Design Documentation UX Research Report

DESIGN DOCUMENTATION RESEARCH REPORT

By Caroline Deng

User Experience Design cd1646@nyu.edu linkedin.com/carolinedeng

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Project Brief

7. User Interviews

2. Initial Assumptions / Areas of Focus

8. Personas

3. Research Approach 4. Brain Dump

9. User Flows 10. Task Analysis

5. Competitive / Comparative Analysis

11. Design Recommendations / Application Feature Requirements

6. Survey Results

12. Conclusion / Next Steps

PROJECT BRIEF

PROJECT GOALS: An introduction to the first stage of the UX design process (research and discovery).

CLIENT GOALS: To obtain research for a mobile application to help users keep track of their design documentation throughout the course of a project.

To get 500 designers on the platform by the end of 2017.

1

INITIAL ASSUMPTIONS

Customers

UX Designers, graphic designers, visual designers, creatives

When or how will they use the product

They will use the app on-the-go or when they do not have wifi. It will be a substitute for a laptop to share work with team members.

Most important features

Working offline, photo capture, sketching/drawing functionality, calendar

Biggest product risks

Saturation of app market, perception that mobile is not helpful in existing design process, people may not want to pay for apps

2

AREAS OF FOCUS

1. Who is our primary user?

2. What are his or her pain points with regards to organization?

3. More importantly, how can we fulfill this need?

4. How can we integrate a mobile app into the design documentation process?

5. Who are our competitors? How can we differentiate ourselves?

2

RESEARCH APPROACH

1. Initial brain dump and concept map 2. Survey 3. Affinity Diagrams 3. User Interviews 4. Contextual Inquiries 6. Business Analysis

3

BRAIN DUMP

Three Key Themes: •

Mobile apps

•

Design

•

Documentation

4

CONCEPT MAP This person is interesting. He would like to widen sampling size and # of user tests.

Looking for organization

Want convenience and ease of use without sacrificing quality

Want customization and flexibility

4 Want consolidation of all functions in one app

Wants to use it in relation to work of team members/ sharing

Will likely not use

Desire to combine paper/pen with app usage/digital means

COMPETITIVE & COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

5

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Pricing Model

Slack

Pop

Asana

Trello

Google Drive

Free, Standard, Plus, Enterprise

Free, Pro, Company, Enterprise

Free, Premium, Enterprise

Free, Business, Enterprise

Free, then 100 GB for $1.99/ month

“Move work forward”

“Trello lets you work more collaboratively and get more done.”

“Keep everything.

Share anything.”

Tagline

“Where work happens”

Market Positioning

Internal team communication tool, all in one place

Features

Multimedia file uploads, chat, private chat, integration, searchable, code snippets

“Prototyping on paper”

Low-fidelity Project, task, and Project, task, and prototype app and team management team management instant feedback tool tool

All-in-one Cloud storage service

Unlimited boards, Can upload files, Instant feedback app integration, create tasks, write Real-time editing, with user testing, collaborative work, due dates/ multimedia file collaboration, and due dates, tasks, assignments, storage, Cloud commenting file attachments, inbox, is on mobile mobile apps

5

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS iCalendar

•

•

•

Divided event organization into Yearly, Monthly, Weekly, and Daily tabs Events are highly customizable—users mentioned they enjoyed the Map Directions and Travel Time functions.

Synced with Google Calendar (mentioned in user interviews)

5

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Slack

For my comparative analysis, I focused on file and general organization methods for each competitor.

•

•

“Search” functionality for both Messages and Files that can be ordered by Recency and Relevancy Channels are centered around hashtags named after the purpose of each channel

5

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Trello

•

•

•

“Search” functionality by input field, @member, #label, is:archived, etc.

Projects and tasks organized by “Boards” Drag-and-drop functionality from one list to another

5

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS Google Drive

•

•

“Search” functionality by input and File Type (PDFs, Photos, Videos, etc.)

Can create Folders to place Files in, but according to interviews, the process is long and “annoying.”

BUSINESS MODEL

Freemium: Based on our comparative analysis, the majority of our competitors operate under the Freemium business model.

Additionally, a majority of users surveyed looked for free or very cheap apps, which validates my assumption that a Freemium or a cheaper Student subscription fee should be used.

5

SURVEY RESULTS

SURVEY

SURVEY RECRUITMENT: •

• • •

Facebook • Integrated Digital Media, Integrated Digital Media Graduate groups (3) • UX Mastery, UX Booth pages (2) Twitter • 2 statuses with the #UX and #UXDesign to gain traction Google+ • Posted in 2 User Experience groups 31 responses, 29 usable (serious respondents) • 25 US respondents, 2 from UK, 1 from Canada, 1 from Hong Kong

6

SURVEY QUESTIONS

6

AGE DEMOGRAPHICS

22 out of 31 respondents were ages 18-24, and the second most represented category were 25-34 year olds.

6

DOCUMENTATION METHODS

Desktop is the most popular form of documentation (71%), followed by Paper/Pen (68%). I found it surprising that only 48% of people documented using photos. 39% of respondents documented using mobile apps.

6

MOST DESIRED FEATURES

The most desired features were Organization and Task list (22 out of 29 users), followed by Notes/Writing (21 out of 29) and Deadline notifications (20 out of 29).

6

SURVEY INSIGHTS

•

Features related to project organization (organization and task list), were most popular.

•

The percentage of people who documented using mobile apps was low (12 out of 31). I investigated this theme more in my user interviews.

•

While the majority of respondents were 18 to 24, the 25 to 34 year old demographic range was also of interest to see if a mobile app could address their documentation pain points.

6

USER INTERVIEWS

USER INTERVIEW DEMOGRAPHICS

DEMOGRAPHICS: 7 user interviews •

4 women, 2 men

•

2 interviewed in NYU Tandon, 1 at NYU Stern, 1 interviewed in a coffee shop, 1 at her apartment, 1 at NYU Kimmel

3 contextual inquiries 1 additional female user outside of New York City interviewed remotely

7

USER INTERVIEW FINDINGS DOCUMENTATION METHODS: • • • •

6 out of 7 users document on their desktop.

6 out of 7 users mentioned documenting physically, either through sketching and drawing or through writing.

5 out of 7 users noted that they documented for external individuals, such as prospective employers or team members.

Google Drive was noted 3 out of 7 times (“Everyone else has it”).

MOBILE APP BEHAVIOR: • • •

6 out of 7 users have an iPhone 6 out of 7 users noted that they use their phones very often, especially when they are bored (“My life surrounds my phone”).

When asked about how people discover new apps, 3 out of 7 users mentioned Google and relying on “listicles.” Users also mentioned word-of-mouth, specifically through friends (3 out of 7).

7

KEY INSIGHTS 1. Users use apps in a task-based way. One app for this, one app for that, etc.

2. Users experiment with many apps, but ultimately stick to a routine or use the apps that they become familiar with using.

3. Showing potential employers or teammates is a key goal of individuals.

4. Users wish for a more streamlined process to upload their documentation from paper to online.

7

USER INTERVIEW QUOTES

ON WHY DOCUMENTATION IS IMPORTANT: •

“It’s important for me to document to communicate with rest of my team to let them know where I’m at and what needs to be done.”

•

“I’m an entrepreneur, and I’ve learned that spending time on my work is important in and of itself. Some things don’t have measurable results and you don’t know how long something will take.”

•

“Now I’m starting to anticipate applying for jobs/internships— I’m more aware that files need to be more organized for portfolios.”

7

USER INTERVIEW QUOTES ON DIFFICULTIES WITH DOCUMENTATION: •

“The habit trackers never incentivize me that much. If you don’t know what your “why” is, you just fill it in and get bored with it. I don’t know how many people are emotionally dedicated to getting a streak.”

•

“Trying something new requires me to adapt to some level regardless of how easy it is, even though it could be much better.”

•

“It’s easy to just save files in a general folder but then it gets time consuming [to organize] and I have to organize it more.”

•

“I would cite Axure because as powerful and excellent as it is, it fails to be intuitive.”

7

USER INTERVIEW QUOTES

ON MOBILE APPS: •

“The functions [of my favorite apps] are based on common sense and I don’t have to read a guide to understand or a tutorial.”

•

“I like them better than other apps but I just don’t see anything bad on them, so I keep using them instead of trying other ones. I also form my own habits when using them.”

•

“I’ll read 2-3 articles on the best apps for that need and pick one from those list. Rather than downloading the first thing I see and finding it doesn’t work so well, it’s faster and saves time in the long run to read other people’s reviews.”

7

USER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Introduction and Framing • I’d like to explain the purpose of the discussion.

• I’m a student at NYU doing some research on design documentation and mobile app habits, and I’m reaching out to you because I felt that your perspective was unique. There are no right or wrong answers, so I just ask that you provide your honest opinions.

• This is not a sales pitch. Your answers are for academic purposes only and your name will remain anonymous.

• That being said, before we start, would you mind if I recorded the conversation (typing)?

2. Documentation Habits • Can you give me some examples as to how you currently document your work?

• What kinds of solutions do you currently use to document?

• What don’t you love about existing documentation solutions?

• What is the hardest part about documentation for you?

• What, if anything, have you done to resolve that problem?

• How has documentation changed for you over the years?

• What do you think is different about your documentation process in comparison to that of other people?

• How often do you refer back to previous documentation?

3. Mobile App Habits • What kind of phone do you use?

• Can you tell me some of your favorite apps that you have on your phone?

• How do you learn about new apps?

• Where/when/how often do you find yourself using your phone?

4. Closure • Before we conclude, are there any additional thoughts or ideas you wanted to share based on your experience on this topic?

• Do you have any other contacts you think would be good candidates for this type of interview?

• Thank you for your participation!

7

PERSONAS

PRIMARY PERSONA Abby Greene

8

NEEDS: • •

Juggles multiple priorities Maximize productivity

FRUSTRATIONS: • •

Forgets to schedule activities/tasks Wants to see tangible progress in work

DOCUMENTATION: •

Student Entrepreneur

•

Driven | Goal-oriented

•

Abby is a student-entrepreneur starting her own media business, on top of being a part-time senior in Journalism at NYU. She juggles multiple priorities such as school, her business, and social life.

Because of this, she has become very interested in maximizing her time for productivity.

•

Time spent working Business ideas Day-to-day tasks Important goals and milestones

MOBILE USAGE • • • •

Avid user of her phone Believes in using tech to enhance her life Likes to try new apps Lots of apps on phone that she doesn’t open

8

PERSONAS Chris Pratt

NEEDS: • •

Keeping track of projects for different clients Document life cycle of each project

FRUSTRATIONS: • •

Existing solutions, like Axure RP, are counterintuitive Does not have much time for long tutorials or software with high learning curve

DOCUMENTATION: •

Freelancer Individualistic | Lifelong Learner Chris is a recent graduate of NYU Tandon, and he has made the leap as a freelance UX and web designer. In his free time, he is passionate about learning, whether that is reading or doing brain teasers. He commutes an hour and a half from New Jersey to Manhattan to meet with clients.

• • • • • •

Ideas User interviews Sketches or drawings Prototypes Client notes Competitive and comparative analyses Project books

MOBILE USAGE • •

Uses phone mainly on long commute into Manhattan Mainly plays brain teaser games

8

PERSONAS Brian Zhu

NEEDS: • •

Assemble portfolio for summer internships Collaborate and share work for group projects

FRUSTRATIONS: • •

Uploading sketches online is tedious and takes too many steps Procrastinates on projects without solid deadlines

DOCUMENTATION:

UX Design Student Career-Driven | Collaborative Brian is a junior in the NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Integrated Digital Media department. He is interested in working in UX design, which requires a lot of documentation and teamwork. He lives in NYU’s Lafayette dorm, and commutes from Manhattan to Brooklyn every day for class.

• • • • • •

Ideas Sketches or drawings User interviews Prototypes Concept maps Photos

MOBILE USAGE • •

Uses phone for leisure Listens to music, plays games, or messages friends through social media or texting

USER FLOWS

9

USER FLOW Primary Persona: Abby Welcome Screen Tap Check Box

GOAL: Mark a Task as Completed

Task List

Uploads Documentation

Send Screen

Task Marked as Completed

Taps Task Text

Task Details

Taps “Send Deliverables”

Upload Options

Email Confirmation Screen

Types Email

Tap Check Box

Click “OK”

Task Details

TASK ANALYSIS

10

TASK ANALYSIS Primary Persona: Abby Welcome Screen

GOAL: Send photo deliverable to team member

Task List

Taps Task Text

Task Details

Taps “Photo Library”

Upload Options

Taps “Send Deliverables”

Selects Photo

Send Screen

Types Email

Confirmation of Email Sent Screen

DESIGN RECS & APPLICATION FEATURE REQS

REVISITING OUR HYPOTHESES

Customers

UX Designers, graphic designers, visual designers, creatives

When or how will they use the product

They will use the app on-the-go or when they do not have wifi. It will be a substitute for a laptop to share work with team members.

Most important features

Working offline, photo capture, sketching/drawing functionality, calendar

Biggest product risks

Saturation of app market, perception that mobile is not helpful in existing design process, people may not want to pay for an app

11

REVISITING OUR HYPOTHESES

Customers

When or how will they use the product Most important features

Biggest product risks

11

Partially Validated. UX Designers, graphic designers, visual designers, creatives, but also entrepreneurs/freelancers.

Not Validated. No wifi is not a huge concern for them. They actually prefer to use it as a subset of their overall documentation process.

Validated. Working offline, photo capture, sketching/ drawing functionality, calendar. Calendar and deadline organization came up as an even bigger priority than expected.

Partially validated. Many users have multiple apps that they browse when bored. They rely on listicles and already highly-rated, free apps. People are actually interested in mobile to improve their lives.

DESIGN AND FEATURE RECS MOSCOW Method MUST HAVE: • • • • • • • •

A task list Database storage Calendar Upload files option Task organization functionality Sharing integration Photo capture and Photo Library Account creation

SHOULD HAVE: • • •

Automatic file naming In-app note taking History of changes and updates

COULD HAVE: • • • •

Support documentation Tutorials Web app Integration with other apps

WON’T HAVE: • • • •

In-app sketching or drawing functionality Instant messaging Creation of deliverables User portfolios

11

CONCLUSION & NEXT STEPS

CONSIDERATIONS

CONSTRAINTS: •

Small sample size (31 surveys, 7 user interviews) •

Possible systematic error in survey, survey wording, or response error

•

Saturated, highly competitive mobile app market

•

Technological considerations: talent

12

NEXT STEPS TESTING: •

Further user testing to revisit and refine hypotheses and user personas

MVP: •

Development and wire framing of an MVP to iterate upon and obtain user feedback

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE: •

•

Investigate more similarities and differences between competitors to better understand basic functionality needed and to anticipate competitor response Further analysis of app market and comparative analysis

12

CONCLUSION 1. Users use apps in a task-based way. Our mobile should reflect this in its design.

2. Users are routine-based, and the app should incorporate itself in this routine by containing a feature that reminds them of deadlines and priorities.

3. Users’ desire to show potential employers or teammates their documentation means that there is a potential demand for sharing. This hypothesis needs to be validated in future user testing.

4. Users expressed the desire for a more streamlined process. The app design must be simple, intuitive, and require little explanation.

5. The business model we should adopt should be freemium, according to competitive analysis and user reluctance to pay prices for apps upfront.

12