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Branding & Creative Direction.
Streamlining your identity.
Branding & Creative Direction.
Streamlining your identity.
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03 Contact Organization & Who to Call
How do we improve a user experience that already addresses the needs of our users? A closer look into cognitive load.
Company: REDX
Product: Sphere
Team: 1 Product manager, 1 designer, 5 Developers
The Problem
We wanted to update our Priority Contact List in Sphere, a list that tells the user whom to call. While we had functionality that solved problems users brought to the table, the user experience was not a positive one and was therefore not being utilized in the way we had hoped. Sphere is a product that helps you organize your sphere of influence and nurture it for business. How do we do this in an effective and enjoyable way that provides the user with innovative ways to view contact information and get value out of our product?
The Research & Exploration
While we provided our users with the functionality they had requested, we found that while our research was correct in finding their needs, the user experience was still not functioning as it should have. On closer inspection through contextual inquiries and watching our users use the product, we learned that it wasn't the functionality that was off, but the presentation. This was a big insight that we were able to use to show the stakeholder the importance of cognitive overload and that form plays as much a role in function as the tools we create.
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Through our research users expressed the following concerns:
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It's too busy and feels intimidating
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I don't know what I am supposed to do
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It doesn't look like fun to use
Understanding that the issue was not with the functionality helped us to identify the pain points for our users. As it was largely an emotional response, we looked to the things that first illicit an emotional reaction: the user interface.
Concepts & Solutionizing
We realized that the interface did not provide the contrast, hierarchy, or variance it needed to be able to direct the user's attention and focus, and the excel-like appearance made the app feel daunting and busy. We needed to provide more comfort - which we solved with more white space and simplification, more fun - which we provided with a more playful color palette, and more direction - which we provided with helpful tips and clear calls to action.
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Wait, that's not it...?
While we had a general direction, product never goes according to plan. We had to do multiple iterations before we were able to successfully narrow in on what was most important to our users. This meant redefining what MVP was and starting with the most essential pieces. This took some humility in letting go of functions and data we had fallen in love with. But with sacrifice, we were able to build the foundation in the right way.
Iteration, feedback, repeat!
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