Migration center
Needs
Create a site where customers can confidently determine if their school is ready to convert from their legacy software to the next generation with limited help from sales and customer service. This would reduce company overhead dramatically. Sales and customer service reps are handling this lengthy process, requiring many hours of their time.
Research
Another UX designer and I conducted a series of discovery meetings with subject matter experts to determine the needs and possible solutions. This included discussions with sales, customer service, customers currently or recently undergoing this conversion and company stakeholders. We found that this site would need to accommodate multiple users working simultaneously, would be limited to customers from select states, and would need to acknowledge users' understanding of key steps in the process.
Collaboration
& Feasibility
The core project team of SMEs, UX designers, developers and key executives worked through initial workflows and wireframes concepts together. We decided a step approach within a dashboard was best. Some of the steps would require user sign off to ensure customers fully understood what the differences were between the system they were currently using and the new software they were interested in switching to.
Design
& Prototypes
I started with task flows, showing a high level version of what users would find in each step. This was followed by wireframes with more details. Throughout this process, I continued to refine into hi-fidelity prototypes for key steps. For more straight forward steps, developers felt comfortable taking the designs outlined in the wireframes. We continued to discuss designs with the stakeholder team to ensure all the business needs were in place. Once the site was in production, we took the designs to trusted customers to walk through the rough design early. This allowed us to pivot areas that were proving to be pain points or in need of clarification.
Through user interviews, we found that users wanted that personal touch they've had with their sales rep. To address this while still keeping the business needs of fewer sales calls, we introduced the concept of a introduction videos in each step. These videos featured the same person, acting as a guide to highlight what the user could expect in the step.
Struggles
One step in the process, Fit-Gap, was one that customers needed to understand and work through thoroughly. It required the most resources from SMEs in outside departments. We needed them to create detailed instructions, descriptions and videos specific to product areas. After sharing customer video recordings, showing user confusion, these SMEs were convinced to put in the added effort upfront to avoid even more time spent on calls with customers later.
Result
The migration center is in circulation with a select group of customers. We are continuing to collect feedback in a diary study, learning how they use this site within their schools. This will show us how they use the site over time and within their school environment.
