Overview
Role
I worked collaboratively with team leads on Trello as a Project Facilitator. I contributed to the project with an end-to-end process along with the cohort as a UX Designer. Being able to work with a diverse background of team members at once really enhanced my communication and collaboration skills.
Problem
Service Connect Staff at Macquarie University feels overwhelmed and confused when finding the right information for students. They want to be able to provide a better customer service experience but believe their onboarding and learning journey did not engage or prepare them for the job.
Goal
A gamified interactive platform for Service Connect Staff to engage with their onboarding and learning program, and able to better prepare for their daily routine to provide a better customer service experience and the right information for students.
Design Process
The design project was conducted through the double-diamond framework.
Discover
A systematic process of gathering and analysing data directly from Service Connect staff to understand their needs and preferences, with the aim of informing design decisions. This includes online surveys, interviews, competitor analysis, and desktop research.
Define
Gathering and organising research findings from various sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of user behaviors, preferences, and pain points.
Develop
Collaborate with Service Connect staff to develop a wide range of creative ideas and concepts to address the needs and challenges.
Design
Design the solution according to the Service Connect staff's desired direction and conduct user testing with the prototypes to gain feedback for design iterations.
Techniques
Online Surveys, Interviews, Competitor Analysis, Desktop Research, How Might We, Ideation Workshop, Crazy 8s, Feature Priority Matrix, Storyboard, Information Architecture, Wireframe, Low-Fidelity Prototype, High-Fidelity Prototype, Usability Testing.
Tools
Figma, Google Drive, Miro, Slack, Zoom
Metrics
Conducted three rounds of user testing with a total of 42 Service Connect staff members, a substantial improvement in the desirability score was observed. The initial rating of 8/10, which increased by 10% resulting in a revised score of 8.8/10; reflecting the Service Connect staff are keen to include the solution in their daily routine.
Results
Project owner look forward to testing the concepts further, prototyping and implementing solutions for a better service experience.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7005847022494769152
Design Research
Online Survey
Comprehensive insights and findings gathered from the Online Survey phase provide a deep understanding of staff's perspectives and preferences, insights from 31 Service Connect Staffs:
19%
Feel confident assisting students after one month of training
48%
Satisfied with team and manager support, weren't satisfied with the ongoing training and support, anddissatisfied with the training they received
68%
Feel unprepared for success in their role and felt welcomed by staff and management
Interview
Comprehensive insights and findings gathered from the Online Survey phase provide a deep understanding of staff's perspectives and preferences, insights from 20 Service Connect Staffs:
Onboarding & Induction
"It just, it felt very, very long because it was just sitting in one spot and staring at a screen and listening for three hours...wouldn't have minded a little break or a little bit more of an interactive activity in between."
Ongoing Learning Experience
"But like I would get here and I would feel pretty fine because you have people there to help you. But oh god, before the shifts I would be very, very stressed."Ongoing Learning Experience
"I think the buddy shifts were probably the most helpful."
Competitor Analysis
Spanning 8 Australia universities, reveal valuable patterns and trends in their onboarding processes.
Induction Process
From 4 hours to 38 hours
Standard Practices
Digital Portals / Face-to-faceChecklists
Role-based instructions(first 3 months)
Desktop Research
The desktop research findings provide us insights into the pivotal role of seamless onboarding experiences in driving user engagement and product success.
Award Point System
Rewards users with points for completing specific tasks
Demonstration
Visual and interactive onboarding that showcases the product's key features and functionalitiesFeedback System
Enabling users to provide valuable insights and opinions about their onboarding experienceGamification
Integrates game-like elements to motivate and captivate users
Individual Training Plans
Maximising new user's understanding and proficiency
Infographics
Condenses complex information and data into a concise and visually appealing format, making it easy for users to grasp and understand the key concepts quickly
The Buddy Systems
Pairs new users with experienced ones to guide and support them throughout the onboarding journey
Key Insight
Training Effectiveness
Only 19% of Service Connect staff report feeling confident in their roles after one month of training. Additionally, 68% express a lack of preparedness for their responsibilities, despite receiving a welcoming environment from management.
Onboarding Experience
The current onboarding process is perceived as excessively lengthy and passive. There is a need for more interactive elements and periodic breaks. Buddy shifts are identified as a particularly beneficial component of the training.
Competitor Practices
Analysis of onboarding processes at eight Australian universities reveals significant variability in induction durations (ranging from 4 to 38 hours) and a combination of digital and face-to-face methods.
Best Practices
Effective onboarding strategies include the use of reward systems (e.g., point-based incentives), individualised training plans, infographics for clear communication, buddy systems for peer support, interactive demonstrations, feedback mechanisms, and gamification to enhance engagement and effectiveness.
Research Artifacts
Gathering and organising research to gain a comprehensive understanding of user behaviors, preferences, and pain points.
Affinity Mapping
Service Connect Management Staff | Empathy Map & Persona
Service Connect Staff | Empathy Map & Persona
Journey Map
Design Ideation
How Might We
Turning Service Connect staff's needs into open-ended, solution-focused questions
Make the induction process more effective and engaging to improve the learning experience?
Improve the onboarding experience for new staff so that we can accelerate the development of confidence?
Improve the ongoing training experience to maintain confidence in their ability to handle the diverse range of inquiries?
Ideation Workshop
Investigate the onboarding and learning experience of Service Connect staff to build capability and improve the experience for students. 3 ideation workshops, 10 Service Connect Staff, 5 Crazy-8 sessions, Features *voted out of 5 per person.
First Concept (14 votes)
"Trivia Night - have SL as a buddy - to mentor during the night - training Ongoing competition
Mega Concept (15 votes)
Mentorship - Training done in groups and employees create a relationship with new staff
Mentor is the overall theme - can get training, and activities all from them, quizzes, more involvement, more activities, perm staff member, SL, foster a friendship and trust in the office - less scared to approach someone - have one-on-one meetings, discussions
Mentorship - 2 mentors supporting a bigger group of new staff, support to fall back on
Minimum Viable Product
Identify the most basic version of a product that includes essential features to validate concepts with minimal resources needed.
The Quick Wins
Interactive knowledge tool that guides staff
Mentorship group - Training is done in groups and employees create a relationship with new staff
Onboarding map
Interaction mock inquiry practice tool - based on previous student questions
Storyboard
The storyboard illustrates the new concept for Service Connect Staff to perform pre-boarding, onboarding, and post-boarding to provide a better experience for Macquarie University students.
Information Architecture
The information architecture mapped out the core features of the platform and the sub-features under each section.
Usability Testing
Process
We conducted a comprehensive testing process for Service Connect staff, involving three rounds of evaluations using both low-fidelity and mid-fidelity prototypes on Maze. In total, we gathered 52 valuable responses from the participants.
Each testing round had a specific user goal to achieve, and we ensured a hands-off approach during the testing phase, refraining from guiding or interfering with the participants' testing process.
Service Connect Staff like...
Usability Testing Scenario Snapshot 1
Service Connect Staff Feedback
Design Improvement
In response to the feedback received, we have implemented a limit of 3 daily battles. This decision addressed concerns about staff potentially viewing battles as a means to avoid consistently performing their required work.
Usability Testing Scenario Snapshot 2
Service Connect Staff Feedback
Design Improvement
In the mid-fi prototype, we omitted text labels on the side navigation, resulting in confusion among users. As a result, we have incorporated text labels in the final design to facilitate easier navigation and improve the overall user experience.
Design Solution
Sketches
The hand-drawn sketches showcase the ideas of gamification, leaderboards, trophies, and maze systems that Service Connect Staff can use to stay up-to-date with their daily tasks.
Wireframe
A low-fidelity visual representation of a screen layout, outlining the structure and basic elements.
Interfaces
A low-fidelity visual representation of a screen layout, outlining the structure and basic elements.
Login
Dashboard
Mentorship Support
This feature includes discussions around the modules and a leaderboard to see who has the most points.
Modules
The module page lists the source of truth for staff to reference and learn about the topics.
The Maze
This maze lists out the journey of staff's learning. Staff can navigate to different sections through the left navigation and remain access to the main dashboard navigation at the top.
MQ eSCape Campus Cards walkthrough
The screens showcasing each checkpoint in the maze would have included different objectives for staff to complete in order to gain points and learnings.
Infographic
Staff can learn the topic by building an infographic with the right decision path.
Treasure Hunt
The interactive approach for staff to solve problems by referring to OneNote knowledge and being able to apply it to scenario based questions.
Final Progress
After going through the learning journey, staff will also be seeing who's ahead of them, so that they can reach out to the person first before seeking help from their manager.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
What's next?
• Further testing and iterations
• Implement more modules in the solution to use as a reference tool
• Connect Notebook integration and re-design
• Increase activity and engagement with mentorship groups
• Management portal
My learnings
The Importance of Research
When the project was initially briefed, our team had little knowledge about the possible outcomes or how a student service center operates. Through thorough research, we were able to gain valuable insights, narrow down the project's direction, and identify pain points. This research-driven approach allowed us to design a solution that effectively addressed the identified issues.
Using the Right Tone
Working with a diverse team consisting of individuals from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations was a new experience for me. Surprisingly, it turned out to be less challenging than expected because each team member was receptive to opinions, emotions, and constructive feedback. This taught me the importance of adjusting my tone and wording when communicating with others. By tailoring my approach based on the recipient's characteristics, I learned to express myself clearly, fostering better mutual understanding and collaboration.