The Team:
6 UX Researchers
4 Project Coordinators
13 UX Designers
6 Content Designers
6 Product Managers
6 Developers
My Role:
UX Researcher
Since there was limited previous phase research pertaining to a Resource Center or Groups Feature, we began with competitive analysis to quickly identify opportunities for design teams before conducting user interviews.
Competitive Analysis & SWOT (with UXD2)
Heuristics Evaluation & SWOT (with UXD1)
We leveraged assumptions based on previous phase research along with competitive analysis findings to inform user interview scripts and develop specific research goals for each feature. We then conducted two rounds of user interviews with 15 TDA Graduates to challenge assumptions and learn about needs, goals and current behaviors around finding resources and participating in online groups.
LIMITATIONS & TAKEAWAYS
Interview participants were all located in Africa and the biggest challenges we encountered were data, power and connectivity issues, each of which presented significant scheduling difficulties. The circumstances necessitated a high level of flexibility and patience from both interviewers and participants.
"I want to broaden my horizons. I want to learn more."
COMMUNITY
Participants are enthusiastic about contributing to TDA community andvoiced need for ongoing emotional support.
EMPLOYMENT
Participants used referrals to ensure legitimacy and protect against threats including scams and human trafficking.
SELF GROWTH
Participants emphasized the importance of continued learning and access to mental health resources.
"After graduation, maybe not just part. Maybe we keep the bond."
CONNECTION
Above all, participants were overwhelmingly motivated by the desire to stay connected with one another post-graduation.
BEING REAL
Participants voiced the importance of vulnerability and authenticity in connections and self-expression.
SAFETY & ACCESSIBILITY
Participants continued to bring attention to concerns around online security as well as data, connection & power considerations.
We collaborated with UXD to identify research goals and create a usability testing script for iterations on previous phase designs, including sign-up and onboarding flows, discourse feed, and adding friends. We then conducted moderated usability tests with 6 TDA Graduates to evaluate the working prototype.
LIMITATIONS & TAKEAWAYS
Data, power and connectivity issues were specifically challenging to usability testing as participants' data limitations did now allow for them to click through the prototype on their own devices. Instead, we had to pivot to screen-sharing and asked participants to guide moderators through the prototype. Although this required adaptability, it was an incredibly valuable insight into very real pain points and challenges to consider in design.
FLOW
INSIGHTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Sign Up
Onboarding & Quick Exit
Post Creation / Social Feed
Friend Requests
In Sprint 3, we used OptimalSort to conduct a moderated cord sorting exercise with 6 additional participants to deliver hierarchical and organizational insights to design and content teams for the Resource Center.
Data analytics generated by OptimalSort gave us our quantitative findings from the card sort while further questioning and observation provided deeper insights into why participants made their choices.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
We learned that above all, community was the most evident overarching theme amongst the TDA Graduates that we spoke to in our research for the Resource Center. This finding informed client & design decisions across the platform.
In user interviews, we learned that TDA Graduates face many challenges post-graduation and since they are displaced from their home countries, they often do not have access to a strong support system outside of SPI. There was a clear need amongst users for continued access to mental health resources as well as immediate emotional support and crisis response. To address this need, UXD incorporated a top-level banner in the Resource Center with quick links for immediate help, connecting users with SPI Wellness Team members.
The TDA Graduates we spoke to were unified in their dedication to continuing their educational journeys. This insight sparked collaboration between UXD and the client to pivot from the initial plan of hosting the TDA curriculum on SPI's website to hosting the curriculum within TDAConnect, giving graduates quick and easily searchable access to past course materials as well as post-graduate continued learning resources.
In every user interaction, we were reminded of the barriers to connection that TDA Graduates face every day due to power rationing, data expense, and low-bandwidth limitations. These pain points shaped design and development decisions across the platform.
Design Considerations:
Dev Implementation:
Since the majority of our user research for the Groups Feature was conducted and synthesized late in Phase 2, our insights and recommendations were recorded in handoff documentation for future phase design teams.
Design Recommendations for Future Phases:
There are many TDA Graduates who are not able to be open about being a member of the LGBTQ+ community due to substantive threats to their safety. Insights from user interviews uncovered fear and distrust relating to data privacy and security. We posed this question to the development team:
How can we reassure users that their data is secure and help them feel safe while engaging in the TDAConnect community?
Development Recommendations for Future Phases:
Back-End
Front-End
Network
API
USER TRUST
The research team's success building rapport in user interviews fostered a safe space for participants. Users were open and forthcoming in conversation and in turn, we were able to collect incredibly rich insights that informed foundational decisions across the platform.
CLIENT SATISFACTION
SPI directors were impressed with the progress and quality of work we achieved. Clients felt that their feedback was understood and reflected in research and design decisions. They were especially excited about learning from research team's insights.
TEAM COLLABORATION
This project was an incredible opportunity to work in a highly collaborative team environment. We were applauded for working cohesively across teams and reporting our findings in concise and digestible deliverables in cross-functional team collaborations.
Client Feedback
"I am sure that this is going to be life-changing for so many people."
"It is just amazing seeing everything that we’ve been talking about, put into action. It’s so magical, I just cannot describe how happy I am."
EXPANDING PARTICIPANT POOL
Our participant pool was provided directly from the client and most of the TDA Graduates we spoke to held leadership positions as either SPI Country Directors or Wellness Team Representatives. Moving forward, it will be important for future phase research teams to speak to a broader range of users to build a more comprehensive understanding of needs within the community.
MANAGING PROJECT SCOPE
In Sprint 2, it became clear that there was a gap between client expectations and feasibility for the overall scope of the project. In an all-hands retrospective, the decision was made for each team to work with Product to discuss feasibility and scaling down scope to communicate our limitations with the client and refocus efforts on the most critical features. Future teams will benefit from having client check-ins early and often to manage expectations and keep project progress on track.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you'd like to learn more about me or if you're interested in working together. Shoot me an email at annaleightc@gmail.com
