Deliverables
CHALLENGE / Engaging DC Janeites
JASNA-DC is the regional chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) serving the DMV area (DC-Maryland-North Virginia). The challenge is straightforward: find out how to engage DC-area Jane Austen fans (“Janeites”).
Janeite engagement is key to drive participation and a healthy membership for JASNA as a nonprofit dedicated to “the enjoyment and appreciation of Jane Austen and her writing.”
RESEARCH / Who are the DC Janeites?
I constructed a proto-persona using JASNA’s “Anatomy of a Janeite” – a general survey of its members conducted in 2008. I wanted to see where the DC Janeites fit and to determine what my target user group should be for usability testing.
Following usability testing and interviews I was able to identify a specific DC Janeite persona which mostly aligns with the proto-persona but differs in organizational participation.
Key Takeaways
Research / 3 Usability Tests and Interviews
I tested the JASNA-DC site with 3 users ages 20-30 in 1 hour sessions.
Contextual Interview – general questions identifying connection to Jane Austen as well as hobbies
Usability Test – 2 tasks (i.e. utilizing the site to locate Jane Austen related events of interest) while narrating experience
Word Choice Exercise – follow up survey on Qualtrics – selecting the adjectives to describe experience and ranking the top 5 words
Guided Discussion – discussion on top 5 choice of words
Free Form Discussion – informal discussion (i.e. favorite Austen books, favorite characters)
Usability Test Shows User Frustration With Content and Inconsistencies
I summarized the user experience utilizing the site to find Jane Austen events of interest in a journey map. The journey mapping revealed user frustration finding correct, consistent, up to date information. There was also confusion arising from inconsistency in style and branding.
Users felt more comfortable navigating away from the website to JASNA DC’s Facebook.
Top User Word Choices: Boring, Dated, Faulty Site
User Word Choice Commonalities
Top 5 Word Comparison
Key Takeaways
Research / COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Role of Effort and Sense of Community
Internal Competition: DC vs. NY
The DC and the New York Chapters of JASNA are not competing for membership but they do compete within the organization for reputation. Furthermore, the New York Chapter serves as a helpful analog to help identify alternative means of engagement for similar populations.
External Competition
JASNA-DC and JASNA in general face external competition in 2 important participation factors: Level of Effort Required and Sense of Community.
I determined that JASNA provides users with an established community of Janeites but requires commitment. Social media and one time events through meetup do not require a high level of commitment.
Key Takeaway
In order to compete with these forms of connection, JASNA has to provide a value proposition based on its sense of community.
Strategy / Re-Building a Brand
