Context
In 2022, our organization selected a North Star to demonstrate the effectiveness of our UpTogether Approach. The Approach is our philosophy which we believe to combat poverty more effectively than historic governmental or philanthropic efforts. We believed the best way to represent the effectiveness of our approach over those of government and philanthropy was to aggregate solicited and self-reported data from a feature called Surveys.
We developed this survey feature explicitly to collect self-reported data on the impact of our cash transfers on individuals and families. The goal was to then translate and use this data to influence philanthropists and government agencies' strategies for addressing poverty in the United States.
Problem: Our Response Rates are Low
The principal barrier in achieving this goal was the low response rate we had with our surveys. Once we determined this was an ample starting point. We initiated the process by charting our activities and crafting a workflow as seen in the chart below. This approach further enabled us to pinpoint opportunities for collaboration with non-technical departments within our organization.
Problem Brief and JTBDs
During the creation of our standard comprehensive problem brief, where we refined the problem, established metrics, and defined Jobs to Be Done (JBTDs), we further were able to identify three distinct approaches to address the response-rate issue effectively:
1. Enhancing Email/SMS Delivery to Boost Responsiveness.
2. Introducing Incentivization to Improve Responsiveness.
3. Implementing Mandatory Compliance to Enhance Responsiveness.
Additionally, we recognized the opportunity for redesigning the surveys feature, encompassing both UX/UI improvements to our modular design systems and content design enhancements.
Heuristic Evaluation
For our next step we wanted to establish a starting point for UX/UI assessment and identify areas for improvement, we employed a heuristic evaluation method based on the Nielsen Norman Group's set of 10 standards. Certainly, here's a brief overview of the Nielsen Norman Group heuristic evaluation standards:
The Nielsen Norman Group's heuristic evaluation standards, also known as Jakob Nielsen's "10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design," are a set of principles and guidelines used to assess the user-friendliness and usability of a digital interface.
Strengthening UX Solutions With Marketing Strategies
For our goal of enhancing Email/SMS Delivery, we established a retargeting funnel utilizing both SMS and Email channels. On hand we already had the email and phone numbers of all our users as it's a mandatory requirement for account creation. However, users still need to opt-in voluntarily for email and SMS subscriptions. While this isn't a flawless solution, it represented a step in the right direction.
As an illustration, here's an example of an Email funnel we developed. Through this funnel, we discovered the opportunity to collaborate with our marketing and communications team. We presented this idea to distribute ownership thereby increasing buy-in.
During our process, we also found there was gap for individuals who couldn't be reached through text, email, or in some cases either. We found a solution for these cases by designing on-platform landing pages and notifications. Additionally, we integrated these newly created elements into our funnel and communication strategy to enhance the touchpoints within this email funnel, thereby improving its effectiveness.
Facilitating Junior Members Growth As Designers
During this project, I made the decision to empower the junior members of our team to take the lead in UI design. Nurturing and developing talent is vital to allow our junior members to discover their unique voice and style, facilitating their growth in their careers. It's equally important to infuse our organization's design operations with fresh ideas and perspectives.
Below, you will find the work that the junior designer and content designer on the project collaborated on, leveraging their newfound understanding of this particular problem space and the supporting systems adjacent to it. Presented here are the initial iterations of their screen redesigns, accompanied by insights into their thought processes.
We conducted regular design reviews, typically once or twice a week, to foster ongoing engagement from our junior designers in the design process. These sessions also served as an opportunity for me to offer gentle guidance whenever I noticed potential improvements or areas where UI design principles could be further explored or reevaluated.
Here is the second iteration following our coaching sessions/design review.
Below is the final design we worked on together. While it may not feature an overly modern or extravagant aesthetic, it does adhere to our established design language at UpTogether which in turned is tailored to our core user group (which we discovered through qualitative and quantitative data). We emphasize creating sterile environments to enhance user concentration and facilitate the completion of sensitive tasks involving critical information. Additionally, we encountered certain UI constraints, notably the need to strictly adhere to brand design guidelines originally tailored for print and marketing materials, which may not seamlessly translate into digital product design.
We succeeded by using design to meet organizational goals, starting with creating an elegant, brand-aligned user interface. We enhanced marketing by designing on-platform landing pages and notifications to reach users who couldn't be reached through text or email.
Furthermore, we prioritized junior team members' growth and development, allowing them to lead in UI design. Regular design reviews ensured ongoing engagement and provided guidance, leading to continuous improvements.
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