Admin Panel for VR space
Research & Redesign
Global'y is a virtual reality platform that brings geographically dispersed users together for near real-life, real-time, enriched experiences. It delivers an in-person and on-site-like experience to remote customers through remote employees by giving them an option of real-time in-person interaction.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Jan - Mar 2023
BEFORE
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Select a user is a part of Step 2
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Assign zones to users
Indicator of number of selected users
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Payment is a part of Step 2
AFTER
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Select a user is a third step in the workflow
Assign zones to users
Indicator of number of users selected for each zone
Payment is the last step in the workflow
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RESEARCH
As an initial step, my team started with the user research to find out any inconsistencies that exist in the screens’ design and navigation flows
We needed to understand how easy it is for a user to achieve their goals based on their specific roles. As the product was going live at the end of the month, there was a need to ensure that the user flows and the UI design provides a smooth user experience for all the customers in their specific roles. The users could assume one or more of 5 different roles:
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Each role has a specific set of tasks and workflows that a user could complete.
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Super Admin
Space Admin
Reseller
Affiliate
User
Research Details
Goals
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Validate current design with users
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Find out any issues that users might face when creating/editing a space
Method
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Remote moderated usability studies with interactive prototypes, completing a number of tasks, followed by a post-usability survey
Participants
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2 people each for Super Admin, Space Admin, and Reseller
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2 people each for Affiliate and End User
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Good distribution of age/gender
Location
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Remote, via Zoom or Google meet (screen sharing)
Research Process
I created a Hi-Fi Interactive Prototype to accurately simulate user experience while interacting with the admin site
After conducting several user interviews, it became clear that many users were having difficulty understanding the different roles and tasks involved in the 3D space. To address this issue, I took two key steps.
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First, I created a document that outlined each role and responsibility, which I shared with each user before conducting their interview.
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Second, I provided each participant with a tour of the 3D space prior to their interview. These steps helped users gain a better understanding of the various roles and how they could use the admin site.
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As a result, the users were able to provide more accurate and useful feedback, and the overall user experience of the 3D space was significantly improved.
In partnership with my colleague, I facilitated 10 usability tests to gather feedback on our product's workflows and screen design. Through these tests, I identified key insights and made recommendations for improving the user experience.
Each participant was invited to complete a post-test questionnaire to provide further insight into their experience creating and editing spaces or events, including ease of navigation, level of comprehension, and visual design.
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Research Results
To analyze and synthesize the research findings, I utilized affinity mapping, which involved organizing and grouping data into categories based on shared themes and patterns. I also added the post-interview survey results to get a broader understanding of users' experience.
Through four iterations of this process, I was able to identify key insights and recommendations from the research data.
Key Themes
General understanding
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How well people understand the terms and tasks
Navigation
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How well people know where they are in the flow and what they expect to find
Clarity of information
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How well people understand the information presented to them
UI
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What is the overall feedback on the User Interface (UI) of the site
Layout
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How the elements are arranged on the page
Security
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How well the site protects users' data
I also tested UI to check if the color contrast met the WACG requirements. I found a few components where the background and font color choice failed the minimum contrast ratios.
Recommendations
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The research findings revealed that there were significant opportunities to enhance the usability of the admin site, particularly in terms of user workflows, visual design, navigation, and layout. Based on these insights, I developed a set of recommendations to improve the site's usability and user experience.
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To ensure the most effective changes were made, I worked closely with the Development and Product teams to prioritize the recommendations for implementation in the minimum viable product (MVP). This process involved considering both the business value of each recommendation and its importance to users. By taking these factors into account, we were able to prioritize the most impactful changes and make the site more user-friendly.
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As a result, the most priority was given to the Space Admin and User workflows as they contained the most important tasks like creating a space or creating an event.
Key Takeways
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In conclusion, our research showed users faced various issues when creating/editing space or events on the site, particularly in terms of user workflows, visual design, navigation, and layout.
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We faced a challenge during the usability testing phase as the Figma prototype feature limited the immersive experience of the admin site and caused some frustration among users. To address this, I explained the limitations of the prototype to users before the test, which improved their navigation and feedback. Despite this limitation, we received valuable feedback from users to improve the design.
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My recommendations for improvements include:
- Simplifying the creation/editing process,
- Enhancing the visual design to improve clarity, and
- Optimizing the navigation and layout to streamline user workflows.
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These changes are expected to have a significant impact on the site's usability and ultimately lead to increased user satisfaction.
Future Roadmap
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After implementing the recommendations based on priority, as outlined in the Design case study of this project, the next step will be to conduct a round of usability tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the improvements made to the design
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Based on the findings of the usability tests, additional design iterations may be required to optimize the user experience and enhance the overall effectiveness of the admin site. By conducting these tests, we can ensure that the improvements made to the design have a positive impact on the user experience and contribute to the success of the project.