Vending Tablet App
Dashboard Delivers Action
Due to a Non-Disclosure Agreement, information on this project is limited.
Overview
Over 4 weeks, I created an enterprise tablet app for a vending company's office coffee service. This vending company targets small to mid-sized operators (500 or fewer machines).
Problem
I focused on 2 critical areas:
How to present critical data to the operators, so they can effectively execute sensitive business decisions: set orders, schedule routes and maintenance.
What are the best methods for customers to communicate in a timely manner.
Solution
Enterprise Vending routing and fullfillment is complex. First, I created a userflow to clarify the critical process and problems. It is imperative to simplify information at vital touchpoints. I opted to introduce wireframes using a 'dashboard' design.
Role
UX Designer
Deliverables
- UserFlow
- Secondary Research
- User Interviews
- Wireframes
Duration
4 weeks
My Process
Discovery
Understanding Industry
I spend the first few meetings asking questions to get acclimated about the industry and their challenges. The enterprise product that was already created was quite complex. I used this global app as a departure.
Weekly Meetings
Consisted of a team stand-up and a 1 on 1 with my stake holder. The 1 on 1 was a validation meeting where we could discuss my progress and get feedback or additional information.
USER FLOW
Referencing the client’s previous designs I quickly realized:
- Very confusing and complex.
- The absence of specific ‘action items’ for a user to act on.
- First, I created an entire “userflow” in order to identify key friction points.
Early on product discovery calls several core data-driven features were identified as being MVPs:
- Route sale trends
- Machine purchase trends
- Route’s cash value
- Scheduling stops on a delivery route.
However, these core analytics were not shown.
I decided showing these influential visualizations would dramatically increase the app’s value to its users. Additionally, visualizing critical data points empowers users can act quickly.
USER INTERVIEWS
I conducted a series of user interviews in order to gain more insight and empathy into potential users. My stakeholder was able to both recruit partners or provide contacts to participate in this qualitative research.These users were identified as current employees with various roles within the vending industry with direct knowledge and 10-30 years of industry experience. Because of all of its intricacies, it was vital to recruit participants with familiarity of vending-industry procedures.
Key Takeaways:
- Each Client had preferred communication style
- Operators start the day with data trends and revenue
- Mirror patterns from other familiar software
- Using current data to trigger automated alerts
What they say?
Design Decisions
I decided showing visualizations would dramatically increase the app’s value to its users. Additionally, visualizing critical data points empowers users can act quickly.
- Inspiration drawn from Salesforce dashboards.
- Presenting specific data to aid user complete tasks.
- Maintaining some static elements to increase mental memory.
- Adding filter and search bars to speed recognition and search.
Build A Vending Machine Faster
Original screen listed all products with no organization. This was very complex and very difficult to use; quickly.
Homescreen: Introducing a Dashboard
Original homescreen provided no direction, data or visual queues. I was inspired by Salesforce dashboards. So, I introduced a ‘dashboard’ to display valuable information and increased visibility.
Final Thoughts
It was challenging entering a project that was already progressing. The first few meetings were spent entirely on getting educated on the industry and familiar with the cumbersom enterprise software.
- Industry bias within team added to the lack of intuitive structure of the client’s screens.
- It was imperative to create a userflow to simplify the process.
- I was able to make improvements by integrating categories and bring visibility to more action items. This got early buy-in from the team.
I really enjoyed conducting user-interviews. Each user had years of industry insight, but varied in what their strengths were and how they communicated with internal staff and customers.
- Users will have varied technical insight. Simplicity is important for early adoption.
- My assumption that ‘text messages’ will be best does not fit for all customers. Some prefer phone calls still. Enabling a ‘custom setting’ for customer communications will automate these methods per customer.
Next Steps
Completing all work agreed upon within 4 weeks; the client is responsible to executing next steps. However, I did provide a list of recommendations:
- User-Testing of Low-Fidelity prototype.
- Gain additional insight from user testing to further simplify the product.
- Provide more clarity of actionable items and prioritized workflow.
- Enhance product with UI design to appeal to users of varied industry background.
