the overcrowding of information in the small results box. Changing the appearance and functionally of the search function will improve its usability because it will cause less confusion and allow the user to find information more efficiently.
The next most pressing issue is accessibility from the homepage. The most commonly used functions should not be deeply hidden within the application. Users can become easily frustrated when time is wasted clicking and searching. Hidden functions can be especially frustrating for new users as it is not obvious where to locate important tools. From the homepage, it should be obvious where to navigate to the most important tools, and it should not take more than 2–3 clicks to get there. Although OmegaOne includes a navigation bar and a chronological feed of posts, it does not allow for easy access to other important tools from the homepage. OmegaOne replicates the look of social media (like Facebook or Instagram), but it has a very different purpose. Its two most important tools (event planning and attendance tracking) are not easily accessible from the homepage.
Finally, in OmegaOne, it is not always clear which page the user is on or how he or she got there. The icon in the navigation menu shows no indication that it has been selected once a user navigates to a page. Plus, once a tool has been selected, there is no visible path to show the user where he or she is. Having a visible navigation trail is important so that users can navigate through the application as efficiently as possible without having to memorize steps or start over at the beginning. A breadcrumb trail allows users to go back one step or recall how to get to a different step in the future. Making this path visible will improve navigation through OmegaOne and make the user experience more efficient and enjoyable.
Conclusion
OmegaOne is a great resource for fraternities and sororities, but there are features that need to be fixed in order to improve overall efficiency and enjoyment of the application. Overall, OmegaOne could improve its accessibility and navigation. It does, however, have strong visibility and consistency. The next steps for OmegaOne should include improving the search function, making the calendar and attendance tracking tool more accessible, and visually representing a breadcrumb trail for users to reference.
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