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Identifying Personio's Category Labels
Identifying Personio's Category Labels
What?
Boosting engagement.
What?
Boosting engagement.
How?
Identifying and validating high-level navigation labels for English and German-speaking users through Cloze and A/B testing.
How?
Identifying and validating high-level navigation labels for English and German-speaking users through Cloze and A/B testing.
Copy testing
Microcopy
Content Design
Webapp
Overview
Overview
🤔 What is Personio?
🤔 What is Personio?
👉 Personio is a widely-used HR tool for companies.
Show more
👉 Personio is a widely-used HR tool for companies.
Show more
👉 Personio is a widely-used HR tool for companies.
🤔 What stakeholders did I work with?
🤔 What stakeholders did I work with?
👉 I worked closely together with the Senior Platform Product Manager for Global Experiences.
👉 I worked closely together with the Senior Platform Product Manager for Global Experiences.
Tools used
Tools used
Figma
Maze
TestingTime
Typeform
Ezgifs
Problem Statement/Challenge
Problem Statement/Challenge
Problem statement
Problem statement
“Our (Personio) users may experience confusion when navigating 2nd and 3rd-level menus due to unvalidated or missing terms. This makes it difficult to find information effectively in the context of HR management tasks”
“Our (Personio) users may experience confusion when navigating 2nd and 3rd-level menus due to unvalidated or missing terms. This makes it difficult to find information effectively in the context of HR management tasks”
Affected Languages
Affected Languages
🇬🇧🇪🇺 English (European English)
🇬🇧🇪🇺 English (European English)
🇩🇪🇦🇹🇨🇭German
🇩🇪🇦🇹🇨🇭German
Approach/Process
Approach/Process
Approach
Approach
The task fundamentally drew upon the "Test" stage of the design process, revisiting the "Refine" and "Prototype/Test" stages from previous development.
The task fundamentally drew upon the "Test" stage of the design process, revisiting the "Refine" and "Prototype/Test" stages from previous development.
Therefore, different forms of user testing were needed for these stages, forming a triangulation testing method to identify the category label microcopy. The following were identified as the most suitable for this task:
Therefore, different forms of user testing were needed for these stages, forming a triangulation testing method to identify the category label microcopy. The following were identified as the most suitable for this task:
Refine stage:
Prototype/Test stage:
Prototype/
Test stage:
Cloze Testing
A/B (Preference) Testing
i. Cloze (Fill in the blank) Testing
i. Cloze (Fill in the blank) Testing
7 initial Cloze Tests were made with surveys created in Typeform. This stage was conducted by Personio, and provided a basis to proceed with UX microcopy for the next stage.
7 initial Cloze Tests were made with surveys created in Typeform. This stage was conducted by Personio, and provided a basis to proceed with UX microcopy for the next stage.
Users recruited from Testing Time were prompted to fill in the _______ blank. They were asked contextual questions about what they would name a certain category as. The format was open-ended, allowing the testers to fill in the _______ blanks freely - whatever term came to mind first.
Users recruited from Testing Time were prompted to fill in the _______ blank. They were asked contextual questions about what they would name a certain category as. The format was open-ended, allowing the testers to fill in the _______ blanks freely - whatever term came to mind first.
Results
Results
The answers generated from the initial round of Cloze Testing in "Words to test" provided a base to create and carry out Preference Testing.
The answers generated from the initial round of Cloze Testing in "Words to test" provided a base to create and carry out Preference Testing.
ℹ️ Head’s up: Tests 2 & 6 only generated two consistent terms, meaning it wasn’t necessary to test a third term here.
ℹ️ Head’s up: Tests 2 & 6 only generated two consistent terms, meaning it wasn’t necessary to test a third term here.
ii. A/B (Preference) Testing: Step 1
ii. A/B (Preference) Testing: Step 1
To start preference testing, mockups that include the microcopy from the previous Cloze testing were created in Figma. To show all microcopy contenders at a glance for Preference testing, these were displayed by way of gif; created with EZGifs!
To start preference testing, mockups that include the microcopy from the previous Cloze testing were created in Figma. To show all microcopy contenders at a glance for Preference testing, these were displayed by way of gif; created with EZGifs!
English Gif examples
English Gif examples
German Gif examples examples
German Gif examples examples
ii. A/B (Preference) Testing: Step 2
ii. A/B (Preference) Testing: Step 2
Cloze (fill in the blank) testing had been completed, gifs mockups created and ready for the final testing. 30 testers were recruited for English and German, with all testers for the English version coming from the internal A/B testing tool with Maze, and the German testers recruited from TestingTime.
Cloze (fill in the blank) testing had been completed, gifs mockups created and ready for the final testing. 30 testers were recruited for English and German, with all testers for the English version coming from the internal A/B testing tool with Maze, and the German testers recruited from TestingTime.
Real-life contexts for each question were added in to increase validity, and to help the user to select a choice that felt the most natural to them. I also included each gif in each question as a visual aid.
Real-life contexts for each question were added in to increase validity, and to help the user to select a choice that felt the most natural to them. I also included each gif in each question as a visual aid.
Questions examples: English and German
Questions examples: English and German
Questions examples: English and German
Results
Results
Results
Results
Outcome
Outcome
The final microcopy used, validated and updated onto the Personio product was determined by the following results using a first past the post system. (i.e. the microcopy with the most clicks). Finally, the microcopy was identified and validated.
The final microcopy used, validated and updated onto the Personio product was determined by the following results using a first past the post system. (i.e. the microcopy with the most clicks). Finally, the microcopy was identified and validated.
English results
English results
German results
German results
Project impact
Project impact
The microcopy research at Personio revealed valuable insights into user expectations and terminology preferences. This ensures that 2nd and 3rd level navigation labels were not only consistent, but also aligned with how users naturally think and search for information.
By validating terms through user research, we created a clearer, more intuitive navigation experience, enhancing usability and reducing ambiguity.
The microcopy research at Personio revealed valuable insights into user expectations and terminology preferences. This ensures that 2nd and 3rd level navigation labels were not only consistent, but also aligned with how users naturally think and search for information.
By validating terms through user research, we created a clearer, more intuitive navigation experience, enhancing usability and reducing ambiguity.
Project takeaways
Project takeaways
My personal takeaway: User research triangulation is essential when testing microcopy. It has the ability to use real quantitative and qualitative user research to validate terms and ensure they resonate with the users.
This project also highlighted the weight of microcopy in design, and how even subtle nuances between different terminology can play make the difference when it comes to getting the user from A to B.
My personal takeaway: User research triangulation is essential when testing microcopy. It has the ability to use real quantitative and qualitative user research to validate terms and ensure they resonate with the users.
This project also highlighted the weight of microcopy in design, and how even subtle nuances between different terminology can play make the difference when it comes to getting the user from A to B.
How can I help your business? Let’s chat!
2025, Benjamin Bruton
How can I help your business? Let’s chat!
2025, Benjamin Bruton
How can I help your business? Let’s chat!
2025, Benjamin Bruton