final designs
~ interactive walkthroughs
Step-by-step guides that educate users through complex workflows and drive users towards key actions.
~ dynamic release notes
Timely notify users on new content, product features, and enhancements.
~ personalized new user experience
Analyze, adjust, and tailor onboarding experiences for specified user personas.
~ empty states
Empty states to inform users about specific use cases.
(swipe right below to view a snapshot of each of these)
what's an out-of-box experience?
Think about the time you got your new iPhone and you took it out of the box, the smooth sliding of the top as you opened it, the anticipation as you open the box, the pre-charged phone and easy to set-up process are all a part of the experience.
This applies to all products - physical and digital. An out-of-box experience is the first experience an end-user has with a product or new feature within that product. It is meant to provide a supportive onboarding experience that welcomes users and introduces them to the platform so they have the tools and confidence to get started.
At the time, Forge Performance + had no existing in-app onboarding for new end users — there was no in-app support to help users learn how to use the platform.
for a product, an out-of-box experience means
- reduced number of complaint or support emails
- reduced number of training sessions
- thus, more customers retained
Imagine you're a maintenance manager in a warehouse and you have a new software that you need to start using. How do you learn the big pieces of the software without spending hours in training and avoid critical business events from going unnoticed?
That's where OOBE steps in.
our process
For our 12 week project, we started by drafting a project plan with delivery dates. It included a site visit amongst multiple rounds of testing with UserTesting participants. Here's what our process looked like throughout the 12 week period -
1. discovery research
• Market scan of other platforms
• Best user onboarding practices
• Assessed current state of user onboarding
2. design concepts
• Problem framing for design concepts
• Explored different concepts & prioritized strategy with stakeholders
3. concept testing + iterations
• Tested initial round of concepts with 15 participants on UserTesting
• Iterated based on feedback & created high-fidelity prototypes
4. high fidelity testing + iteration
• Conducted moderated testing with 6 Honeywell users
• Iterated based on feedback to create most recent high-fidelity prototypes
Note:
Design is not a linear process, nor is there a checklist.
While this case study may appear structured, it involved extensive stakeholder negotiations, multiple iterations, and a dynamic workshop. The streamlined approach was shaped by the internship plan—and made possible by the guidance of my mentor at the time.
design concepts
The final design concepts consisted of a 5 piece onboarding approach that went to development. The individual pieces are as follows:
~ product tour experience
What it is: A comprehensive tooltip guide that walks the user throughout the platform & gives an overview of important features.
Why it works: Upon first login, users do not know the platform's capabilities or where things are located. Training new users is time consuming.
How it works: It orients the user to the application and provides helpful context and tips.
**Proprietary content has been greyed out.
~ product basic introduction
What it is: Introductory screens providing an overview of the platform.
Why it works: Reduces overwhelm of showing everything on the platform at once.
How it works: It eases the user into the application and helps them understand the value it can bring to their work.
~ product tutorials
What it is: A step-by-step guided tutorial showing user how to perform certain tasks.
Why it works: Users may not be aware of the platform's features or know how to use them to perform certain tasks. Training new users is time consuming.
How it works: Brings awareness to new capabilities and trains users how to use certain noteworthy features.
**This is a GIF. Wait for it to load, please!
~ product updates
What it is: Pop-ups to explain the new updates and how it impacts the work.
Why it works: It tells users what's new and what changed so that they aren't surprised by new updates.
How it works: Instantly tell users about the new feature, without going through a detailed document.
~ empty states
What it is: A moment in the user's journey within a product when content cannot be displayed for various reasons.
Why it works: Users need to know what the problem is and what actions they can take to help fix it.
How it works: Users are not left wondering why the application isn't functioning as they intended. Reduces customer support calls.
testing with users
For the higher fidelity testing, we tested with users during an onsite visit at Shamrock. While Taylor facilitated the sessions, I was the note taker throughout testing and analyzed the sessions to inform the final designs.
Through these testing sessions, we learnt the importance of copy and further improved the final copy of the designs during the final iteration that summer.
This is simply a summary of the project. The end product is an outcome of numerous design ideation sessions and iterations as well as discussions, interactions with users and subject matter experts.
And, of course, my 12 weeks at Honeywell over the summer of 2022 were packed with a lot more - meeting wonderful people, learning about the company and being immersed in the Atlanta culture.
To learn more about this project (and about Samruddhi), please email me @ samruddhik.design@gmail.com or message me on LinkedIn! Thank you 😊