Building a prototyping framework to allow users to test ideas and bring to market quickly
Company: The Adecco Group
Project Summary
Built a research prototyping framework for both designers and non designers to empower them with tools so that they can test ideas before bringing them to market.
Timeline & Team
10 weeks start to finish with 1 person team. I was the ux researcher and the project manager.
Responsibilities
Quantitative research study
Technical vetting of 2 prototyping tools
Onboarding people onto the framework
Outcome
Delivered a prototyping framework
Introduced 2 new prototyping tools
Presented at a design conference in Berlin
PROJECT OVERVIEW
I sent out surveys to designers, product owners and business partners to better understand how prototyping fits into their workflow.
In the Adecco Group, there is a shift in focus for innovation. In the next few years, the company wants to bring more ideas to the market. However, to test the feasibility of an idea it takes time.
My task is to identify a platform(s) in which we could leverage the TAG design system, the react component library, to help cut the time it takes to go from idea to product.
The problem I faced is that I am not familiar with the products the company currently offers, nor do I have an understanding of what kind of ideas do we want to test out as well as how do people currently work and the challenges it faces.
SUMMARY
The Adecco Group saw that their competitors were bringing out news products at a fast pace. To get ahead, the company wanted to empower their employees to help bring new innovative ideas to market quickly.
Single source
of truth informing users when, where and how to use a prototyping tool
75 %
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT). 15 out of 20 responses gave a top rating
Positive
Community Feedback was received & employees felt enabled in their work
RESEARCH
I sent out surveys to designers, product owners and business partners to better understand how prototyping fits into their workflow.
Designers
What are the biggest challenges you face when creating prototypes?
How do you currently validate design ideas before development?
What level of customisation do you need in a prototyping tool?
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Product owners
How do you determine whether a prototype is successful?
What role does prototyping play in your product development process?
How do you currently communicate prototype insights with stakeholders?
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Business Partners
How do you determine whether a prototype is successful?
What role does prototyping play in your product development process?
How do you currently communicate prototype insights with stakeholders?
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
I facilitated a workshop that was attended by 13 participants. The aim was to establish a list of challenges that the framework that needed to address, gather insights into the collaboration between teams and a list of features and functionalities the framework must include.
Workshop Exercise
INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION (10MIN)
Write down 3-5 pain points you experience with prototyping.GROUP CATEGORISATION (15MIN)
Take the pain points on a board and group them into themesPRIORITISATION (15MIN)
Vote on the top 3 biggest pain points.SOLUTION BRAINSTORMING (15MIN)
Divide into groups to discuss the top pain points and then present 2-3 key requirements that they believe the framework should meet.DEFINING SUCCESS METRICS (15MIN)
How will we measure the effectiveness of this framework
The analysis of the surveys and workshops outcome revealed key requirements about prototyping.
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Why are we building? How much time do we have? How much resources? What is it we are building?
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”Know thy audience” Who is going to see it? Will they get it? Who are you testing the prototype on?
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Agile? Waterfall? Iterative process? Who’s in your team?
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What is it we are communicating? Is this a horizontal or vertical prototype?
“ Sometimes, I have an idea but I don’t have anybody to help me flesh it out”
“Say I have an idea, and I put something together, who’s the best person do I show it to?”
Next, I did an audit into the current offerings available in the design system. I identified a gap. There was a lack of hi-fidelity tools. After gaining stakeholder alignment, I carried out researched for new tools that could address the gap.
I found two offerings for which I conducted a SWOT analysis and then tested them to see how well they integrated with the company’s design system. I identified the gaps, made recommendations and presented them back to my stakeholders.
After getting stakeholder’s alignment on the two new tools, I documented and created a new framework - published on the company’s design system site
I presented the findings at the company’s hosted design conference, which was attended by both internal employees, external contractors and other companies in Berlin.
The new prototyping framework, backed by a 75% CSAT score, to help support the company’s innovation goals.
A fresh informative and resourceful platform enabling users of all abilities to develop their ideas into a prototype to help test, story-tell and if successful bring to market.
OUTCOMES & LESSONS
The prototyping platform is proving to be a powerful resource in enabling users to use the correct tools to test their ideas for feasibility. On launch, I onboarded 43% employees (designers, product owners and business partners) onto the platform.
IN THE 30 DAYS SINCE LAUNCH OF THE PLATFORM
1
Team project was created from leveraging prototypes from the platform
22 %
Onboarding completion rate
75 %
Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
By introducing a structured prototyping framework and two new tools, it allowed teams to validate ideas faster. With a strategy in place, it also aligned with business objectives.
Key Outcomes & Results
Single source for all information needed for prototyping accessible for all types of users.
Users reported it was “easier to flesh out ideas” for presentation.
Where resource was limited ie no available designer, users were still able to leverage the tools to achieve what wanted in their work.
What I learnt
The need to ask the right questions especially since I haven’t been in the company for long.
Collaboration is key, to make connections, the right connections.
Being adaptable allowed to spot opportunities, seek feedback and pivot when needed was key to the success of this project.