SKALE EDUCATION
Learn, teach, and grow together via video chat.
Skale connects people one-on-one and guides them to cultivate genuine interactions, virtually.
Project Overview
A client came to us with a very broad goal: optimizing the user experience of their current app. In 3 weeks, we focused our efforts on addressing the biggest challenges in supporting their business goals and encouraging strong sales practices coupled with support techniques. At the same time, making the process as clear and engaging as possible for the users.
Team: Sarah, Rico, Lucas.
Our team of UX/UI designers works together to ensure the success of our project management, research, research synthesis, concept development, prototyping, testing, solution development, and direct client communication.
Tool: Post-it, Pen & Paper, Figma
UX Methods:
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Contextual research
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Desk-based research
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Heuristic evaluation
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Archetype development
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User flows & journey mapping
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Design studio
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Wireframing
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Prototyping
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Usability testing
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Form design
The current app flow
Via video chat, Skale assigns roles to the teacher and students. Peers are connected to learn, teach and practice skills. As they improve their skills, peers will become certified to teach those skills to their new peers.
Understand the users
Method: Contextual research, Usability testing, User interviews & Research synthesize
We recruited proxy users with relevant sales background to do initial usability testing and interviews because we have no access to the current users. We also asked the sales rep in a wireless retail store to try the app and observe their behaviors along with the client.
Problem #1 Unclear expectations.
Users tended to quit right after they tap on the ‘Let’s Skale’ button because they were not sure what to expect from tapping on ‘Let’s Skale’. This is a UX writing Problem.
User feedback: “I’m not sure what ‘Let’s Skale’ does.”
Problem #2 Heavy cognitive load.
Users were confused about the instructions because they have a hard time reading and talking at the same time. As a result, users didn’t give feedback to their partner and hung up after they finished the role-play.
User feedback: “Too much information to take in during the conversation.”
Problem #3 Out of hand, Lack of control.
Since the person in the ‘teacher’ role was controlling the process during the role-play, the ‘student’ couldn’t always finish reading the content on the cards. The ‘student’ had no control throughout the role-play.
User feedback: “Since I couldn’t swipe through cards, I didn’t get the chance to read them.”
Support our findings with cognitive science research
Why can’t people multitask?
“The brain naturally focuses on one thing at a time. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs at the same time.”
“Large fractions of a second are consumed every time the brain switches tasks.”
Support our findings with cognitive science research
Why do people need control?
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People have a deep need for a sense of control
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When people feel they don’t have control, they experience tension and anxiety
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Giving users control gives them understanding and confidence in how things work and flexibility to their interactions
-The Need for a Sense of Control, Changingminds.org
WHO ARE THE USERS? WHERE DO THEY STRUGGLE?
The Rookie
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Lacks knowledge around sales techniques - not familiar with the content and process.
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Feels hesitation about role playing and performance.
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Does not have the energy for additional studies and only completes the minimum while working with customers.
The Veteran
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Is confident about their knowledge around sales strategies - familiar with the content
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Understands the significance that roleplaying has to their job performance
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Motivated to work hard and improve their skills
The users usually struggle with understanding the instructions of how to role-play and either spend a lot of time reviewing the instructions or role-playing without understanding the process. This can lead to ineffective role-playing tutelage. Therefore, it’s important to help the users to understand the instructions in order to have an effective practice.
Concept development
After presenting the research to the client, our team runs a design studio to keep the client involved in the solution process. We value the input and ideas the client has and combine it with design concepts to guide our solutions.
KEY TAKE-AWAYS
1. Give the client what they need, not what they want right now.
The client came to us with a conflict in their role-play features. Their goal was to improve user engagement and gamification with improved graphics. Our research team gathered the information and found that not only was it an UI problem, but overall a UX problem.
Understanding is key to having fun.
As we took input from clients, it was understood the correlation between the client’s familiarity with the process and their ability to have fun while doing it. The more confident the client, the more the client can gain and enjoy the experience. The goal is to emphasize the role-playing attribute over the need of improved gamification.
2. Keeping the client involved in the process.
Besides keeping the client up to date on big design decisions, we invite them to design with us, observe and test the usability of the platform, and interview process. Collaboration is key to forging a smooth product and giving the client the tools to understand and use their project. It is very powerful for clients to be able to see from their point of view, what their users are struggling with.
However, we did designed a template for future gamification improvement.
