How information architecture grounded in research improves usability and business metrics
2020
6 month
Mybuh.kz
About client
A small company providing bookkeeping consultancy, on-demand accounting services and self-service bookkeeping web application for SMBs.
Business challenge
Web application received many user complaints about navigation and poor wayfinding. Moreover, the old CMS-based system didn't allow for flexibility to change the information architecture. The client sought to redesign the application from scratch, improving both UX and UI.
Design challenges
The company had a relatively low maturity in terms of UX, coupled with an entrenched attitude of "we know our users," which posed a hurdle in introducing new methodologies. Additionally, the team was notably small, and I was the sole designer, making collaboration and feedback limited. Compounding this, there was no direct access to the target audience, hindering the ability to gather real-time, firsthand user insights crucial for effective design decisions.
Approach
✨ Initiated the process by engaging in requirements gathering. This involved conversations with the Project Manager, accountants, and customer support representatives to comprehensively understand the issues.
✨ Filtered customer complaints obtained via the chatbot, specifically focusing on issues related to navigation and usability. Simultaneously, delved into session recordings using a web analytics tool to observe user interactions.
✨ Conducted interviews with customer service center employees to acquire a deeper understanding of user needs and challenges.
✨ Conducted a thorough analysis of competitor UX solutions, examining similar apps to gain additional perspective and insights.
✨ Facilitated an open card sorting exercise involving bookkeepers, leveraging their Subject Matter Expertise (SME) to compile an IA structure.
✨ Advocated for and successfully convinced stakeholders to allocate budget for remote tree testing with actual app users.
✨ Implemented changes to the IA based on the insights derived from the tree-testing results, ensuring a user-centered approach.
✨ Identified and constructed the main user flows, aligning them with the project's objectives, collaborating closely with the Project Manager.
✨ Ideated on sketches and progressed to designing mid-fidelity wireframes.
✨ Conducted guerrilla usability testing, allowing for quick feedback loops and iterative improvements, to ensure the usability and functionality of the design.
✨ Transitioned the project to the UI design phase.
Lessons
💡 You can and should persuade stakeholders to invest into user research even with limited access to the target audience. Look for various ways, be ingenious and inventive.
💡 Don’t forget that information about users can be found within the company, too.
💡 Subject matter experts (SMEs) are the best way to gain domain knowledge. They can be sometimes used to help you with the research. However, will never replace the actual users (unless they are the users).
