About
Project
Ford utilizes Diskomp’s Zebra scanners in their physical EV testing department. We helped create a multi platform solution to work on the scanners and iPhones.
Overview
Goal: Managing timeline and working towards delight
Role: Lead UX Designer
Duration: 3 months
Team: 1 UX Designer, 2 Developers, 1 Delivery Lead, 1 Principle
Design Plan
Problem
With a limited timeline, the main focus of our engagement was to get the app up and running. While we can connect the dots, it was my job to increase usability throughout the process especially for features with new functionality.
Goal
Find opportunities to recommend usability optimizations.
Process
Opportunity Solution Tree (OST)
I utilized a method called an opportunity solution tree (OST) to discover what to work on first. Based on where we were in the design plan, I wanted to increase usability and delight as design outcomes.
Solution Matrix
With every opportunity came a potential solution. I decided where to spend my time based on what would provide the highest value and what was easiest to do first.
Designing (from top to bottom)
Delight
Changing the Songbird logo and name (from previous developer) to a new icon that better represents the application was an area we felt was needed to push into the delight level. This was not something that was absolutely needed, but a quick win that brought delight.
Usable
More flexible for scanning and efficiency in information architecture. Rethinking the app from an optimized workflow was a great way to see how we should approach design decisions while working on the reliable and functional rungs. Though we did not adopt all design decisions, it gave an aim for development to point at for usability, and areas to test in the future.
Reliable
Being able to scan on both zebra scanners and ios devices. The idea to have Multiplatform was a functional call, but phones do not scan the same as a zebra scanner with a trigger. Therefore we needed a way to quickly and efficiently scan a part. A bottom sheet for the iOS devices was introduced.
Functional
Getting the app up and running was the first priority. We were given partly completed code that needed to first work before thinking about any usability. Timeline was short, so we thought critically about what to work on first from a time-value perspective.
Results
Delivering Delight
“Ford Scan is brilliant” was a quote from the product owner (Mark) when seeing the new logo and name. Although not a top priority, the time and effort to dramatically shift the perception of the app and its quality resided in this face lift. It took an insignificant amount of time, but ultimately resonated extremely well with Mark, gaining us points of expertise and trust.
Staying Focused
We stayed on the same page as a product team. Since our budget was limited, we could not waste time on a complete overhaul. The OST helped us move the needle towards delight all while allowing the developers to use more of the hours needed to get the app to the functional and reliable stages.
“Ford Scan is brilliant” - Product Owner
Demo Video
Link
https://vimeo.com/1038623255?ts=0&share=copy
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