UX Researcher
UI/UX Designer
Figma
5 days
This is a revised version of a design challenge that I did in August 2022. The result is supposed to be a concept for an app, not an entire finished UI/UX project.
In a dynamically scaling company, effective management is crucial. Particularly during the era of digitization, there is a pressing demand for streamlined tools to facilitate the transmission of various data (such as vacation requests, sick leave notifications, company invoices, etc.) to the respective departments responsible.
Inefficient information transmission costs a lot of time that could be used in better ways. Why is that important?
- Employee could have more time to spend on relevant work
- Information could get lost cross-platform
- Higher overall costs if multiple tools, and thus licenses, are needed
SUCCES METRICS
As this was a design challenge with a short time frame of just 5 days, I had to make compromises in terms of user research and user testing.
SUCCESS METRICS
Decrease in changes of recorded work hours afterwards
- How: Number of change requests at HR
Efficiency of usage
- How: Task Time
The first task that needs to be done is identify the users of this application. The assignment states that various data, such as vacation requests or sick leave notifications, has to be transmitted. Given that this is generic data, any kind of employee should be able to send such requests, no matter if this employee has executive functions or not. Therefore, the solution to be designed will cater to any employee of the company.
To gain a more comprehensive understanding about the situation and the users, I suggest pursuing the following strategy, if there were more time:
- Survey of the status quo
Talk to employees, HR department, ask about current solution if there is any
- Online research & competitor analysis
Analyze current software solution & competitor products, analyze online ratings & reviews
- Qualitative interviews
With regular employees, employees working in HR, team leads, managing directors if possible, because employees in different positions might need significantly different information in their solution
However, given the time constraints, I relied on online research for user research, and analysed competitors to gain knowledge about such digital products and insights into the market.
The following Jobs-to-be-done (JBTD) statements help to define what users hope to accomplish with this solution.
📋 JTBD 📋
JBTD #1: Accurate time tracking
When I forget to log my work time at work, I want to be able to add my work time without the need to return to work, because I am committed to track my time accurately, so I can avoid negative hours and miscommunication.
JBTD #2: Personal Progress & Team Collaboration
When I need to collaborate with my colleagues, I want to have a reliable overview of colleagues' absences, because I am motivated to plan collaborative efforts timely, so I can continue to progress in my project work.
JBTD #3: Hassle-free Absence Management
When I need time off for personal reasons, I want a simple and efficient way to request absence, because I want to get a response as quick as possible, so I can take care of my personal things quickly.
How might we support employees to manage their work-related organisational tasks in an easy and intuitive way?
After researching multiple available HR software solutions and employee apps, I summarized the features. Based on the information and requirements given in the brief, and the defined JTBDs, I decided to adopt the following features in the design, to create a comprehensive solution for employees:
- Work time tracking
- Absence request of any kind
- Calendar overview of recorded time
- Employee directory with personal profiles
- Account with personal information (e.g. address, bank details)
- Payroll with digital payslips
- Company news broadcast
I first started off with low fidelity wireframes to lay out the features and find a suitable arrangement. After that I gathered some style inspiration, and decided to go with a rather brutalist style because it matches the design of the design challenge brief that represented the company.
After finding my style inspiration, I applied the design on the wireframes and created mockups.
The end result is EMPLO, a HR/employee app where employees can record work time, request any kind of absence, and exchange any kind of work-related information with their employer in one seamless application. The optional news broadcast integration also enables employers to share company wide news in the same application. The employee directory allows employees to get more personal detailed information on their colleagues which should encourage exchange between them and foster team-building.
User research by talking to real users is a must. Even this conceptual project would have benefitted if user interviews were conducted.