How information architecture grounded in research improves usability and business metrics
2020
6 month
Mybuh.kz
About client
A small company providing bookkeeping consultancy, on-demand accounting services and self-service bookkeeping web application for SMBs.
Business challenge
Web application received many user complaints about navigation and poor wayfinding. Moreover, the old CMS-based system didn't allow for flexibility to change the information architecture. The client sought to redesign the application from scratch, improving both UX and UI.
Approach
✨ Conducted 5 stakeholder workshops involving key business teams (sales, service, CX, IT, marketing) to comprehend challenges, gather requirements, establish outcomes and success criteria, and identify assumptions and constraints.
✨ Analysed existing data sources, including customer feedback, app reviews, and available analytics.
✨ Examined processes, digital products, and Voice of Customer (VOC) data from similar automotive dealers.
✨ Engaged in field research by visiting service centres and sales showrooms, gathering insights on internal processes and customer experiences from sales representatives and service advisors.
✨ Facilitated focus groups with current customers (mix of both app users and non-users) and prospects.
✨ Conducted qualitative data analysis to distill insights.
✨ Based on the use research data, I updated a feature roadmap that was developed before the project began (more on it in the “Learnings” section below).
✨ Designed Information Architecture (IA) and navigation, with iterative tree testing for improvement.
✨ Mapped out main user flows and created high-fidelity wireframes.
✨ Conducted seven feasibility workshops in collaboration with developers to ensure the design was technically viable.
✨ Planned and executed usability testing with both app users and non-app users, refining wireframes based on findings and qualitative feedback.
✨ Handed over the wireframes to UI design.
✨ Developed an interactive prototype and annotated all interactions for developers for a smoother hand-off.
Lessons
💡 Evaluate the client's UX maturity early in the process; if it is lacking, allocate time to explain the design process, steps, deliverables, and the rationale behind design decisions.
💡 User research insights should drive the roadmap, while considering overarching business goals.
💡 Dive deeper into business processes and understand internal system limitations (e.g., Oracle, Salesforce). Perform business process mapping to gain a comprehensive understanding of the organisation's operations.
💡 Identify and map stakeholders to ascertain decision-makers within the project.
💡 Conduct desk research to enhance domain knowledge before engaging in focus groups.
💡 Scrutinise participant selection during recruitment, ensuring articulate communication, especially in cases where English is not the first language.
💡 Develop prototypes with a high-fidelity interaction level to closely resemble the real-life application, promoting more realistic feedback during usability testing.
