Understanding the user
Surveys
To gain insights into user needs and frustrations, a survey was distributed to 50 customers being small-medium sized company. I instructed the customer care team to target specific customer segments:
-
20 frequent, long-term users: To understand the needs and pain points of loyal customers.
-
10 frequent, recent users: To capture the perspectives of new customers and identify any early-stage frustrations.
-
10 infrequent, long-term users: To understand the reasons for infrequent usage and identify potential areas for improvement to encourage repeat business.
-
10 one-time users: To gain insights into the initial customer experience and identify any barriers to repeat purchases.
This stratified sampling approach ensured a diverse range of user perspectives were represented in the survey data, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of customer needs.
Survey analysis
The survey responses were analyzed to gain insights into user needs, identify key pain points, and develop a comprehensive understanding of their overall expectations.
Insights from survey analysis
-
Heavy Reliance on Word-of-Mouth: The company primarily relies on word-of-mouth referrals for customer acquisition, indicating a limited marketing reach and potential vulnerability. To mitigate this, the company can build a website which will expand their reach instead of just relying on organic growth.
-
Low Initial Trust: A significant portion of customers initiate their relationship with the company with low trust, potentially stemming from a lack of readily available information. To address this, the company should prioritize building trust through increased transparency, clear pricing information, and visible to public customer testimonials.
-
Limited Customer Support Channels: The company primarily relies on phone calls for customer support and information dissemination , which can be inefficient and lead to long wait times and ultimately a long and stressful customer journey. Implementing a website with all basic information and a multichannel support feature like online chats is crucial.
-
High Reliance on Internet Research: A significant majority of customers use the internet to research shipping companies. This emphasizes the crucial role of a strong online presence, including a user-friendly website, active social media presence, and online reviews.
Pain points
The survey analysis confirmed my initial assumption that customers frequently contact the company via phone for basic information (shipping rates, locations, tracking) which is quite frustrating for them. However, a key new finding revealed that the lack of a strong online presence significantly impacted new and potential user's perception. Relying primarily on word-of-mouth introductions, often accompanied by only phone numbers, created a perception of unprofessionalism, even when referrals were positive. This lack of an established online presence hindered initial trust and deterred some from engaging with the company.
Limited information access
Lack of online presence
Pain points
Personas & User stories
To ensure I continue to prioritize user needs throughout the design process, I developed detailed user personas for five key user segments: Frequent, long-term customers, Frequent, recent customers, Infrequent long-term customers, One-time customers, and Prospective customers. These segments aligned with the customer groups selected for the initial survey. By creating distinct personas for each segment and crafting their user stories, I ensured that design decisions were grounded in a deep understanding of their unique needs, motivations, and pain points.
%20(1).png)
%20(1).png)
%20(1).png)
Ideating
Brainstorming
Building upon the insights gained from the survey analysis, my brainstorming sessions focused on solutions that addressed the identified pain points. The high frequency of phone calls for basic information, coupled with the negative impact of the limited online presence, underscored the need for a more accessible and professional platform. A sound solution emerged: a customized user friendly website.
This online platform would empower customers with 24/7 access to critical information, such as shipping rates, office locations, and real-time tracking updates, thereby eliminating the need for frequent phone calls. Furthermore, a well-designed website would enhance the company's professional image and build trust with prospective customers, effectively countering the negative perception created by the lack of an online presence. Additionally, the website would serve as a centralized platform for job postings, reducing reliance on third-party job boards.
Limited information access
24/7 access to real-time information, including quotes, shipping office locations, and tracking updates, would significantly reduce user frustration.
Lack of online presence
A strong online presence will build trust and establish a professional image. It will significantly enhance the company's credibility in the eyes of prospective users, alleviate concerns and foster confidence.
A user friendly shipping company website tailored to the operations and structure of the company
Pain points
Solution to individual pain points
Compound solution to problem
Brain storming process
Competitive audit
To further refine the solution and ensure a competitive advantage, a thorough competitive audit was conducted. This involved analyzing the websites and offerings of key competitors in the shipping industry. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, identifying industry best practices, and benchmarking their user experiences, I aimed to differentiate the solution and create a truly customer-centric platform that meets the users needs
Competitive audit result
Insights from competitive audit
-
Industry Standards: The competitive audit revealed that features such as parcel tracking, quote calculators, blogs, office locators, career pages and FAQs are common within the industry, as observed on the websites of all three competitors analyzed.
-
Opportunities: Replace generic FAQs with an AI-powered virtual assistant. This will provide users with personalized and specific answers to their inquiries in real-time, enhancing the customer experience and eliminating the need to sift through lengthy lists of articles.
User flow
To minimize potential biases and ensure a truly user-centered design, I began by mapping out user flows. This visual representation helped me understand how users would interact with the interface and navigate the design to achieve their goals. By visualizing the user journey, I could identify potential obstacles and ensure that the design facilitated a seamless and intuitive user experience, allowing users to easily achieve their goals.
Goals: Get a quote for a proposed shipment, find out the nearest shipping office and track their shipment after shipping their parcel at the shipping office
1
TASK:
Get a quote for a proposed shipment
ACTION:
1. Log on to website
2. Click on "Get a quote" button.
3. Fill out necessary information and click the “Get quote” button
RESULT:
Get a result showing the estimated cost of the proposed shipment
2
TASK:
Find the nearest shipping office
ACTION:
1. Click on the "Find us" button
RESULT:
Navigates to a page showing all shipping offices of the company
3
TASK:
Track shipment
ACTION:
1. Log onto website
2. Enter tracking number provided on receipt in the tracking section at the top of the website
3. Click the "Track package" button
RESULT:
Navigates to a page that reveals the location and updates on the shioment
Starting the design
Wireframing
I initiated the design process with a mobile-first approach, recognizing the constraints of smaller screens in terms of content and aesthetics. By starting with mobile wireframes, I established the core structure and functionality of the app, ensuring that the essential user interactions and information were prioritized. This iterative process involved exploring various design options, testing different layouts, and identifying potential usability issues early on. This foundation, built upon the constraints of mobile, then served as the basis for scaling the design to larger screens, such as tablets and desktops, while maintaining a consistent and user-centered experience across all devices
.png)
Homepage:
Homepage of the website for mobile
.png)
Quote page:
Users can input basic information to get quotes of their proposed shipment
.png)
Location page:
List of shipping offices
.png)
Career page:
Vacancies available in both countries
.png)
News page:
Communications and updates that the company wants to pass to the public
Usability test
To assess the usability of my design, I conducted an unmoderated usability test with 10 voluntary participant Using a mid-fidelity prototype, I observed participants as they attempted to complete three key tasks: obtaining a quote for a proposed shipment, locating the nearest shipping office, and tracking a shipment.
The results were encouraging. Participants navigated the prototype with ease, demonstrating a positive and intuitive user experience. Their interactions revealed a smooth and effortless journey towards completing each task, indicating a high level of user satisfaction.
Refining the design
Mockups
The next phase focused on refining the visual appeal and optimizing the user flow. This involved incorporating high-fidelity elements such as images, text, colors, and icons, while carefully considering accessibility guidelines.
A key consideration throughout this phase was to ensure that the user interface and interactions were tailored to the specific capabilities and constraints of each device. For example, I optimized touch interactions for mobile devices, leveraged larger screen real estate for more comprehensive information display on desktops, and ensured a consistent and intuitive experience across all screen sizes, from smartphones to tablets and desktops.
_edited.png)
Project Overview
Project Title:
Cargo Aviations Services Website
A website for a company that ships parcels and packages between Nigeria and London
Role:
UX designer
User research, Establishing pain points, Personas, User journey maps. Wireframes, Low-fidelity prototype, Usability studies, High-fidelity prototype.
Duration:
5 months ( Jul 2024 - Nov 2024)
Problem:
While volunteering as a data analyst at a cargo shipping company, I observed that customer service agents received a high volume of calls. The majority (>70%) of these calls were brief inquiries about rates, office locations, and delivery status. Customers often expressed frustration about waiting on hold for simple information, thereby delaying them from addressing more urgent needs.
Solution:
To enhance customer experience and streamline operations, I designed a user-friendly website. This website would provide easy access to essential information, such as shipping rates, office locations, and real-time tracking updates. By automating these processes, the company could reduce customer frustration, improve efficiency, and enhance its professional image. Additionally, the website would serve as a centralized platform for job postings, reducing reliance on third-party job boards.