2023
TEAM
Isabella – Product Designer
Isabella – Product Designer
Since June 2023, I've worked as a Product Designer in collaboration with AEG, primarily focusing on refining and shaping two products: Vision DSM and VisionInsight.
VisionInsight
What
VisionInsight is a powerful platform enabling AEG contributors to craft models that analyze trends in energy consumption. It empowers U.S. energy companies to delineate various scenarios and drive energy management, ensuring efficient projects that adequately address the supply-demand dynamics within specific U.S. territories.
The challenge
Upon my inclusion in the team, my primary mission was to help conceptualize a seamless workflow for organizing, publishing, and gathering feedback on energy management models intended to be shared with AEG clients.
While understanding the product landscape, I identified a gap: the product needed more consistent user research. No usability testing or in-depth user research had been undertaken in the previous year.
The users
Initiating my journey, I delved deep into the existing user personas for VisionInsight and organized, classified, named, and themed the personas. Our primary users are encapsulated in two roles: the AEG Analyst, who is entrusted with the responsibility of crafting models, and the AEG Manager, who reviews models and oversees client work.
Why
One of the main issues AEG was trying to address in VisionInsight with this new workflow is the current need for more visibility of the state of work. The as-is communication is decentralized, making it difficult for managers and analysts to check models and projects' progress without chasing down colleagues on multiple venues (email, teams, excel files).
The solution
My initial discussions with stakeholders painted a picture of what the main workflow might entail. As a starting point, the idea of a status-centric workflow was surfaced.
Believing in user-centric designs, I championed the cause of validating this workflow with our primary users. I crafted a usability testing blueprint that encompassed the following:
- Clear objectives and desired learning outcomes.
- Underlying hypotheses and assumptions.
- Detailed test tasks and related scenarios.
- Metrics and measures for evaluation.
- Criteria for defining success.
Diagram detailing envisoned workflow
Test and learn card created as preparation for the usability test
All goals, hypothesis and assumptions were later documented in Confluence. A script was created beforehand to guide the facilitation.
Prototyping and testing
Post-planning, I prepared an interactive prototype using Figma and Maze, setting the stage for participants to engage with and navigate the proposed tasks. We recruited five users, each resonating with our primary persona's profile. Acting as the facilitator for the Usability Testing sessions, I invited the Project Owner to participate as a note-taker. I firmly advocate involving stakeholders directly in the user research process. This firsthand witnessing of user interactions invariably garners stronger buy-in for future research endeavors and ensures key findings aren't buried in reports but actively shape future development.
Recorded session of moderated usability testing
The generated click heatmap was later utilized to analyse the results further
Decisions and actions:
We curated a list of actionable tasks from the usability test results for our backlog. I then cross-referenced test outcomes with usability heuristic violations to clarify and pinpoint the core issues. This correlation not only highlighted specific concerns but also offered insights into their origins, leading to practical recommendations. Tasks were prioritized by calculating a severity score: (Task Criticality) x (Impact) x (Frequency).
I shared these findings with our team via a targeted presentation and a succinct Confluence report. Drawing from this enriched understanding, we're now strategically refining the interface. The tasks in our backlog are guided by user feedback, charting a user-focused path forward.
Miro used first to record test occurrences
Snapshot of usability test report on confluence
VisionDSM
Challenge
The progress on VisionDSM's layout faced delays, with previous designs taking several months for adjustments and finalization. Prior designers who collaborated with AEG cited challenges in obtaining clear requirements from management.
Approach
Understanding User Goals: Without the budget and time for user research, I prioritized aligning with key stakeholders to discern user goals for each design block.
User goals and page outline creted to align with stakeholders
Moodboard & Analysis: To identify potential design solutions for each block, I crafted a moodboard and conducted a comparative analysis based on the discerned user goals.
Fidelity Change Proposal: I advocated for initiating with mid-fidelity designs, highlighting the advantages of rapid iterations and flexibility. Presenting these wireframes to developers, I solicited feedback and anticipated any technical constraints.
Slide presented to stakeholders as part of the fidelity level change of strategy
Wireframes created and prototyped in Figma
Transition to High-Fidelity: With stakeholder validation on wireframes, I transitioned to high-fidelity layouts, ensuring alignment with developers using Bootstrap. Incorporating a Bootstrap library in Figma, I aimed for a smooth handover, leveraging familiar components and interactions.
Desktop prototype created in Figma
Mobile prototype created in Figma
Prototyping & Accessibility: Both mobile and desktop versions of the design blocks were prototyped. I emphasized accessibility, providing clear annotations for developers regarding button labels, ARIA roles, and other accessibility features.
Example of accessibility documentation included to developer handoff
Results
Prior to my joining as the product designer, design progress experienced a lag of six months. However, after implementing my streamlined approach, I expedited the process, transitioning from starting mid-fidelity to finalized high-fidelity designs within a mere month. The revamped designs garnered positive feedback from stakeholders, propelling us into the initial phases of development.
Future Direction
I'm keen to shift the managerial perspective towards embracing user research for iterative refinements. I'm optimistic that the positive impact of usability tests on VisionInsight will incentivize the VisionDSM team to adopt a similar, user-centric approach.