I.e. Design Product Studio Platform
To design an employee profile interface for I.E. technology consultancy.
This case study dives into designing an employee profile feature for I.E., a technology consultancy, spotlighting a mid-level UX designer, Sarah, and her need for authentic representation. Through user research, ideation, and usability testing, we uncovered that employees value control over their profiles for visibility and recognition. The design journey captures each step, from crafting user personas to building prototypes, with a focus on boosting user satisfaction and exploring future enhancements for an even more engaging platform.
I.e. Design Consultancy
3 weeks
2024
Setting the stage
Let me take you into the world of I.E., a technology consultancy with 20 years of experience, dedicated to making the complex simple. Understanding that innovation is key in a fast-paced industry, they embarked on creating a groundbreaking employee platform that redefines career progression, enhances company revenue, and features public-facing profiles.
We were tasked with designing the employee profile aspect.
Empathise: desk dive discoveries
Usability Testing
Our adventure began with a mission: to truly understand the users—the I.E. employees navigating the work portal. We knew that empathy was key, so we dove into desk research, driven by one key question: What do users really need from their employee profiles, and what challenges are they facing?
As we explored this niche topic, we unearthed some fascinating insights.
Individual profiles empower employees, giving them control over how they're represented.
This sense of autonomy is a game-changer, boosting engagement and overall job satisfaction.
Employee profiles act as bridges, making knowledge sharing and collaboration a breeze.
With easier access to expertise, transparency flourishes within the company.
When employees see their contributions celebrated, they feel valued and recognised.
This appreciation can significantly enhance their mental well-being and spark productivity in the workplace
Scoping out the competition
Naturally, we couldn’t resist a little friendly snooping to see what our competition was cooking up! Since a platform like this is a fresh idea on the market, we turned our attention to existing project management tools to uncover the features they offer, especially those related to profiles.
What we discovered were some common gems: personal information sections, project overviews, task tracking, and collaboration tools.
These features serve a clear purpose—providing users with quick access to their tasks, projects, and team interactions while showcasing their key personal and professional details. Armed with this intel, we were ready to chart our own course!
Leveraging what we have
Before designing, we built on an existing mockup and company research on internal employee platforms. Designers wanted a way to quickly find colleagues, view their work, and build project teams efficiently. They also wanted profiles to feel personal, not just functional.
Journal research reinforced that well-designed profiles enhance collaboration, transparency, and engagement. With these insights, we set out to create a profile system that was both intuitive and adaptable.
Define: nailing the dilemma
User spotlight: who are we designing for?
After diving into our research, we created a user persona named Sarah Martinez. A mid-level UX designer with five years of experience, Sarah thrives in collaborative workspaces and is always seeking new opportunities, both within her agency and with external clients.
She envisions a dynamic, customisable profile that reflects her personal brand and allows her to showcase her creative skills while emphasising what’s relevant to her audience. However, Sarah often feels under-appreciated when her contributions go unnoticed, and she struggles to keep all her platforms updated amidst her busy schedule. With Sarah’s needs in mind, we set out to design a solution that empowers her professional journey!
Whats the key problem?
Employees need control over their digital profiles for genuine representation and deserved recognition.
In other words, employees want to be seen for who they truly are and the unique value they bring to the table.
How do we go about solving this?
How might we empower employees to represent themselves authentically?
How might we make it easy for colleagues to recognise each other and enhance collaboration?
How might we enable employees to confidently present themselves to clients?
With these guiding questions, we were ready to dive into creating solutions that truly resonate with employees!
To map out how we wanted to structure the profile, we created a sitemap that laid the groundwork for our design. Picture this: the profile unfolds in three levels of viewing.
Site Map: plotting the adventure
First up is the individual employee, who gets the keys to customise and edit their profile, making it truly their own.
Next, we have the internal employees of the company, who can share the profile with external clients—think of them as the friendly tour guides!
Finally, there’s the client view, showcasing what they’ll see when the profile is shared with them.
While each level serves a unique purpose, the core components remain consistent: an about section, past work, testimonials, and contact details. With this layered approach, we’re ensuring that everyone has a tailored experience while still celebrating each employee’s unique story!
Ideate: imagining possibilities
Once upon a profile: a storyboard journey
This storyboard gives us a fresh perspective on the product, allowing us to envision how it functions not just for individuals but also within a broader context. It’s like stepping back to see the bigger picture, helping us understand how our design fits into the lives of users and their interactions with the world around them.
User flow: pathways to success
We’ve designed a user flow that captures the exciting journey employees take to personalise their profiles. It all begins when they unlock their profile, ready to add a splash of personal flair! After customising their look, users glide to the past projects section to select a project for editing. They dive into the details, making their work shine. Once their changes are saved, it’s time for the grand reveal! With a quick check to ensure everything looks perfect, they publish their profile and seamlessly return to their workflow, proud of their refreshed online presence!
Sketch it out: where ideas find their form!
We kicked off a lively design studio session to brainstorm a whirlwind of ideas and shortlist our favourite features! With our user needs, business goals, user flow, and sitemap as our guiding stars, we sketched out some exciting concepts. Here’s what made the cut:
Talent Bubbles: Little highlights to showcase individual talents.
Calendar Feature: A bridge between designers and clients for seamless collaboration.
Confirmation Message: A reassuring pop-up to let users know their changes were saved, keeping visibility top-notch.
Glanceable Layout: Quick navigation for users on the go.
Publish Button: A final checkpoint to ensure all changes are spot-on.
Skills Section: Smartly positioned to maximise space and shine a spotlight on expertise!
Lo-fi wireframes:
From the sketches we laid out the foundational profile layout with these lo-fi wireframes to focus on functionality and user flow
Test: rough draft, real insights:
To ensure our design was not just a pretty face, we enlisted real users for a usability test of our lo-fi prototype. As they navigated the profile interface, we eagerly recorded their triumphs and challenges. Participants completed simple tasks—editing profiles, saving changes, and hitting that all-important publish button. The results? A perfect 100% satisfaction rate! Everyone loved the organised layout, but interestingly, 66% felt their profiles could better reflect their personal identities.
We also conducted a system usability survey (SUS), a 10-item questionnaire where users rated their experiences from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree" to gauge learnability and usability.
These valuable insights pointed us toward our next design adventure!
Users gave an average satisfaction rating of 4.6 out of 5, with everyone successfully completing their tasks and making no more than two errors.
Our average SUS rating reached an impressive 88.33, well above the 80.3 threshold for an "A" grade, indicating high perceived usability and a strong likelihood that users would recommend the profile to friends! (Jeff Sauro, 2011)
How it comes together: design system
Colour Palette: A balanced mix of soft blues and greens fosters trust and clarity, complemented by black and white for contrast and readability.
Typography: The Figtree font ensures a clean, modern feel. Bold titles and structured hierarchy guide users effortlessly through content.
Tone & Voice: Professional yet friendly—clear, supportive, and encouraging to foster collaboration and engagement.
Accessibility: High-contrast colours meet WCAG AAA standards, ensuring readability. Sans-serif typography and clear feedback mechanisms enhance usability without disrupting workflow.
This system blends aesthetics with functionality, creating a seamless and intuitive experience for all users.
Prototype: blueprint of the vision
Takeaways
Designing the employee profile feature has been an exciting journey for the team! It brought together all our learning and gave us a taste of real-world design collaboration.
Moving from brainstorming to refining the final design showed us how thoughtful choices—like colour schemes and personalisation—can enhance user satisfaction.
Looking ahead, we see potential for further development, like customisable features for different roles and a collaborative skill endorsement option that encourages employees to support each other—creating a truly collaborative work environment!
Excited to explore the magic behind the profile interface? Let’s connect and dive into my design journey together!
Reach out at tayabaginai@gmail.com