ding!
PROBLEM
Remembering all the mundane timekeeping tasks through various avenues at work can be frustrating and demoralizing.
Through beginning stage interviews, we found that our potential users expressed frustration in the lack of accessibility awareness of current products on the market as well as how many different forms of communication that were needed to complete simple timekeeping tasks. They felt as though the current means of clocking in, requesting PTO, etc added excess stress and enabled things to fall through the cracks leading to even more frustration. This led to the question -
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
How can we consolidate communication and timekeeping tasks while keeping accessibility at the forefront?
SYNTHESIZE THE CHAOS
When faced with a problem, my mind operates at an incredible speed, processing ideas at a rapid pace.
To kickstart my problem-solving process, I begin by taking a moment to sit down and jot down every thought that comes to mind. This includes questions, ideas, sketches, and any other relevant information. Initially, it may appear as a chaotic mess, but once I have everything documented, I can organize them into distinct categories. This categorization allows me to approach the problem methodically, tackling each section one at a time.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Through completing competitive benchmarking via the discovery process we focused on answering the following:
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Who are the key competitors?
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What are the type and quality of competitors' products?
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How do competitors position themselves on the market?
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How do competitors talk about themselves?
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What are their strengths?
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What are their weaknesses?
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Where are the gaps?
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Where are there opportunities for our app to improve upon current solutions and meet the needs/frustrations of our users better?
TESTING, TESTING, AND MORE TESTING - HIFI PROTOTYPE
More rounds of prototype testing, after changes were implemented, were conducted with a wide variety of participants. The feedback gathered allowed us to make adjustments to the user flow which garnered a well-rounded, more intuitive product. 93% of individuals were able to complete the four general tasks with minimal mistakes. Many individuals shared that an app like this would be beneficial in their place of work. Users also indicated that they appreciated the "Clock In" button being closer to the bottom of the screen so they could easily hit it with their thumb.
TAKE AWYAS AND NEXT STEPS
This was quite an eye-opening project. The more I learned, the more I grew concerned about the overall inaccessibility of the current apps on market - not only for people who are visually impaired but also the large neurodivergent community. Creating a streamlined and all-inclusive app helps to alleviate some of those stressors is a start but we still have a long way to go. Below are the next steps I would take to move towards a fully functional, ready for market app.
SCHEDULES
Conveniently check your schedule any time.
MANAGE PTO REQUESTS
Submit and check the status of PTO requests easily.
CONTRAST, COLOR, AND ACCESSIBILITY
Tested against the WCAG and with colorblind users, rest assured - we kept accessibility at the forefront.
LOCATION-BASED REMINDERS
Get reminded when arriving and when leaving work so you'll never forget a punch!
TIMESHEETS
Check, edit, and submit your timesheet with a few simple taps.
ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION
Combining all of the tasks in one easy-to-use place so you can focus on what really matters - your passion!
SOME FEEDBACK FROM USERS DURING TESTING.
"It's not just about having variations of the same color that help people tell the difference between them. It's about the actual components that create each color in the color palette that are important and enable everyone to enjoy and use technology. I believe you have done a good job capturing that and making this accessible."
"As someone with A.D.H.D, I could use some of these features on everything honestly. I always have a million things on my mind and even though I know I need to do something; sometimes I forget and it's really frustrating."
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Through interviews and focus groups, the most common challenges included:
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Programs and apps are not accessible to people with varying visual abilities
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Most timekeeping apps require users to try to remember to clock in and clock out adding an unnecessary burden to both employees and employers.
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People feel they must micromanage various forms of communication avenues: time off requests, overtime, punches, etc. making it easy for things to get missed or fall through the cracks.
HYPOTHESIS
An easy 'clock-in' and 'clock-out' system is the commonality across the different apps currently on the market. By incorporating a simple timekeeping system and building on top of that DING! can be set apart as an all-encompassing solution.
SUMMARY
Ding! is a timekeeping app that provides people with a streamlined tool, that mitigates the needs for multiple avenues of work-related information. Schedules, timecards, PTO requests, and more are all at the person's fingertips. We also added the ability to set location-based reminders for clocking in and clocking out to relieve the frustration of remembering the mundane in order to focus on the passion.
MY ROLE
UX Designer and Researcher
CONCEPT
A timekeeping app
FIRST ROUNDS OF PROTOTYPE FEEDBACK - LOFI PROTOTYPE
The first rounds of testing revealed two main pain points in the user journey: confirmation fatigue and information overload. Integrating that feedback into future iterations produced the following changes:
WHO ARE THE USERS?
Synthesizing the data gathered through the beginning of the process, surveys and interviews, I identified two main groups: employees and managers, then using that information created two personas.
USER JOURNEY
Example: Sebastien's end goals directed how I thought about steps between actions. Prompting the main functionality of the app - clocking in and out, to be the main item on the home screen and within the "thumb-zone" of the user for easier use while the remainder of the functions are found via simple navigation with the minimal number of steps.
DING! makes it easy to for you to keep track of your schedules, timesheets, and PTO requests in an accessible way while also providing reminders for clocking in and clocking out to relieve you of unnecessary worry and frustration.
QUESTIONNAIRES
COMPLETED
16
COMPANIES
RESEARCHED
10
STICKY NOTES
USED
47
ROUNDS OF
PROTOTYPE TESTING
6
USERS TESTED IN
PROTOTYPE TESTING
16
USER TASK
COMPLETION
93%
THE PROCESS
THE SOLUTION
REFLECTIONS
Confirmation fatigue
Adjusted the process of clocking-in and out on the home screen to remove excess confirmation screens - now provides immediate, visual feedback allowing the user to know the clock in was successful at a glance.
Information overload
Simplified the home screen and allowed more breathing room - creating a clearer hierarchy for easy scanning.
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Create and conduct a usability study with the "light" version of the app (the default being "dark") to ensure all aspects are accessible for everyone.
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In a real world scenario the desktop companion app for employers would be designed next to help create and end to end experience that benefits all parties; which includes the design process again from start to finish.
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Test in a real world scenario, at an arcade, to see if the GPS features and reminders work as intended as that is an integral part of the app.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY CASE STUDY!
OVERVIEW
