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.


Result

Implemented long-term UX strategy, introduced a completely revamped UX and UI for the app, established new user flows, and crafted a comprehensive product roadmap. As the app is currently in the development phase, assessing the impact remains challenging at this time.

Result

The work done resulted in implemented a long-term UX strategy, introduced a completely revamped UX and UI for the app, established new user flows, and crafted a comprehensive product roadmap. As the app is currently in the development phase, assessing the impact remains challenging at this time.

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.

elvinaux.com

|

2024

|

All rights reserved

elvinaux.com

|

2024

|

All rights reserved

elvinaux.com

2024

|

All rights reserved