Timeline
September - December 2023
Team
Seth Miller, Megan Foertsch, Munkhkhuleg Tserenpurev (me)
My Role
User Experience Designer
Problem
The collaboration between Whitworth University’s computer science department and community partners was not as useful or effective as desired.
Drawing from previous experiences within Whitworth University’s computer science department, I observed conflicting areas in the collaborative processes among professors, students, and community partners. I believed the issue stemmed from various factors rather than being solely attributed to one side. Therefore, I aimed to pinpoint the root cause of the problem and explore strategies to enhance the ease and effectiveness of connection and collaboration for all parties involved.
Research
Initial discussion:
Following brainstorming sessions to identify stakeholders of the system/product, I identified 2 main user groups: professors and community partners, each with distinct purposes for utilizing the system. To plan data collection from users, I opted to conduct a brief survey on their prior experiences and scheduled in-person interviews to pinpoint pain points and gather insights into future preferences for upcoming projects.
User interview:
Misunderstandings and miscommunications were not exclusively assigned to one party; both Whitworth and community partners had their shortcomings.
To better empathize with user needs and desires, I prepared and planned interview questions. I conducted a total of 4 interviews: two with community partners who had previously collaborated with Whitworth University and two with computer science professors. As a result, I gathered raw user notes, which our team organized in the subsequent phase. During the interviews, I focused on the following areas:
Communication aspect
Process tracking aspect
Primary contact aspect
Expectation aspect
Preference aspect
User survey:
10 out of 13 participants rated the communication as somewhat poor (2 out of 5), which, in turn, influenced more than half of the users to have an overall bad user experience.
I administered a Likert scale survey to professors and community partners via Google Form, consisting of 5 questions about their previous experiences working together to promptly identify any frustrations they encountered. Subsequently, I received 13 responses, prompting me to conduct follow-up interviews with some participants.
Questions:
Rate the overall experience collaborating with community partners or Whitworth’s computer science department (1 - not satisfied, 5 - satisfied)
Rate the communication (1 - poor, 5 - excellent)
Rate the clarity of tasks (1 - hard to understand, 5 - easy to understand)
How often did you have regular check-ins/meetings? (1 - not so often, 5 - very often)
How likely are you to participate in a follow-up interview? (1 - least likely, 5 - most likely)
Solution
Having a centralized platform facilitates cooperation and communication for both Whitworth and community partners.
Analysis
Affinity map:
Insights:
Following interviews with stakeholders, I organized and categorized user data, resulting in specific insights:
Persona:
Given that I identified professors and community partners as primary users, I created personas to represent each of them.
Design
Sketches
Mid-fidelity wireframes
Iteration
During the iteration process, I conducted a usability test with one of our community partners, using a think-aloud technique to understand their thought process while interacting with the prototype.
This allowed our team to gather user feedback and identify areas for further refinement:
Accessibility
Accessibility emerged as a significant concern for our users, particularly regarding the color contrast between teal and yellow. Utilizing the Adobe Accessibility Tool, Adobe Color, I ensured correct contrast between all colors to enhance accessibility and improve user experience.
Wording/Language
The syntax of certain words was interpreted differently in various contexts and perspectives by users. Therefore, to enhance clarity and promote intuitive interactions, I refined some UI copy to use simpler, more understandable terms.
The Final Screens
Final Design
You can check the prototype here:
Reflections
Scalability: Upon completing our class project, I pondered a question: What if this system or product extended beyond the confines of the Whitworth computer science department? What if it scaled across various departments, fostering diverse collaborations between Whitworth and community partners? This led me to recognize the importance of envisioning different design solutions for varying contexts and conditions, ensuring a better, more intuitive experience for future users.
Importance of In-Depth Research: Conducting thorough user research proved crucial. Initially, stakeholders sought a mere chatbox or similar medium for communication. However, through careful review and user interviews, I grasped the underlying reasons. Consequently, our team expanded its focus beyond a specific aspect of the problem, adopting a broader and more holistic perspective based on research insights.
Next Steps
I would begin my next research phase by collecting user data from various Whitworth departments, such as psychology and education. This would involve interviewing students about their experiences and challenges in collaborating with community partners. By uncovering valuable insights into their unique needs and expectations, I aim to gain a deeper understanding of our broader audience and their potential pain points. Identifying common themes across departments will help tailor our product to meet diverse needs, enabling us to update it for a more seamless and satisfying user experience, and enhancing its effectiveness in fostering successful collaborations between Whitworth and its community partners.