PROBLEM
A year at a start up… is like a dog year
A year at a startup can feel like a dog year, with rapid changes and growth. The project dashboard was our foundational page in KATA, initially serving as a simple container where users could organize work, activities, and project events. However, after a year of beta testing and the addition of numerous project management features, the page began to feel cluttered and lose its clarity. Recognizing the evolving needs of our users and the necessity for a more scalable structure, our design team decided it was time for a refresh. We aimed to realign the page with the shifting demographics of its primary users and establish a more flexible framework, ensuring we could seamlessly integrate additional functionality based on ongoing user input.
RESEACH
User Validation
To understand the depth of the problem, we conducted thorough research. Beginning with a card sort exercise, we analyzed the current page elements through the lens of each user persona. We discovered distinct priorities among project owners, stakeholders, and individual project contributors.
We also interviewed our customers to further shed light on their needs and expectations, revealing insights such as the necessity for better milestone management and the absence of gantt chart functionality.
STRATEGY
Aligning Leadership
To ensure alignment on the roadmap priorities, we facilitated workshops with leadership. By presenting our research findings and leading exercises like 'Frame the Problem' and 'How Might We,' we collectively defined three clear initiatives.
- Re-organize the page to better align with our users needs
- Replace workflow chart with a more accurate presentation of progress
- Create a first-time 'create project' flow that walks users through the first project value loop and lands them on a more useful page
DESIGN
Reorganizing the page
Drawing from our extensive research findings, we identified two primary user tasks: managing the project and consuming project information. To facilitate these tasks more effectively, we introduced a sub-navigation system, aligning content around these key job roles. This not only prevented important elements from being buried but also provided clear guidance to users on maximizing the utility of each page. By structuring the layout in this manner, we aimed to enhance user engagement and satisfaction, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience.
Visually Display Progress
In response to user feedback, we realized that our current workflow chart, while visually appealing, fell short in providing project owners with tangible insights into actual progress towards milestones. Determined to address this gap, we made the decision to replace the chart with a milestone gantt chart. This new feature would empower users in planning projects by associating specific tasks and team members with milestones, offering a more comprehensive view of project progression. The result - an intuitive and efficient chart that allows project owners to easily track work progress and identify remaining tasks, thus facilitating informed project status updates.
First Time Onboarding
Informed by user feedback, we hypothesized that the primary, most universal benefit of KATA projects was that it provided users with a singular source of truth, along with facilitating the creation and consumption of project status updates. We set out to craft a first-time project creation onboarding flow with three key aims: minimizing the time for users to derive value from KATA projects during initial exploration, minimizing instances of encountering empty states on the project dashboard, and educating users on the essential elements contributing to project value.
