Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
Improved Site Search with Coveo and User Testing.
Project Brief
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) represents the largest aviation membership organization in the world, serving more than 300,000 pilots across 75 countries. With a large, highly engaged membership, AOPA receives direct feedback when its digital experiences make it difficult for pilots to find the information they need.
Client Details.
- Organization: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)
- Industry: Groups & Associations
- URL: https://www.aopa.org/
Services Provided.
- Strategic Planning
- Digital Marketing
- Experience Design
Project Solution.
AOPA.org contains a deep collection of aviation content, including magazine articles, legal and regulatory information, news, and flight resources. Members needed to find that information quickly, but AOPA’s existing Google on-site search product wasn’t consistently supporting the way pilots naturally searched.
AOPA needed:
- An objective evaluation of the existing search experience
- A modern search platform capable of improving relevance and usability
- A proof of concept that could demonstrate the value of changing platforms
- Validation from actual pilots before committing to the new technology
- A solution AOPA’s internal team could continue optimizing after implementation
Ascedia evaluated AOPA’s existing search experience from both technical and UX perspectives. Through that evaluation, Coveo emerged as the recommended replacement because of its intelligent search capabilities, machine learning technology, and native compatibility with AOPA’s Sitecore environment.
Rather than asking AOPA to make the investment based solely on a technology recommendation, we developed a proof of concept and put both experiences in front of users.
Current-State User Testing
- Tested the existing AOPA.org search experience with AOPA pilots and participants from the TryMyUI User Testing Pool
- Used open-ended tasks to understand where users naturally began a search
- Tested specific information-finding scenarios, including locating recent Pilot Magazine content
- Identified situations where users struggled with search or reached the correct information through unintended paths
- Used direct user behavior and feedback to document opportunities for improvement
Ascedia implemented Coveo within a copy of AOPA’s Sitecore production environment and conducted another round of testing with AOPA pilots. Participants completed the same search tasks used during current-state testing, giving the teams a direct comparison between the two experiences.
Users moved through the Coveo tasks more quickly and easily. Although Ascedia incorporated filtering into the experience, participants often didn’t need it because Coveo produced stronger default results for common searches.
- Translated testing findings into a finalized search UX and wireframe
- Designed the experience around pilots’ natural search behaviors
- Implemented functionality that supported more relevant results and filtering
- Trained AOPA administrators to configure back-end features and refine results
- Gave the internal team greater control over ongoing search optimization
The engagement demonstrates Ascedia’s approach to complex technology decisions: start with the user problem, evaluate the technology, test the recommendation, and use evidence to guide implementation.
Search was also one component of Ascedia’s broader work with AOPA. Our mobile application work created another way for pilots to access AOPA content and resources on the go, reinforcing the same goal across platforms: making AOPA’s extensive digital resources easier for members to find and use.