RESEARCH DESIGN
Given the feature was already in development, I designed a moderated prototype test with a cross-section of business users to understand how this feature resonates with business from different verticals, partnering with data teams to identify engaged users and recruit them to my study via intercept outreach.
METHODOLOGY DETAILS
Research Approach: We conducted a moderated prototype test with (n=16) Sideline business users
Session Duration / Time in-field: 45 minutes / 1.5 weeks
Key Screener Criteria:
Sideline business users who were intercepted from the pre-existing bucket
Users from a range of professions, i.e. realtors, hairstylists, home maintenance, insurance sales, fitness coaches, etc.
EVALUATIVE INSIGHTS
Research revealed low-confidence in the in-progress Outreach feature, and I recommended we move away from this feature.
SMS may not be the primary mode of communication
Business struggled to cite use cases and found the experience to be less personalized
Still, many saw value in one-to-many messaging, with explicit notions of the different types of lists they would create
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Two survey methods—an in-product survey leveraging internal tools, and a general population survey using SurveyMonkey—boosted confidence in pursuing a new direction and ensured our findings extend beyond our product. All subjects use a second phone number for a business purpose.
For our in-product survey, broadcast messaging was rated the most important need after caller-ID and spam blocking.
In our general population survey, broadcast messaging ranked fourth after must-have features such as search.
USABILITY TESTING AND VALIDATION
With the requisite executive confidence in our core team decision, we delved into sprint mode based on the above learnings. Together we brainstormed, conceptualized, built and polished a prototype for Broadcast Messaging to validate inside and outside of our user base, and to evaluate usability before moving to development.
METHODOLOGY DETAILS
Method: We usability tested the new broadcast feature with (n=5) non-users from target verticals, including one realtor, two hair stylists, one massage therapist, and one LMFT. We then tested with another (n=4) users intercepted from our product to validate among our existing users.
Key Screener Criteria:
All participants had been using a second phone number to run their business.
Key Questions:
Can users locate the feature?
Can they access the list? What types of lists might you create?
What use cases exist aside from the templated message shown?
Do they comprehend how the message is displayed in Inbox?
RESULT 💡
Users were able to successfully locate the feature and use it, and exhibited strong comprehension as to how the messages were being displayed in the app. The new experience passed our usability evaluation, and the recommendation was to move toward production.
We captured visual feedback on the tool-tip experience that informed the final build, and moved forward to learn more about the needs for lists, templates, and other capabilities that would make this experience worthwhile (and worth paying for.)
Research-Fueled Design Sprint
Using Data to Redirect Feature Development
CLIENT:
Pinger, Inc.
SECTOR:
A2P Communications, Mobile CRM Startup
RELATIONSHIP:
Full-time, In-house
PROJECT DURATION:
3 Months
TEAM:
2 members of of Subscription Optimization teams, 1 Creative Leads, Director of UX Research, User Experience Researcher (myself)
RESPONSIBILITIES:
I conducted a foundational qualitative study, two sizing surveys, facilitated a design sprint, and led usability rounds to bring a new feature to production.
OBJECTIVE:
Investigate the validity of an in-progress feature development before it’s too late, and advise on next steps
RESULTING IMPACT:
The successful redirection saved the company $10M and 3 months of company resources. We launched a new flagship feature grounded in human behavior, proved the value of research, and replicated this new process several times over my tenure.