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Streamlining Service Processes


GoBook is a service booking app which streamlines administrative tasks such as scheduling and billing systems, allowing service providers time and the space to focus on their service.






M Y   R O L E

User Experience Auditor

T E A M

Feng (Marketing), Marygold (Product Manager), Shruti (Project Manager)

T O O L S

TestFlight, Zoom, Google Suite

R E S U L T

users are able to navigate through the app and complete their task faster

T I M E

3 weeks





C L I E N T

GoBook is a start-up initiative with a focus on digital management tools. Their main function is to help teachers and instructors schedule their lessons and arrange payment for their clients. This business venture involves multiple investors as its main stakeholders.



O V E R V I E W

The purpose of the user experience audit was to find existing usability issues on the GoBook app and develop solutions to improve overall app performance, which includes:
• optimize schedules and cancellations
• help fill open time slots faster
• increase income with efficient payment management





A P P R O A C H

A usability test of the existing app was conducted, along with audit findings of a prioritised list of specific negative issues related to app usage. I then concluded the audit with a long list of proposed solutions for a more intuitive User Interface for a better User Experience.










P R O B L E M


Users want to quickly figure out the next step to complete their activities without feeling confused and frustrated.




G O A L S


Identify user-hostile features and implement more accessible features for users to:

• identify call to action immediately
• understand errors and correct mistakes
• complete action quicker




S O L U T I O N S

1. All-round Simplicity

Simplify the app's interface design and the steps involved in completing a task. Every extra unit of information competes with the relevant units of information and diminishes their relative visibility.

2. Efficiency and Flexibility

Shorter interaction pathways for expert users while still catering the process to inexperienced users.

3. Visual Consistency

Standardise the usage of words and imagery so that users do not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing.

4. Help & Documentation

Concrete steps are listed to aid users in completing tasks.












M E T H O D O L O G Y


Learn

Stakeholder Interview
Current Status

Test

Usability Test
Userbility Testee

Discover

Test Insight
User Wants

Define

User Persona

Empathise

User Journey

Ideate

Usability Audit
Next Step





L E A R N

Stakeholder Interview


Having been brought on board the project mid-way, I had to quickly catch up on the app’s development to conduct audits efficiently and effectively. I set up Informal meetings with stakeholders and interviewed them to gain a deep and comprehensive understanding of the current project process as well as the business goals of GoBook.





L E A R N

Current Status


I learned from GoBook’s business owner and investors that prior marketing research had been conducted, including competitive analysis against a similar platform. However, virtually no user research had been completed, indicating a lack of understanding of user needs and wants. The app seemed to be built primarily based on what the business owners and investors had envisioned, without considering user needs and wants.





T E S T

Usability Test


I first conducted an in-depth usability test via moderated remote Zoom calls and TestFlight  to understand how users navigated the app and the factors influencing their decisions

The test required each interviewee, or user, to conduct a series of three tasks whilst thinking aloud so that I could observe how each user utilised the app and understand their thought process. Since they were remote tests, clear instructions regarding user devices and internet connection were sent to each interviewee before each test. Alongside, I allocated Ample time for technical preparation.



Keeping in mind to constantly dig deep towards the reason behind user path and action, the sessions were also moderated with additional guiding questions, prompting users to openly share their thought processes at various stages of app usage.




T E S T
Usability Testees
Before the session, I gathered the necessary context of user profiles to understand the basis of users’ behaviour as much as possible. The interviewees, or users, were aged between 20-40s, which was GoBook’s target demographic. A select few profiles are detailed down below:


User 01 is a full-time tuition teacher 
User 02 is a part-time tuition teacher and a full time university student
User 03 is a part-time tuition teacher and a full time data analyst
User 04 is a part-time tuition teacher and a full time engineer





D I S C O V E R
Test Insights


Observing the process users underwent to complete the various tasks on the app allowed me to measure and assess the app in terms of ease of usage and efficiency in achieving user goals. Much feedback indicated that users generally had a positive experience with the app.





However, I also found several significant problems in the app’s existing onboarding experience when I combined the user feedback results with the usability test. The key insights I gained with respect to user difficulties and the user wants from these combined sessions include:

#1 A lack of understanding





#2 Difficulty in rectifying mistakes





#3 A desire for further convenience and functionality





D I S C O V E R

User Wants


During the usability test, I witnessed many aspects of the administrative process involved in teaching were intertwined. Users seek smooth and efficient running of the administrative process to have more time to focus on delivering the lesson.

Here are some wishlists for more features and advanced capabilities that could lead up to successful teaching:

• Comprehensible financial statement
• Glanceable organisation of timetable
• Ease of notification management
• Convenient to contact tutees from the app






D E F I N E

User Persona


Since not all users have the exact needs or ways of meeting those needs, I constructed three user archetypes based on the user profiles of GoBook’s target users as defined by the marketing team. The details of each persona are formulated from our overall research findings from the audit.

The process of constructing these archetypes allowed me to reflect on the varying expectations and respective reactions each user profile might have to the app:

• What might these users want out of the app?
• What problems might users have that the app could solve?
• What could cause users frustrations with the app?
• What might users anticipate as they navigate through the app?














E M P H A T H I S E

User Journey


Other than user archetypes, I created clear visualisation of the app usage process in the form of a journey map. To get a rough overview of the app usage process, I relied on observations during the usability tests and interviews, in which the app usage experience could be understood solely from the user’s perspective.



The visual map focused on the targeted user’s emotional state and thought process as they moved through the app's different stages. It was a visual insight into how each user interacted with the app and what they found helpful or frustrating.

This map was valuable for communicating the user experience to the stakeholders and the development team. It also ensured that everyone was on the same plane of understanding and even uncovered certain blind spots in the app's design.

The team continued redesigning and streamlining the app for an optimal user experience.




I D E A T E

Userbility Audit


Based on the Heuristic List researched and created by UX industry expert Jakob Nielsen and observation and feedback from the usability test sessions, every app screen was scrutinised from the user's perspective during the audit.

A total of 62 features for improvement were identified and listed by the end of the audit.


Each feature was then ranked according to relative importance. The highest priority is given to features that require relatively low effort to incorporate yet are packed with a high impact in delivering a valuable experience to the app users, which fulfilled what the client and the designers intended with this user experience audit.




The findings presented in the latter part of the project then came with a focus shift from looking solely at the user's perspective to considering the client and the app’s design team.

"What do they need to understand and know to optimise their designs and understand the logic and flow behind user decisions?"

I compiled all insights from the user research with helpful visual aids such as screen grabs from the app to help the team to identify and visualise the specific issues. Other details included were recommendations for the team to review and execute, ensuring the app's continued development. Prompts were also included to encourage ideation and improvements further to open up a space for further exploration.









I D E A T E

Next Steps


Although the prototype had been iterated according to the feedback and observations as elucidated above, there was still room for improvement for the app. The following list is steps gathered for the continued development of the project:


01. Implementation of audit recommendations


Assign internal ownership within the app development team, assigning each team member responsibilities for enacting changes, and executing them alongside the UI designer.

02. 2nd round of user testing


App performance is targeted to improve significantly by the end of 3 user testing rounds, keeping to 5 users each.

03. Engage other users for additional user research


The entire GoBook application will only achieve its full purpose if students/parents utilise the GoBook Client app in tandem with teachers using the GoBook Business app. While the GoBook Business app has undergone usability tests with multiple teacher profiles, the GoBook Client app has yet to undergo usability tests with various client profiles.

04. Expand user research to other potential industry


GoBook essentially aims to streamline the same administrative process that applies to most service providers across different sectors.

©2022 Edwina Huiru Zhao