Design for the future

My Role: Lead Product Designer

As the lead designer, I have taken on the responsibility of redesigning a significant enterprise application that caters to a wide user base, including thousands of Product Owners, Business Analysts, and Product Managers across North America and Europe.

During my tenure, I spearheaded a redesign initiative aimed at revolutionizing requirements definition and management, propelling the application into the future.

Throughout this period, we successfully launched two major features that garnered exceptional market adoption and acclaim.

Problem Statement

The current application suffered from an abundance of features and options, leading to a steep learning curve for our users.

Moreover, the visual design and layout of the tool closely mirrored that of a Microsoft tool, resulting in a lack of distinctive branding.

Additionally, the limitations imposed by the tool's design and technology prevented the team from adopting modern trends and patterns, adversely affecting sales and competitiveness.

Goal

We were embarking on an exciting and transformative venture to design and build an extraordinary app that will redefine the technological landscape. Our mission is to harness the power of cutting-edge technology while embracing innovative design methodologies to create a truly exceptional user experience.

At the heart of our vision lies a deep commitment to crafting a distinct and memorable brand identity. We recognize the significance of leaving a lasting impression on our users, and we aim to infuse the app with our unique brand elements, forging a profound and emotional connection with our audience.

Innovation is the driving force that fuels our every endeavor. Our dedicated team is wholeheartedly devoted to pushing the boundaries of what's possible, exploring novel ideas, and challenging conventional norms. By cultivating a culture of creativity and embracing a spirit of exploration, we are determined to deliver a product that stands out in the fiercely competitive market.

User experience holds paramount importance in our design philosophy. We understand that every interaction matters, and thus, we are committed to creating an intuitive, seamless, and delightful journey for our users. By prioritizing user-centric design practices and incorporating valuable feedback, we will ensure that the app caters to the unique needs, preferences, and expectations of our valued users.

Scalability is ingrained in the very foundation of our development strategy. We envision an app that can effortlessly adapt and grow in tandem with the dynamic demands of the ever-evolving tech landscape. Through robust architecture and future-proof infrastructure, we aim to provide a platform that can readily accommodate future enhancements and expansions.

In summary, our aspiration was to create an app that transcends the ordinary, harnessing the full potential of cutting-edge technology to create a seamless fusion of branding, innovation, user experience, and scalability. As we embark on this transformative journey, we are filled with an unwavering determination to deliver an app that not only delights our users but also sets new standards of excellence in the digital realm.

Research

User research is a crucial component when modernizing a requirement management tool like Blueprint. The goal is to deeply understand users' needs, pain points, and preferences to ensure that the updated tool aligns with their expectations and workflows. Here is the user research approach we took:

Define Research Objectives: Clearly outline the research objectives and what specific insights are needed. Identify the key areas that require improvement and determine the target user groups to be involved in the research.
Review Existing Data: Begin by analyzing existing data, such as user feedback, support tickets, and analytics, to gain initial insights into pain points and usage patterns.
User Interviews: Conduct in-depth interviews with existing Blueprint users, including different user roles (e.g., product managers, business analysts, developers). Explore their goals, challenges, and how they currently use the tool.
Contextual Inquiry: Observe users in their natural working environment while using the current Blueprint tool. This provides valuable context and uncovers real-world challenges they face.
Competitor Analysis: Analyze other requirement management tools in the market to understand what features and functionalities users find valuable or lacking.
Surveys: Distribute online surveys to a broader user base to gather quantitative data on user satisfaction, pain points, and feature preferences.
Task Analysis: Conduct task analysis to identify the specific tasks users perform with the existing tool and assess the efficiency and effectiveness of these tasks.
Prototyping and Usability Testing: Create prototypes of the updated tool and conduct usability testing sessions with representative users. Gather feedback on the new design, features, and overall user experience.
Iterative Design: Continuously iterate and refine the updated tool based on user feedback. Involve users in co-creation sessions to collaboratively design features that address their needs.
Remote Testing: If feasible, conduct remote usability testing with users from different geographic locations to ensure the tool's accessibility and usability for a diverse user base.

Sample User Interview Questions

Please describe a typical work day.
What are the Top 5 features that you use most often within Blueprint and why?
How do you perform the following tasks/activities?
- Creating new business requirement
- Creating project structure
What are the Top 5 features & functionalities that you would like to see in Blueprint which doesn’t exist today?

Screens from competitive analysis

Ideation & Conceptual Design

Understanding User Needs: The ideation process begins by gaining a deep understanding of users' pain points, challenges, and aspirations when it comes to requirement management. Through user research, interviews, and contextual inquiry, the team gains valuable insights into the diverse needs of product managers, business analysts, developers, and other stakeholders involved in the requirement process.

Defining Objectives: With user needs at the forefront, the team sets clear objectives for the conceptual design phase. These objectives encompass enhancing collaboration, streamlining workflows, improving traceability, and fostering greater transparency throughout the requirement management process.

User-Centric Design: The conceptual design revolves around a user-centric approach, where the end-users are at the core of every decision made. By involving users in co-creation sessions, the team ensures that the Blueprint tool resonates with the way users think and work, resulting in a tool that aligns seamlessly with their existing workflows.

Seamless Integration: The conceptual design takes into account the tool's integration capabilities with existing project management and development tools. Blueprint is envisioned as a central hub that seamlessly integrates with popular development platforms, ensuring a smooth and cohesive experience for users.

Hi - Fi Designs

In hi-fi design, every detail is meticulously crafted to ensure a seamless and delightful user experience. The UI elements, such as buttons, icons, forms, and navigation, are thoughtfully designed with a consistent and visually appealing style that aligns with the Blueprint brand identity. The use of color, typography, and spacing is carefully chosen to enhance readability and guide users through the application effortlessly.

The Blueprint hi-fi design showcases the advanced features and functionalities that set it apart from traditional requirement management tools. With a focus on user-centered design, the interface prioritizes the most critical actions and information, ensuring that users can accomplish tasks efficiently without unnecessary distractions.

Interactive prototypes are created to demonstrate how users will interact with the tool. These prototypes allow stakeholders and potential users to experience the flow of the application, test its functionality, and provide feedback for further improvements.

Hi-fi design also incorporates the integration of intelligent features powered by AI and ML algorithms. For example, automatic requirement validation, real-time analytics, and smart traceability mechanisms enhance the user experience, making the requirement management process faster and more accurate.

Furthermore, hi-fi design ensures that the Blueprint tool is fully responsive, adapting seamlessly to various screen sizes and devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones. The responsive design guarantees a consistent and optimized experience for users, regardless of the platform they choose.

The hi-fi design phase also involves rigorous usability testing to validate the design decisions and uncover any potential usability issues. User feedback is gathered and incorporated into the final design to ensure that Blueprint meets and exceeds user expectations.

Outcome

We developed a responsive and user-centric web application that significantly minimized the learning curve for our users. This intuitive app aligns closely with the users' mental model, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience.

As a result, Blueprint stood out in the market, setting new standards and leading the way in requirement management tools. Our innovative approach, particularly in enhancing the user experience, positioned us ahead of the competition, making marketing and sales efforts effortlessly successful.

Learnings

Embarking on this assignment as the first UX professional in the organization presented a thrilling challenge. I had the unique opportunity to build everything from the ground up, including the team, design guidelines, processes, and more. It proved to be an incredible learning journey as I navigated the complexities of instilling a design culture within the organization.

To ensure a strong foundation, I conducted extensive user research both internally and externally, gaining invaluable insights to inform our design decisions. Building on this knowledge, I established a robust design system that streamlined our development process and ensured consistency across all touchpoints.

Recognizing the importance of client feedback, I took the initiative to establish a product advisory council with key clients. Their invaluable input and collaboration helped shape the product to better meet their needs and expectations.

Additionally, I set up analytics to meticulously track metrics, enabling data-driven improvements and informed decision-making. The positive outcome of these efforts was reflected in exceptional sales success stories, reaffirming the impact of our user-centered approach.

Overall, this experience was immensely rewarding, and the strides we made in enhancing the product and user experience will undoubtedly propel the organization to greater heights.