Evaluation and user testing are integral components of the design process, occurring iteratively rather than as a separate stage. Incorporating evaluation and user testing throughout the design process allows for continuous refinement and improvement, ensuring that the final product meets the needs and expectations of its intended audience. At the wireframing stage, evaluation and user testing involve gathering feedback on the initial design concepts and layouts and presenting my work to the modules tutor and professionals. This could include conducting usability tests with prototype wireframes to identify any usability issues or navigation challenges. Observing how users interact with the wireframes and soliciting feedback on their experience. The first stage was collecting insights from friends and colleagues regarding the ease of using the site, noting that it was a single-page site design. In general, the responses were positive regarding the idea and prototype, with some comments regarding the sections of the site, which they believed that there are no enough sections. After finalizing the prototype, I started to design the site in Canva. I started by consulting with my university tutor, who identified weaknesses that I could focus on in my portfolio design. This helped me to use my remaining time to finish the remaining minor things that he suggested could be modified. In addition, I consulted several people working in the creative design industry in oman, for example, film director Dawood, who advised me to use a unique uniform color for my identity to help me stand out among competitors and make my name memorable for browsers. Muaid Alfannah, a famous graphic designer in Oman, advised me to distinguish between high-end and poor-quality work to avoid adding it to my portfolio. During the coding phase, evaluation and user testing continue as the website takes shape. Here, I consulted my tutor, who advised me to focus on grammar, which has always been challenging because English is not my mother language.
In conclusion, evaluation and user testing are essential components of the design process, occurring iteratively throughout the wireframing, coding, and content-uploading stages. Gathering feedback can identify usability issues and refine the website to meet the needs and expectations better. Incorporating evaluation and user testing into every step of the design process helped me come up with a more polished, user-friendly, and impactful portfolio.