Connecting users through knowledge sharing
This project is about connecting the developers of NGTI (Next Generation Telecom International) by sharing knowledge so they can broaden their development expertise. To achieve this, the mobile application ‘Dojo’ was created.
Role
Solo UX/UI Designer (internship)
Tools
Duration
5 months
Context
September 2019. NGTI wants the (Agile) Scrum process to run more smoothly.
Initial problem
The Scrum framework is not implemented correctly because there is not enough uniformity.
Objective
A digital intervention (MVP) supported by UX research to help developers with the Scrum process.
Design Process
Research
Research focuses on the values and needs of the user (developers of NGTI) and business goals
UX Methods
Survey | User Interviews | Expert Brainstormsession | Customer Journey | Golden Circles | Persona
4-week UX research sprint with users, experts and stakeholders.
Survey
It is essential to find out which problems exist within NGTI in the context of process optimization (Scrum). That is why a survey has conducted as a quantitative research method.
Key insights
The users want to collaborate more.
Gaining new knowlegde motivates the users.
Some of the users are completelty unaware they are working Scrum.
User Interviews
The interviews respond to the survey and each other. The interviews were conducted to identify the values and needs of the users. A total of 9 in-depth interviews were conducted.
Key insights
The users feel disconnected from eech other.
Gaining new knowlegde is a big motivator.
Users want to collaborate with developers they don’t work with alot.
Persona
The content for the persona is based on the survey and user interviews. The persona embodies the user; I created the persona to build empathy and to keep the user at the center of the design process.
This persona will help me and the stakeholders to step into the users' shoes to foster a deeper connection with the users.
Golden Circle
To learn more about NGTI's vision and goals, I performed the golden circles' method with the case owner and CEO of NGTI. The golden circle is about what, how, and why NGTI creates products, for example.
An important insight I learned was that NGTI wants to sell modular blocks of code. I later incorporated this into the final product.
Expert Brainstorm
To better understand the current situation at NGTI, I organized a brainstorming session with a seasoned Agile Project Manager. This Agile Project Manager at NGTI has over ten years of experience. He directs several projects directly and oversees the work process.
Key insights
According to the Agile Scrum Master, they don’t work Scrum at all.
Too many juniors to work Scrum, according to the expert.
No aligned objectives, according to the expert.
Customer Journey
To properly understand the current (Scrum) process at NGTI, I set up a customer journey with the Lead Designer and Agile Project Manager. This person is closely involved with the current work process.
Key insights
Learning objectives are not always achieved.
There is a lot of frustration around Scrum.
Scrum is experienced as a boring subject.
Concepting
The concept phase is about discovering patterns, diverging and converging.
Creative techniques
To generate ideas, I used creative techniques. These techniques aim first to create many ideas (diverging) to rank and evaluate them (converging). Ultimately, I will develop four winning concepts into a rapid prototype.
Used techniques:
Longlist
Shortlist
COCDBOX
PREFER
Winning concepts:
“Get Daily”
“Ticket Breaker”
“Overachiever”
“Agile Morale”
Until now, I followed every stakeholder and case owner's suggestion, idea, or whim. I was starting to develop a gut feeling the project did not head in the right direction and that I wasn't solving the user's problem. It was time for me to step up and protect the project.
Rapid prototyping
To quickly assess and validate if the project was heading in the right direction, I wanted to fast-test the concepts from the creative techniques with the users.
Key insights
The project was not headed in the correct direction.
I was only solving the NGTIs' problem, not the users' problem.
No uniformity (initial problem) is a consequence of a deeper, unknown problem.
The biggest challenge was convincing everyone we weren’t solving the real problem.
In this crucial stage, where I had to give the project a new direction, COVID-19 happened, and we were all working from home.
Affinity map
To alert the stakeholders and give the project a new direction, I looked back at my previous research and put every insight on a sticky note to discover themes and patterns. Completely letting go of the Scrum process (initial problem).
Key insights
Users want to connect.
Users want to share knowledge to broaden their knowledge.
Users wish to collaborate with developers they don’t work with a lot.
New problem statement:
How can knowledge sharing facilitate a connection between developers so that they broaden their development knowledge?
This new problem statement went through seven iterations.
Creative techniques part 2
Because I decided to entirely scrap the previous concepts and generate new and fresh ideas, I recruited participants outside the stakeholders' scope. I noticed they kept thinking within the box of Scrum and process optimization.
Key insights
This all led to the concept: of "Bridges." This concept would focus on connecting the developers of NGTI (users), using their inquisitiveness by letting them collaborate.
Design criteria
I have formed the design criteria to test whether the future solution meets the users' wishes. The research has provided insights that I have clustered in an Affinity Diagram. Within these clusters, I found patterns that characterize the users' problem(s). I wrote the design criteria based on these patterns.
I conducted additional research to truly understand what it means to connect, share knowledge, collaborate, and broaden one's knowledge.
I also discovered one potential danger, namely, the sharing knowledge part. The focus must be on sharing knowledge and not hoarding knowledge (gaining as much knowledge as possible) to gain authority and power.
Concept: Bridges
Bridges is a mobile application focusing on building bridges between developers. Bridges will do this by selecting random users into small pools; these users will do some activities, which can be as simple as having lunch and coffee breaks together. I will further develop Bridges in the realization phase.
Realize
The realize phase is about prototyping, UI, visualizing, testing and iterations.
User tests
To polish the concept, I tested a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) with the users. I did this so that I could validate the idea. I did this because there are assumptions in my research, and the Build-Measure-Learn loop can validate or disprove these assumptions. I conducted multiple user tests, and the low-fi prototype went through various iterations.
Key insights
The users want to connect with developers outside of their project teams.
The users are very open and excited if they could create small projects together and collaborate.
DOJO
After multiple user tests, I constantly iterated on the concept evolving it into “Dojo.” As the name suggests, Dojo is like a training center for developers. Dojo offers developers the means to learn and connect. The most important feature is the ability the create and participate in so-called ‘collabs’; a collab is a (user-made) project where they can work together.
Hi-fi prototyping
To create a hi-fi prototype, I made a sitemap, wireframes, a style guide, and the start of a design system to build the mobile application DOJO in Sketch.
Usability testing
To ensure the mobile application DOJO was usable, I conducted a usability test with five users and one UX designer. I did this by giving the users a specific task. I used Marvel App to create the clickable prototype.
Key insights
Users have a hard time finding out what other users want to learn more about (knowledge sharing)
Searching for the right collaboration is tedious.
It’s hard to tell what knowledge users will learn in collaboration.
UI Iterations
Changes were made based on the feedback and results of the usability tests. Users can now filter on expertise (what they want to learn); this has been made more apparent. Every collaboration showcases what kind of knowledge can be learned, and users learning goals are now visible (because this facilitates a connection).
Final Design
Happy users, happy stakeholders, happy NGTI!
Even though the objective completely changed I was able to convince everyone this was the correct path. I achieved this by involving everyone during the design proces.
The result of my design solution is that developers feel connected and give them the handles to connect and learn with/ from each other. Making the users feel motivated and forging stronger bonds with each other. From a business perspective, NGTI can now motivate its developers to work on small projects they want to see done by creating “NGTI” collaborations.