This is actual quote from one of our users:

I get 50 emails, I might need to do eight different tasks which in my case, I need to search for solutions, right? So I need to find information on what the best solution would be for that certain task. And if I need to process this amount of information; that exhausts you, that is just, you're tired at the end of the day.

Understanding the Problem

Users often struggle to manage the vast amount of information available from different sources, leading to cognitive overload and as a result inefficiency and compromised decision-making.

I broke down the main user problem to identify daily impacts on users to inform my decisions on USPs and product features.

How might we...?

Design an intuitive and efficient user experience that tackles information and cognitive overload by:

Research

I undertook thorough research across various stages of the product design process in a close collaboration with the PO. Employing a comprehensive mixed-method approach, I shaped my design decisions by gathering both qualitative and quantitative data. This involved conducting stakeholder and user interviews, administering questionnaires, performing usability testing, analyzing competitors, and delving into market research.

I set two main research goals for the discovery phase:

Desk Research Findings

Results showed rising information overload and concerns for data ownership and privacy

User Insights

The top research findings that helped me inform my decisions on the product future strategy:

Identifying Barriers to Adoption

I identified some of the user quotes as potential barriers and concerns that might hinder them from adopting our solution:

The algorithm of this platform that is going to unify all this information should work in a precise and perfect way.

So in my opinion, privacy doesn't exist online. That's an opinion, I think more than a fact.

ChatGPT can probably do the exact same thing within a snap of a moment.

Exploring Design Opportunities

Iteratively aligning our values with user concerns, I refined the design strategy, ensuring a user-centric and privacy-focused experience:

Making User Stories a Culture in the Team

Putting users front and center, I initiated think-along sessions to write user stories based on real user do's and dont's. This helped us as a team stay aligned and focused on three main areas:

• Understanding the user needs first

• Aligning with business goals and values

• Measuring our technical capacity to prioritize features
  

Solution

I leveraged user insights from user research to iteratively refine the Memri app. This involved creating archetypes, user flows and journey maps, and wireframes, followed by testing with users, gathering valuable insights, and iterating to enhance our design decisions. The process culminated in the development of high-fidelity, interactive prototypes.

We decided to create the MVP of the app based on our technical capacity so that we could test it ASAP with users to evaluate our primary solutions and unblock further decisions.

Usability Testing

I tested the first iteration of the onboarding with a focus group to better evaluate my initial decisions against users’ behavior:

Involving Stakeholders in the Design Process

We discussed the findings as a team with the stakeholders to align on user needs and business goals, and consider any necessary trade-offs and design improvements in the next steps.

Refining the Design

As the next step of our user-centric design cycle, I tested my decisions with users via an interactive prototype to gain more insights on their mental model and see the product features in action:

User Insights

The first round of the usability testing opened up a door to very valuable insights such as user behavior, improvements, and recommendations:

Final Design

After a series of iterations and a second round of usability testing, based on the users and stakeholders’ feedback, and technical feasibility assessment I introduced the final design for the Beta version.

Takeaway

In my role at Memri, interviewing stakeholders was the initial step, offering new perspectives on business goals and uncovering design opportunities. Asking varied questions about assumptions was crucial for finding the real problem, and team feedback provided diverse viewpoints. Prioritizing usability was highlighted in all product phases; a desirable product has to be inherently usable.