UX Research · Usability Testing

Can a first-time visitor actually figure out what this site does?

A moderated usability test on Sutra Studios, run start to finish on my own: recruiting a subject, writing the test protocol, moderating the session, and turning raw reactions into specific, actionable findings.

Goal

Find out whether a first-time visitor could understand Sutra Studios' purpose and navigate the site successfully.

Method

A moderated usability test with one live subject: five structured questions plus follow-ups, over a 20-minute virtual session.

Outcome

Five distinct structural issues identified, each paired with a specific, actionable recommendation.

Questions asked

Process & reflection

I gave my test subject, Cleo, two minutes to freely explore the site, then asked for her overall impressions before walking through the five questions above, along with follow-up questions as issues came up. The session ran about 20 minutes over a virtual call.

Cleo's reactions were immediate and consistent rather than something I had to draw out of her, which was itself telling. Within the first minute, she had already scrolled past the homepage's main call-to-action, "Begin Here," because it didn't stand out visually. From there, her confusion grew: nearly every link she clicked led to a page that looked almost identical to the one she had just left, with no clear signal that she had actually navigated anywhere.

Findings & recommendations

Cleo's feedback clustered around a few recurring problems:

Learnability: Cleo could not clearly state the site's purpose, even after several minutes of exploring. Recommendation: add a clear, single-sentence value proposition near the top of the homepage.
Navigation & Visual Hierarchy: The main call-to-action is easy to miss, and sub-pages are visually indistinguishable from the homepage, so Cleo couldn't tell when she had navigated to a new page. Recommendation: give sub-pages a distinct header or breadcrumb, and increase the visual weight of primary calls-to-action.
Choice Overload: Cleo compared the site to a Cheesecake Factory menu: too many options on every page, which made her want to leave rather than choose. She described the experience as "a never-ending spiral to nothing." Recommendation: reduce each page to one primary call-to-action instead of five.
Tone & Trust: Cleo said the site's language and repeated appeals to "join" or "apply" gave it a cult-like feel. Recommendation: tone down sales-heavy language in favor of clear, concrete information.
Perceived Incompleteness: Multiple offerings, including the membership tiers, were marked "Coming Soon," which undermined Cleo's trust in the rest of the site. Recommendation: hold unfinished offerings out of public navigation until they are ready to launch.

Taken together, Cleo's feedback suggests the site underperforms across nearly all five usability components, most notably learnability and satisfaction.

Conclusion

This test surfaced a consistent, and consistently negative, first-time user experience. Cleo could not confidently describe what Sutra Studios does, found herself unintentionally clicking through page after page with no clear direction, and ultimately said she would not return to the site. The core issue isn't any single page or feature, but the site's overall structure: too many competing calls-to-action, no clear visual distinction between pages, marketing copy that reads as more aspirational than informative, and several key offerings still labeled "Coming Soon." Addressing the recommendations above, particularly simplifying the navigation and clarifying the site's core purpose, would go a long way toward turning a confusing browsing experience into a usable one.