Four Winds Interactive
Live Data
When working with prospective clients our sales team was hearing feedback around poor usability and dated experiences in our digital signage software, they were concerned that this was making the product difficult to sell.
We sent out a survey to over 1000+ users for a general idea of what they thought. Our goal was to identify areas for improvement.
Our survey results indicated that Live Data, which is a regularly used tool that allows users to update their digital signs with data as it becomes available, was one of the most positively and negatively talked about tools, which suggested further research.
Responsibilities
Research
Design
Validation
Target Audience
Art the Author
Research Strategy
Goal
Understand and prioritize the current pain points users have when using live data.
Strategy
Conduct observational research with users. Observe what they do and what they say.
Stakeholders
9 internal experts as well as 5 members on our Customer Advisory Board.
Font Formatting Findings
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Standards and expectations have changed with font formatting, the current design is dated
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It’s difficult to modify text when the input boxes overlay
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Have to navigate into modals to make changes which takes additional time
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Hard to find options, discovery requires additional clicks
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Doesn’t accommodate for pixels (font size unit)
Research Findings
Based on our observations and feedback, we identified this list of features causing the most pain to our users. This list is prioritized by how often these are used as well as the degree of frustration.
01. Font Formatting
02. Preview
03. Expressions
04. Data Fields
05. Alignment
06. Properties
07. Item Bands
08. Sort, Filter, Cursor, Distinct
09. Data
10. Zoom
Designs
Validation Strategy
Goal
Understand if the new experience is more intuitive and if it takes less time to complete tasks.
Strategy
Timed Test: Timed while completing 5 tasks
Discoverability: Locate the same features in the current tool and the redesign.
Discussion: Elaborate on their experience in the current tool and the redesign.
Stakeholders
6 internal stakeholders and 3 members of our Customer Advisory Board with varying experience levels.
Validation Findings
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100% of users completed tasks faster in the redesign.
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Users liked having all the options visible and editable in one page.
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Users liked modifying text in the input box.
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Users liked the clean and modern look and feel of the options.
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Users liked how the information was organized and prioritized.
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Users wanted the ability to collapse sections.
Validation Quotes
“This is great, now I can change the font color without opening up a dialog.” - internal user
“AMAZING! I can clearly see what changes I’m making to the text.” - internal user
“Having this input box in the panel is a game changer.” - external user
“The buttons for alignment are definitely a more standard look.” - external user
“It’s all so much easier to use.” - external user
“This is so modern, I love it!” - internal user
The time taken to complete the test was 39% faster in the redesign vs. the current tool.
Optimization for time on task is important to users since they are expected to work in Live Data frequently.