~62% increase in ops speed
At Sky & Comcast I worked on internal tooling for metadata editing.
The UK had seen a drop in productivity since adopting new software so I was hired to identify problems and solutions.
I established a survey to profile the global user base, collate accessibility requirements and track user satisfaction scores.
Because there were no analytics from the software itself, I also carried out additional user research activities and worked with Business Analysts to identify the most valuable solutions.
I provided UX/UI solutions, one of which resulted in ~62% increase in ops speed of the most common task (this task is carried out ~3,500 times a week at Sky UK alone and the solution was also rolled out globally).
Whilst the software looked dated, I couldn't see any significant short term value in improving the aesthetic of the software so I used the existing styling in my work.
A large part of the user's challenge was working with a huge, complex data model and so a lot of my work was working out how to surface relevant data at the right time.
Before the 'Work Queue' feature I designed editors had to search for programmes that needed the correct metadata mapped to them. As the most common task, UK editors were doing this ~3,500 times a week.
'Work Queue' automatically surfaced programmes that needed mapping to each editor based on their expertise (e.g. drama, sport, news). This resulted in a ~62% reduction in time spent on the most common user task and at such a high volume represented a big boost to global productivity. Due to a lack of analytics from the software, I measured this by observing and timing users performing the task pre and post 'Work Queue'.
Whilst the end result for editors was simple and fast, there were more complex backstage flows for a few select managers that helped them setup 'Work Queues'. A small price to pay for a feature that supercharged the vast majority of the global metadata operation.
Once an editor had found a programme that needed mapping the next step in their journey was to assess a programme already in the database to map it to.
When I redesigned the programme view I initially didn't think I would end up making it busier. But after shadowing users it became clear they were doing a lot of scrolling up and down to find certain bits of data so I increased the data density to speed up the task. It received positive feedback from the 17 editors I tested it on.
Even basic interactions were redesigned. The scroll bar was thinner than what web standards recommend and users had provided feedback saying they were having a hard time grabbing it.
I quickly brought it inline with standards, doubling the hit area. It may seem a small detail but given the amount of times a day an editor would scroll it made a big difference on a global scale.
I wrote my success definition on day 2 of my contract.
I presented my research to the global leadership team. Due to a lack of software analytics, it was a layered research programme I carried out including surveys, user shadowing, Slack polls and business analysis. The research provided user segmentation, feedback, pain points, high value solutions and KPIs.
My research summary I presented to the global leadership team.
Internal tooling. Happy users = happy business.
Remote user shadowing sessions I conducted (due to lack of software analytics). I wrote the test script and carried out more than 50 tests with editors to ensure any insights were trustworthy.
My dissection of the highest volume task helped identify additional optimisation possibilities.
As a new function within the product team it was up to me to define how design was integrated into the development cycle and in what order activities should be done.
Customer pain point analysis & remedies
Preparing the product for self-service