Progress Tracker
The Ask:
Based on research findings and User Persona data, identify and recommend options to increase user adoption and perceived user value.
The Process:
For 12 months, I traveled around the US running 1:1 interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations with end users. The original purpose of the travel was to create personas, validate concept ideas and product features, and build rapport with client management. However, from the 100s of hours spent with end users, I noticed a trend of low adoption and perceived low value. Knowing adoption and perceived value are important to any product’s success, I presented qualitative comments, qualitative observations, quantitative analysis of our NPS numbers, and adoption trends per client to the Product & Design teams. In looking at our roadmap, we wanted to address increasing adoption and providing better value to the end user.
To increase adoption and provide value to the end user, I began by looking at what motivated our Customer Care personas. Top motivations included 1) increasing a paycheck, 2) developing professionally, 3) receiving positive feedback. Next, I looked back at the concepts our incredible design team had created, but not yet vetted over the past 12 months, to see if there were any concepts that could be tweaked to increase adoption and provide increased value in accordance with persona motivations. Our Director of Design, Jeff Williams, had created a wonderful concept that fit the description about 6 months prior.
From there, using sticky notes and a whiteboard, I created a process flow, for our Customer Care personas, imagining and walking through their interaction with this product concept and the potential outcomes. Our Director of Design quickly edited, mocked up, and designed wireframes for the new concept and we were ready to test.
The Interview:
Using the Champions Panel, I was quickly able to recruit and identify participants for the potential product concept. Within 2 weeks, I had 5 in-person, 1:1 interviews set. With the participants, I defined what a wireframe was and mentioned the concepts they were about to see were not designed by me, therefore, they could be brutally honest. (I have found in telling participants this, they typically share true feelings more openly. This helps to remove some unconscious biases.) Next, I began by asking them about their team and how they motivated their team members, with questions such as:
“How do you work with your team to develop them professionally?”
“How do you track progress?”
“What do you like about motivating your team?”
“What is the most difficult part about motivating team members?”
Once we had established a baseline of team motivation and the process of motivating team members, I was able to present the wireframes and probe for feedback:
“Tell me what you think this concept is achieving…?”
“Would you use something like this?”
“How would you use something like this"?”
“What part of the concept stands out the most to you and why?”
Once each interview was completed, I would write key takeaways from the session and add it to my recorded notes.
Results:
After analyzing and identifying trends from the 5 interviews, I was able to form final conclusions from the study. 4 out of 5 participants believed this concept would help pinpoint focus areas for team members to work towards, as well as immediately help in motivating employees. One participant in particular exclaimed “This concept is simple, easy to use, and I can use it to motivate my whole team”. Participants appreciated the ability to track goals and progress for individuals and across teams. Participants believed this product concept would increase their team’s adoption of the product as it had more realistic timelines and goals than their current HR tool.
Presenting findings and insights with the Product & Design team resulted in shifting of the product roadmap and strategy to better serve end users.