ARNES Virtual Conferencing

About:

ARNES is Slovenia’s national research and education network, running the country’s backbone infrastructure—networks, data centers, and supercomputers—and linking Slovenian scholars to global resources through the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC).

My Role: UI Design, User Research

Timeline: January 2025 - May 2025

Scope of Work: Web App

The Problem

People juggling a mess of emails, calendars, and random portals just to book a virtual room—and it’s a total headache.
Double-bookings, last-minute clashes, and the classic “where’s my link?” panic

User Profile

Students, educators, and researchers across all educational levels, from kindergarten to top-tier research institutions
Users require a accessible, and cost-efficient solution to book and share resources efficiently.

Scope

Online reservation portal for virtual video-conference rooms
Calendar integrations (Google, Outlook)
Role-based access (student, instructor, etc)
Interaction Statistics & waiting-list management

Goals

Develop an open-source web platform to streamline reservations for virtual video conferencing rooms.
Observe workflows and failure modes (e.g., double-bookings, no-show links).
Prototype & test wireframes to ensure clarity, reduce clicks, and cut support tickets.

Research Methods

I. Landscape Analysis

Objective:

Evaluate existing booking platforms to identify patterns, gaps, or usability issues

Tools Analyzed:

Calendly, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom etc.

Criteria:

Overall design clarity
Simplicity of navigation
Time to complete booking
User feedback (e.g. error message)

Insights:

Simplification vs. Customization tradeoff
Feedback enhances user confidence

II. User Interviews

Objective:

Understand how users experience current booking systems

Participants:

5 users across research & education sectors

Method:

Semistructured interviews (In-person & virtual)

Key Themes:

Booking fatigue
Desire for effortless scheduling

Takeaway:

Need streamlined booking experience that eliminates repetitive tasks

III. Usability Testing

Usability Test Goals:

Identify usability issues in scheduling and meeting management
Assess navigation ease for key tasks
Gather feedback on interface clarity and user experience

Testing Setup:

4 participants (age 18-35)
5-10 minute sessions per participant
Team members roles (moderator, notetaker, recorder)

Tasks Tested:

Schedule a new event
Configure meeting settings
Edit a meeting's time
Review meeting analytics

High-Fidelity Prototype

Critical Incidents

Positives:

Tasks that were familiar and similar to other products were intuitive for users.
Data presentation was understood easily.

Negatives:

Users hesitated using buttons that weren't visually clear.

Key Findings

Familiarity equated to ease of use.
- How can we implement this in a way that is intuitive?
Users need some sort of feedback indicating a task has been completed.
- How can we let the user know they succeeded in a task?
Users can’t find things that aren’t immediately visible or easy to access.
- How can we clarify what actions a user can perform?
Data needs to be presented clearly.
- What are the simplest ways we can present data?

Results

Users value simplicity.

Common pain points involved lack of visual clarity and unfamiliarity. Following existing protocols from similar programs makes it more likely for the user to know how to use a new program from the get-go. Ensuring that important buttons are easy to find and clear saves the user time and confusion. To solve this issue, simplifying the process for users is vital.