Project Vision
The extension is a tool utilized by employees to make their day-to-day tasks more efficient. The tool was bloated with a plethora of tools and features that were only relevant to a small handful of employees, and not to those who predominantly use the tool.
I sought to improve the tool through a product update focused on the primary audience of the tool. This would require learning about these users to make efficient use of design and development hours.
Challenges
1. Introduce feature recommendations from users
2. Streamline UI to improve the efficiency of the tool
3. Utilize new research methodologies
My Role
UX/UI Generalist
Tools Used
Figma
Zoom
The Goal
Introduce new features and aesthetic components to improve the overall user experience of the tool.
Initial Questions
What is the product and who is it for?
Which users utilize the tool most?
What are the primary frustrations of these users?
What improvements can be made without user input?
What is the best method for gathering data?
What relevant information is currently documented?
Reserarch Methodologies
I used Zoom to conduct moderated user tests and built user personas to better empathize with users and understand their primary needs. The primary users identified for this study was project managers from two seperate business departments (manage services & implimentation) that use the tool for every day tasks.
Methodology
🔎 Moderated Usability Study
📍 Chicago, IL (Remote)
Each session lasted 15 to 30 minuets, including an introduction, task list, and buffer space to ask questions and provide clarification as needed.
KPI
• Time on Task
• User Error Rates
• Cognitive Overload
Participants
All 5 participants volunteered their time and were sourced from 4 different internal slack channels. I specifically sought out project managers from two separate departments.
Guiding Questions
How do you currently use the tool and how is it beneficial for your day-to-day tasks?
What are your most consistent pain points when using the tool?
Do you have any feature recommendations or things you wish were easier to do?
Usability Findings
Users confirmed that there were many features that they did not feel were relevant to their workflows, leading to inefficiencies when using the extension. These inefficiencies led to cognitive overload with some users, preventing them from using the tool beyond what each individual was comfortable with, stiffening the potential impact the tool could have on their workflow. Additionally, some users had suggestions about the integration of the tool inside the chrome workspace.
User Personas
I built user personas based on the interviews I conducted. This provided me a place to document each user's responses, as well as highlight key insights that I would later use as reference when delivering my findings to primary stakeholders.
Prototype
After sketching some ideas down I went ahead and applied some of the aesthetic and usability updates to the new extension. A high-fidelity prototype was built using previously implemented elements to test the new design with users. This research helped alleviate the pain-points users previously experienced, making the final design more user-friendly for the primary user group.
In total there were two rounds of usability testing using the double diamond method: the first round was dedicated to discovery which helped define what problems currently existed with the tool. The second round of testing was dedicated to testing solutions and finalizing the user journey. From this, we were able to address the primary user issues and find solutions that could be applied to the tool!
Refining Designs
The basic design system for Yextension had been supplied during previous updates, so I had almost all the necessary components to execute my product vision. However, I did have to craft some custom UI elements to support new features.
Impact
The extension is now more user-friendly, allowing primary users to execute tasks more efficiently.
To quote one user:
"I love these new updates! It took much less time to find what I normally would spend a lot more time looking for. The ability to look up accounts is super helpful and saves me a lot of time. I would definitely use this tool more if it functioned this way."
What I learned
This was a rare opportunities to have full control over a project’s outcome! It allowed me to get granular in my approach to research and ideation. I wanted to maximize my own and the product’s potential 😊
I also learned different approaches to organizing my work and optimizing my files for development handoff. I couldn’t rely on the typical process and expectations that we had for previous handoff, and had to work closely with developers to ensure that my files were easy to navigate and understand.
