NeuroNav IF Tool
Context
NeuroNav is a company with a mission to improve the quality of life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As an intern, I was assigned a project to design a tool that allows independent facilitators to find services for their clients.
User Research
The first step was to conduct user research. To do this I conducted interviews with independent facilitators to explore how technology can improve their efficacy and role. From these interviews I was able to put together a persona and a user journey map, providing guidance for building the platform.
Sketching
With my research, I was able to decide what to include in my design. I started with crazy eights, an exercise where I sketch eight different versions of a screen that is the most important (In this case that was the results page.) and spend one minute on each version. From that exercise I was able to create sketches of each screen in the tool.
Crazy Eights
Taking inspiration from websites that solve similar problems, such as Google Maps, Yelp, and job boards, I included elements such as a search bar, search filters, a map, and reviews
Sketches
In my sketches I included a home page where a user would first enter their search criteria, followed by a results page that would include a list of all results fitting the entered search criteria, filters for sorting the results, and a map that would show where each of the results are located. After clicking on one of the results the user would go to a service page that would provide details about the service. From this page users can also save a service and write a review for the service, so I sketched the screen where a user can see everything they saved and a screen where they would write a review.
First Iteration
When moving on to designing the high fidelity screens, I decided to make the favorites page and the results page with the same setup so it would be easier for the developers. I also decided that instead of going to a completely different page to write a review, there would just be a pop up on the service page. This would make it easier for the user.
Testing and Second Iteration
After creating the prototype it was time to test it. I conducted remote usability testing, from which I found that the following changes should be made to the design:
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Replace the magnifying glass on the home page with a button that says search, since one user had trouble using the search tool
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Make changes to the home page to make the search tool easier to understand, such as providing examples of keywords and providing clearer directions in the search bars
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Have a question next to the match percentage, which if clicked on would explain what it means, since one user didn't know what "90% match" means
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Make the stars on the write a review page a darker color, since one user had trouble seeing them
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Put the service provider's website on the results page with all the other contact info, since one user said that after finding a service on the results page that they would have went to the service provider's website
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Put a link on the bottom of each search result that says "more info" since one user wouldn't click the service title to get to the service page
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Make the top bar smaller and reformat the reviews so they take up less space, since these elements were taking up too much room
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Align the "See My Favorites" and "See My Reviews" buttons with the "My Account" and "Log Out" buttons
Conclusion
I was able to create a very intuitive product that would solve common problems held by independent facilitators. I learned a lot from this project, including how to solve different design problems, discoverability, and discovering the importance of clear communication and instruction when testing with users.