Call Assistant
NDA Internship Project
#ux #ui #intership #mobiledesign #shipped #nda #ios
The Call Assistant app is intended to aid individuals who handle business calls. With CRM integration, the app offers a more convenient method of recording calls, client details, and tasks.
*Note: This is not a comprehensive project.
*To comply with the 5-year NDA on this project, the company's name & logo will be modified. Any confidential information of this company and this project will not be disclosed.
My role.
UX Researcher. UI Designer
Duration.
5 month internship
Product Status.
Shipped - Subscriptions only
Scope of work.
User Interview, Heuristic Evaluation, Usability Testing, Wireframes, Prototype
Tools.
Figma, InVision
Platform.
iOS
Overview.
The Problem.
Business professionals who make frequent calls to clients may struggle to remember important details such as the client's identity and the content of their previous conversations. This can make it challenging to keep track of all the necessary information.
The Goal.
The purpose of this app is to function as a virtual assistant on the user's phone. It aims to aid specific users in managing clients' data, materials, significant files, and responsibilities.
My Job.
I joined the team as the first UX Designer when the product was almost complete. My role involved validating the proposed solutions, adding essential elements, and refining the overall product before its launch.
The Team.
Our headquarters were located in San Mateo, CA. I had the opportunity to work remotely alongside a small team, which included the CEO himself.
Problem.
Target Audience.
Individuals who engage in business-related phone calls, such as bankers, real estate agents, and business strategists, among others.
Existing Solutions.
1.
Incoming caller ID with notes:
Get all the relevant details about your contacts or CRM, including caller information, call history, and notes. Access notes from your previous calls and get reminded of their favorite sports team.
By identifying incoming callers and reminding users of their previous conversations, this feature offers peace of mind to both the user and their client. It's an excellent way to demonstrate care for the relationship and ultimately lead to successful business interactions.
2.
Effortless note taking:
During calls, users can record voice notes and receive hands-free post-call summaries. All conversation details are saved in one place on the CRM system. Users can easily review call recordings by searching for specific keywords, ensuring accurate recall of all conversations.
Our platform is designed to assist users in avoiding the hassle of disorganized notes, multiple notepads, and the possibility of losing crucial information about their clients.
3.
Call recording and transcription:
You can automatically record important calls or activate it while on a call. The transcription feature enables users to read and export the transcript.
This feature aids users in remembering their conversations and capturing significant phone calls as necessary.
Pain Points
To validate the existing solutions, I conducted a brief round of user interviews to pinpoint their pain points. From the insights gathered from eight individuals, the following is a summary of their common experiences:
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Hard to recall clients' identities immediately
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Encounter moment of silence because they have to search for clients' file
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Client's with the same or similar names could get confusing.
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Hard to multitask and risk of missing requests and information
Based on these insights, it was confirmed that the current solution will be beneficial to our intended audience. Following this, I conducted usability tests with the same participants, utilizing the provided prototype to identify areas for improvement.
Usability Test
The usability test consisted of 4 tasks to test out the onboarding process with settings and all of the existing solutions.
1.
The onboarding process and reroute call settings:
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3/8 unable to finish the setting and dropped out
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Text too small and a lot of reading
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The settings are too complicated. I can't recall the instruction.
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Keeps going on and on, never-ending
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2.
Incoming caller ID with notes:
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8/8 satisfied with the feature
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Don't have to pretend they remember their last conversation.
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Never forget whom they're talking to
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3.
Note-taking/ Voice notes:
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6/8 satisfied with the feature
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No more panicking when looking for clients' file
-
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2/8 unsatisfied with the feature
-
No search bar to search within notes
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Can't type much in a small screen
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4.
Call recording/ Transcription:
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6/8 satisfied with the feature
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No more panicking when looking for clients' file
-
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2/8 unsatisfied with the feature
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No search bar to search within notes
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Can't type much in a small screen
-
Challenge
It can be difficult to join a team towards the end of a project. However, I am determined to catch up quickly, comprehend the problem at hand, and verify their proposed solutions. I made sure to align the user's concerns with their current solutions before implementing any further enhancements to the product.
Heuristic Evaluation.
Potential Improvements.
In my second meeting with the team, I presented my heuristic evaluation report and pointed out potential improvements for the current app.
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The onboarding process was long.
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The thumb zone for ease of use.
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The option to switch call recording on/off during a call was missing.
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A search bar in messages to search within a conversation.
Constraints.
The app needs to be set up through the phone settings. It requires users to route their incoming to the product, so the setup process is quite complicated, and there is no way around it.
Onboarding.
The app requires a good amount of time to set up. Since we can't decrease too many screens of the process, we should consider the following:
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Implement bigger fonts and simplify the instructions screens.
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Decrease the cognitive effort and skill level that is required from the users.
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Add a progress bar showing how close the users are to their goal.
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Goal: Prevent drop-out rate before users reach their goal.
*The process could decrease from 12 screens to 8 screens.
The Thumb Zone.
As our audience consists mainly of busy businessmen, I recommended relocating the recording button to the center for easy one-handed access.
Call Recording.
Having the option to switch recoding on/off during a call.
Call button on the client's message screen
The green microphone icon indicates the call is being recorded
This icon indicates that the recording is off for the call
Search Within Conversations.
To save time from scrolling through a long list of messages, users can simply utilize the search bar located at the top of each client's message screen to search within the conversation.
Second Round Of Usability Test.
Following the presentation, I dedicated my time to crafting a prototype for the usability test. I collaborated with engineers and created multiple wireframes to discuss the limitations and feasibility of my proposals.
Although the onboarding process remains lengthy, the results of my latest usability test were promising. The success rate increased by 30%, while the drop-out rate decreased significantly. Users were able to complete the onboarding process smoothly without switching back and forth between app settings and instructions. Furthermore, the changes I implemented proved highly beneficial to our intended audience.
Impact.
I presented my notes and results at the end of my internship. Unfortunately, I was unable to verify if all of my suggestions were implemented since I no longer have access to the product. However, upon checking their official site, it appears that 3 out of 4 of my suggestions were implemented.
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3 out of 4 of my suggestions implemented
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The record button is centered.
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Call recording button added.
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Search bar added.
What would I do next.
Given more time, I am certain that I could enhance the product and simplify its usage. By engaging with a diverse group of users with varying levels of technological expertise, I can ensure that the design caters to all users.
Key Learnings.
During my internship, I learned how crucial it is to communicate effectively with diverse teams and understand the limitations and various aspects of a product. It was important for me to provide solid reasoning for my suggestions, supported by concrete evidence, facts, and data. Since not everyone has the same level of expertise in UX, I played a critical role in supporting my proposals and explaining how they could improve the product. This project taught me the value of working with different teams and validating my ideas with evidence.
Let's get social
I'm open to work!
