Overview
Desk Social is a specialized social networking app tailored for colleagues within same company. It aims to facilitate better communication, collaboration, and networking among colleagues in professional setting. By fostering stronger relationships and enhancing communication, the app contributes to a more connected and productive workplace.
Key Features
Employee Recognition
Users can give applause, endorse ment, or feedback to their colleagues, fostering a positive and supportive work culture.
Networking Opportunities
Each user has professional profile showcasing their role, skills, and work experience. This allows colleagues to learn more about each other's backgrounds and expertise.
Company Directory
Accessible company directory with search functionality for easy lookup of colleagues and their departments.
Events and Announcements
Users can create and join events such as team meetings, workshops, or social gatherings. Managers can also make important announcements visible to all team members.
Design Process
Sketches and Low Fidelity
Sketches and low fidelity wireframes are an invaluable tool in the UX design process, enabling designers to explore ideas, communicate concepts, and iterate on designs efficiently and effectively. They promote creativity, collaboration, and user-centered thinking, ultimately leading to more successful and satisfying user experiences.
Card Sorting
Card sorting is a fundamental method in user experience (UX) design for organizing and structuring information effectively. Close card sorting activity was conducted with the following as the predefined categories: Home, Community, Messaging, Search, and User Profile.
In essence, card sorting is important in UX because it places the user at the center of the design process, ensuring that the final product is organized in a way that meets their needs and expectations.
In our usability testing, we combined moderated in-person sessions with the System Usability Scale (SUS) to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. Participants completed three tasks while a facilitator provided real-time guidance and insights. Afterward, they filled out the SUS questionnaire for a usability score. This approach helped us gain a thorough understanding of user behaviors, challenges, and product usability.
Methodology
The goals of the usability testing are to evaluate the app's key features, streamline goal completion to save users time, and provide
multiple pathways for task completion.
Goals
The usability testing participants were selected to represent a diverse group from the target audience, consisting of five individuals (three females, two males) aged 25 to 40. They were full-time hybrid employees with varying technical skills, from beginner to advanced, and used smartphones, tablets, and desktops. This diverse group provided valuable feedback, helping identify and address usability issues across different user demographics.
Participants
Results
Redesigned Community Page
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Search Bar Addition : Implemented to facilitate easier searches for individuals within the company.
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"Request to Connect" Section : Introduced to remind users of their pending connection requests.
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"Create Event and Send an Applause" Feature : Added to promote usage of this key app feature, encouraging user engagement.
Redesigned Search Page
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Reworded the Search Bar : Updated to inform users that they can search for events as well as people.
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Added "Feature Events" Section : Introduced to display company-sponspored events to users.
Findings
During usability testing, some participants had trouble completing the first task, giving applause, due to interface navigation issues. However, they easily completed the second and third tasks—creating an event, sending invites, and accepting a colleague as a mentee—without issues. This indicates strong overall usability, though the first task's design needs improvement for better user experience.
The System Usability Scale (SUS) evaluation of Desk Social yielded an average score of 78.2. This suggests that users find the app intuitive and effective for workplace communication and collaboration. While most participants rated the app highly, some suggested enhancing collaboration features and adding customization options. These insights will guide future improvements to ensure Desk Social continues to support a connected and productive workplace environment.
Lessons Learned
Through this project, I learned the importance of understanding professional social dynamics, as interactions in a work setting require a balance between informal communication and professionalism. Prioritizing user-centered design enhanced engagement by addressing needs for streamlined communication, networking, and recognition among colleagues. Feedback from the usability testing helped in identifying the design flaw of the app. However, it also showed that users were still able to navigate the app despite of the flaw. Hence, the flaw is insignificant and therefore, would only need minor adjustment. These lessons enriched my understanding of designing for professional environments, highlighting the importance of balancing user needs with technical and business constraints, ultimately improving collaborative digital spaces.