Dynamic Routing.
Dynamic Routing.
Role and Duration.
UX Lead | Zonar Systems
Qualitative User Research · Research Synthesis · Collaborative Design Ideation · Research Informed Design Implementation · Product Onboarding Design
Qualitative User Research.
I led my team’s efforts to conduct a series of moderated user interviews to ensure that our path forward was informed by concrete user needs. I relied on user connections I had made during in-person user group meetings earlier in the year for recruitment efforts, as well as connections from a Customer Care Associate at Zonar.
Outcome: Qualitative data representing our user’s route splitting needs.
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School bus dispatchers frequently need to split routes due to the bus driver shortage. Their current route splitting process relies on creating route changes manually using pen and paper. How might we equip dispatchers with a simpler process that enables them to split routes more efficiently?
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I designed and supported the development of a route splitting feature that is accessible through Zonar’s OnRoute Web app. This tool equips users to split routes digitally and gives drivers access to the new split routes quickly after dispatchers have created them.
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My team learned through user interviews that dispatchers have an urgent needs to document industry knowledge in OnRoute Web, and to communicate with drivers through our OnRoute mobile app. These feature sets would be the ideal next steps for a second iteration on this project.
Empowering users to adapt routes proactively and reactively during driver absences.
October 2022 - June 2023
Overview.
Research Synthesis.
The next step after finishing the user interviews was to synthesize the results to clarify the design next steps. I accomplished this through a series of 4 iterations of affinity mapping, and crafting how might we statements to help direct design ideation with my UX Manager and Product Manager.
Outcome: Organized and actionable research takeaways.
Collaborative Design Ideation.
After establishing actionable next steps from the user interviews through research synthesis, I led a collaborative working session with my team’s UX Manager and Product Manager to MoSCoW Map the research results.
Outcome: Transparency regarding each team member’s impressions of the ideal product direction, and a unified path forward for the product initiative.
Design Iterations.
I iterated on the design for this product feature 9 times*. 2 mid-fi versions, 1 rough UI exploration, and 6 iterations on the hi-fidelity design. These iterations were informed by design reviews with the development team where we discussed technical feasibility and pressed out areas of weakness in the design. Though there were valuable results from the deliberation my team engaged in, if I were to go back I would encouraged the team to embrace a more iterative method of implementation.
Outcome: A well-informed, technically feasible product feature design that fulfilled the use case that our user’s needed addressed.
Mid-Fi Prototype. (iteration 2)
Final Product Design. (iteration 9)
Product Feature Onboarding Design.
One of the earliest pain points that became apparent about this product feature was fundability. I, alongside my team’s UX Manager and Product Manager, discovered this issue through usability testing and as an interim solution to increase fundability, I designed and implemented an onboarding Pendo guide for Split Routes. This findability issue spurred on further conversations regarding reimagining how users might access OnRoute Web’s functionalities in a more intuitive manner and will likely result in design iteration in the future.
Outcome: Increased fundability for the OnRoute Web feature.
Final Thoughts.
Final Thoughts.
Top Lessons Learned.
Implementing a good feature that needs to be iterated on is better than designing great feature that is delivered late.
Working sessions are useful to keep every stakeholder on the same page for the design direction.
Next Steps.
Redesign the OnRoute Web homepage to increase the discoverability of the split route feature.
Design and implement product features for documenting industry knowledge and communicating with drivers in response to need expressed through user interviews.