SSI digital learning platform
• Scuba Schools International •
Usability Evaluation of the SSI digital learning platform
Overview
SSI Digital Learning is an online platform that delivers scuba‑diving training courses to learners around the world. The purpose of this evaluative study was to understand the issues first‑time users encounter when exploring the platform and attempting their initial learning tasks.
The aim was to examine the existing web application, observe how users interacted with the interface, and assess the usability of SSI’s digital learning experience in order to identify key usability issues.
The Challenge
Over time, new features had been layered onto the existing product, making the experience less intuitive for newcomers. First‑time users often felt unsure where to start, how to resume their course, or what to do next once they logged in.
My Approach
I conducted moderated usability testing with first‑time users of SSI Digital Learning, asking them to think aloud as they worked through core tasks. Observing them in real time allowed me to capture both interaction patterns and emotional responses—hesitation, frustration, and moments of clarity when they finally found what they needed.
Using a structured evaluative framework, I combined these qualitative insights with a formal usability assessment. This made it possible to compare behaviour across participants and turn observations into concrete, prioritised findings.
Outcomes
The evaluation surfaced a series of navigation, labelling, and feedback issues that were quietly undermining first‑time users’ confidence. By translating these findings into a prioritised, evidence‑based report, SSI gained a clear roadmap of what to fix first and how to evolve the platform so divers could focus on learning—not fighting the interface.
New divers arriving on the SSI Digital Learning platform didn’t know where to start or how to get back to their course. They relied on trial‑and‑error clicks, experienced unnecessary cognitive load, and often questioned whether they were “doing it right”.
Observed first‑time users completing core tasks using a think‑aloud protocol and conducted a structured usability review. Synthesised the results into a prioritised report with severity ratings and concrete design recommendations, enabling SSI to simplify entry points, clarify navigation, and better support confident, goal‑driven exploration.
Reflection
When the regional manager approached me about rising user complaints on the SSI digital learning platform, I was keen to understand what was really causing friction for divers using the system.
The most revealing part of this project was seeing how essential it is to observe users directly. People often can’t explain what’s wrong—they worry about sounding critical or assume the problem is “just them”. Watching them interact with the platform told a different story: their hesitations, workarounds, and moments of confusion surfaced the core issues far more clearly than any survey could.
The study distilled those patterns into clear, evidence-based findings that SSI could act on—making the real problems visible and giving the team a concrete starting point for improving the learning experience.