Serivce Design
Design Research
Project Aurora
Journey Map
User Archetypes
Project context
As a follow up to the success from our Associate Experience project, our client wanted to set their sights on a transformational shift to a new, “single pane of glass” system that would be used by all associates around the world. First, the client wanted to understand how associates used available tools and learn more about a common action called “swivel-chairing.”
Challenge
The client looked at research as a means to check off a box, and not fully inform the new system. This was evident when the client hired another client to build the tool while research was being conducted. Our goal, was to deliver research so insightful that it would become the foundation for the tool, instead of checking a box.
Approach
For a global tool, we needed a global perspective. Our studio organized three regional research teams, each made of Designers, Anthropologists, Analysts and client stakeholders. Each team would lean into ethnographic and field research principles to conduct user observations, tool audits and interviews. After research, our team would synthesize hundreds of interviews and observations to distill user-based archetypes and journey maps.
The research
I lead the regional team assigned to North America.
My responsibility included the initial setup of research activities, research materials, managing travel logistics, conducting interviews and observations, gathering team findings and sharing insights in cross-geo syncs.
Front desk observations
Agent presenting a stack of reports
AYS agent work environment
The synthesis
With research halted due to the initial outbreak of Covid, I was responsible for creating a synthesis framework and organizing global findings to begin synthesizing insights for each key associate role. The two focus areas were beginning to build associate archetypes and framing a “day in the life” for each role.
Aha!
moment
The project SOW called for delivering a liner “day in the life” journey map. However, from our findings, we could not accurately create a day in the life because every day is different. Instead, I found the important thing to point out is what COULD an associate do in a day and what systems, tools, mediums would they use to complete that task. To show a complex web of systems and actions I created something called the “sunrise model,” which was heavily inspired by video game skill trees.
The sunrise model shifted the organization's way of thinking about how associate tasks and tools are linked and created a new framework to measure associate swivel-chairing.
Another Aha!
moment
The goal for the associate archetypes was to highlight associate mental models. Our observations uncovered a key tension between an associate’s preferred way of working and their actual way of working. To account for this, I proposed creating a collection of mental models and mapping them across two axis matrix.
Breakthrough
Impact
This breakthrough allowed us to explain the effects when an associate is forced to use tools and processes outside of their initial preference.
Project impact
This project brought associate context into the forefront. After presenting our work, the client paused the design of the “single pane of glass” tool in order to ensure our findings informed the tool design and development.
