Introduction
In this article, I tried to describe the process of conducting UX research of a mobile application. Displayed both the preparation of the plan itself and the implementation of the plan. I had to omit many points in order not to overload the article with details.
We are talking about a mobile application for garbage truck drivers. It serves as a reporting tool. The collected waste data goes to municipal monitoring systems. This is very important, because for each fact of non-export, fines and other sanctions are applied in relation to the guilty ones.
The purpose of the application is to show the driver of the garbage truck a list of container sites (hereinafter referred to as KP), where the bins with garbage are located and to record the fact of cleaning these containers by means of a photo report. You just need to take a photo before and after. And if the garbage cannot be removed, then notify about it.
The application was developed on the basis of a map of functional requirements and did not take into account the peculiarities and nuances of the drivers' work. To be honest, the user experience wasn't well thought out. Therefore, this article will tell you how we approached and implemented an event to improve usability and made usability improvement our top priority.
All steps are a symbiosis of the knowledge gained from books, courses, articles and the application of common sense.
Stage 1. Preparation and planning of activities
The first thing that was done was planning the work to the smallest detail. This made it possible to see the whole picture and understand which points were taken into account and which were not. I studied management and project management a lot, so I applied the experience in my work. I will describe it in detail and give examples.
Structuring chaos and drawing the battle map
You should always remember the thesis "The brain is not designed to store a large amount of information." It does a good job of synthesizing, analyzing, but not storing data. My brain often let me down. Therefore, I used the Mindjet Manager structuring tool to structure all of my injections.
I first fixed all the work I needed in a pile. After that, he performed a decomposition and smashed everything into meaning. This made it possible to understand the scope and type of work. I put numerical values under each entity. This is necessary in order to create a folder structure in the cloud, into which I will add materials, according to their meaning. Below is an example of structuring chaos.
For example, clause 0.4.1 “Carriers (Interviews with users)”. I will create a separate folder where I will put the following documents:
- List of contact persons and their details
- List of questions and answers
- Photos and other materials obtained during the survey
Here's a simple use case. At the driver's office, I noticed a printed timetable for garbage collection by addresses and began to ask him how convenient it is, how he uses it, etc. I took a photo for myself and for further analysis.
What do you think, without hierarchy, where to add this file? In the folder name “other”, “other”, “materials”? I had no questions about the hierarchy of the document. He went to the right folder.
In general, these numbers can appear wherever it is appropriate, for example, in the subject line. By searching, you can always quickly find the documents you need.
Such a system will allow you not to stuff everything into one folder and think over the structure and name of the folders, but immediately scatter the materials in the right places. Very comfortably. In general, all text files and links can be attached to the map. Texts can be pinned in a note, and links to files can be given either in a note or with a direct link. This way you have order and easy access to the materials you need.
Prioritizing tasks
The next step is to prioritize the work. It is put down easily, with numbers from 1 to 4. Understanding the numbers is at your discretion. In general, the most common technique for prioritizing tasks is the Eisenhower Matrix. You can use it.
Mindjet has a convenient function for viewing task priority, view - show - icons.
You can safely form the affairs of the first priority in your calendar. We have mail on Yandex. Accordingly, I plan my day on the basis of the work in the map and in this calendar and no one should have any questions about what I am doing and whether I can take the task to work. Everything is visible and reasonable. A new important task arrives, we work with priorities. At the end of the day, updating the work plan for the next day.
Time control and calendar firmware
If you work in custom development and your work is fixed by the terms of the contract. Or rather, an additional agreement, then you can transfer the terms from this DS to the mental map by simply clicking “Add Tast info”. Then you and the project manager will understand what needs to be done and when. Just hit the “Show Gantt Chart” button in the “Browse” section and cheers.
Now you have no opportunity for defamation. For product companies, in my opinion, this requirement is optional, since timing is less important than quality of work. A good job is doing a large number of small actions that also take their time. The devil is always in the details.
I did not commit more information so as not to overload the article on the planning process. It will be interesting - write in the comments, strain and separately make a detailed review.
Stage 2. Deep diving into the user's world
Simulation of the driver's work with the application. Using real equipment on demo data
As a UX specialist, I have already studied the application, how it works, and the business process of carriers. Now I needed to understand how everything actually happens in real life. You yourself know theory and practice can be radically different.
The work in real conditions was organized in two ways.
- Working in a realistic environment on test data
- Work completely in a real environment with real data
Note that the first method was organized by accident. Sensors were installed on the vehicle, so I could play with the application and on a garbage truck with a full cycle of garbage loading.
What does this give and how does it differ from the second method? Let me explain, because this is important. As a person who has seen and used many applications, I will be able to evaluate the current application and understand how you can improve the UX, i.e. form hypotheses and offer a real user to evaluate this functionality. What I did next. In the meantime, a couple of photos from this event. After all, the text should be diluted with something interesting.
Working with a driver on a real flight. Real data and real daily work of real men.
As an experiment, a driver was chosen who in every possible way ignored the requirements of working with a mobile application, I argue that it is inconvenient to work and it takes a long time. Most valuable respondent. With him we went on a flight.
Having met with the garbage truck team, I immediately indicated my presence and the goal “Guys, you will have to use the application anyway. These are requirements for carriers, not my wishes. They have to transmit data to the municipality. I am here to make your job easier. Now the application is not perfect and with your help we will refine it. Can you help? ”. Of course I received an affirmative answer. And we went to carry out their daily tasks.
I was interested in everything that somehow participates in the driver's work. What I visually recorded.
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Then I started using the application. This was the role of the assistant. The driver only steered, and I took photographs.
Great guys got caught. They work like bees. Their motivation is “the quicker you clear your route - you will go home faster”. Therefore, all their actions are optimized and brought to automatism. The driver does not even use the application, he knows all the points by heart, what and when to remove. And this is about 40-60 addresses.
Stage 3 Data analysis and conclusions
I thought in this article to reveal a lot more information about other ways of working, for example, to show how I analyzed the best practices and, based on the Yandex.Drive application, show what you can lick from them, but I realized that it would be very long. So I left what I left.
I collected all the data in one place and uploaded it to the cloud. While everything was fresh in my memory, I formed a backlog for application improvements, updated CJM.
Insights that we managed to get
In general, I also prioritize insights into major and minor ones. I publish only the important.
- All major drivers know the route from memory. And they know what and when is exported. And this is up to 40-60 addresses.
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- If there are assistants, the driver does not leave the cab and makes a report on the rear view monitor.
- All drivers use the KP display type - list, because the card is inconvenient to use. And the list is built on the basis of the paper chart they previously used.
Many of these insights were involved in one way or another in the new functionality of the mobile application. Something else is being prepared for release. The work was carried out relatively recently, so the results and feedback from the new functionality are still not enough. But we keep our finger on the pulse and work further to make it easier for people.
Well, in general, declare what you are doing.
Conclusion
I set myself the task of showing in practice the work of a UX designer. How it might look in reality. How the train of thought is built. I didn't manage to fit everything into one article. This is the case when you can talk and talk.