Sprint 3: Interaction model February 2016

[Research Plan] (#research-plan)
[Conversation Guide] (#conversation-guide)
[Learnings] (#learnings)

Research Plan

Learning objectives

• Determine which aspects of the interaction model best meet the needs and expectations of users in a variety of roles
• Identify current gaps and future opportunities for C2
• Confirm content changes and redesign of emails successfully communicate request status and next steps to users

Hypothesis to validate

• Visual Redesign

  • We believe the improved organization and clearer visual hierarchy will enable users to better understand the status of a request, available options, and required action items.
  • Success: Users easily locate information associated with a task and understand next steps and possible actions
  • We’ll know we were successful when: Beta users successfully complete their tasks on a request.

• Summary view to edit mode

  • We believe providing a compact, scannable summary of request details with the ability to selectively edit will provide an actionable and secure experience.
  • Success: Users easily locate information associated with a task, make necessary changes or complete actions, and view saved results without leaving the page.

• Inline editing

  • We believe providing users with always editable fields will reduce complexity and context shifting while updating request details.
  • Success: Users find reading, editing, and saving always open form fields intuitive and helpful in completing their tasks.

• Line items

  • We believe the ability to capture all relevant data associated with purchases against a request will eliminate the burden of maintaining external spreadsheets with duplicate information.
  • Success: User are able to add and share all relevant information for a purchase including multiple CL #s, vendors, and building activities and eventually stop maintaining additional spreadsheets.

• Tool tip / New feature alert

  • We believe providing users with information about new features and functionality will increase awareness and use and decrease the need for outreach campaigns and in-depth training.
  • Success: Users demonstrate knowledge learned in feature notifications and are able to access, understand, and dismiss tooltips.

• Status

  • We believe providing clearer indication of status and current approvers will better communicate progress and next steps and lead to quicker approvals.
  • Success: Users describe the lifecycle of a request, current status, and next steps.

Conversation Guide

All roles: https://docs.google.com/a/gsa.gov/document/d/1CEkfnLqvZVAUu2S9ORrWC2I3A6_cu4IMG1SXacqWj70/edit?usp=sharing

Requester Guide: 5 mins

• Introduction (who I am, what is 18F, why we value your time today).
• Objectives (show prototypes developed from user feedback, validate that they meet your needs and expectations)
• Overview of interview (first walk through the 2 prototypes we’ve developed, next have you complete tasks associated with scenarios, and finally get feedback on the prototypes.)

(Alternate order of prototypes with each participant)

• Prototype Initial Impressions
  • Let’s take a couple of minutes to explore. Please talk out loud and let me know what you see and how you expect it to work. Feel free to click around.
  • Describe what you see.
  • What are your initial impressions? What can you do?
  • Does this meet your expectations?

You just got a glimpse of the 2 versions of the C2 app we are working on. Now we’d like to have you complete a few tasks. As you perform the tasks, please talk out loud so we can hear what you are thinking and better understand your experience.

Requester Tasks - Prototype 1
Questions: Describe what you are doing. Does this meet your expectations?

1. Find pending requests

• EMAIL: Request submission confirmation
• APP: My requests view, use side nav as filter

2. Find a request by amount

• APP: open app, look for request for around $300

3. View request details and identify where it is in the approval process

• APP: Locate a request, find details and approval, identify status

4. Change the amount of the request and save changes

• APP: Find request amount, make edits to form field, save changes

Follow up questions

• How did this experience meet your expectations?
• If you were sharing this with a colleague, what would you tell them about it? What tips would you give them?

Requester Tasks - Prototype 2

1. Find approved requests ready to be purchased

• APP: Open app, filter by approved or search by status?

2. Find requests by requester

• APP: Search by requester in search bar

3. Remove a subscriber and add another

• APP: Find request details, find subscriber, add / remove, save changes

4. Mark a request as purchased

• EMAIL: Request approval
• APP: Find approved request, find mark as purchased call to action)

Follow up questions

• How did this experience meet your expectations?
• If you were sharing this with a colleague, what would you tell them about it? What tips would you give them?

Requester Tasks - Emails

We’ve given you a glimpse at redesigned emails today. (If time, show again…)

• Please take a minute to read through them emails and give me your initial thoughts.
• Do you have any feedback about current C2 emails?
• How do they fit into your workflow?

Learnings

Insights and recommendations: https://docs.google.com/a/gsa.gov/presentation/d/180ONuNnc9P4wj8LQ1AgZT41xYrU0APHbNllcOH3-cgA/edit?usp=sharing

High level insights

• Approvals Ecosystem C2 is one piece of a greater approvals ecosystem. People rely on external email approvals, maintain google docs, and update Pegasys in conjunction with C2. Flexible features, such as, adding observers and attaching documents allows teams to fit their processes to C2.
  “Mostly I look at my spreadsheet. C2 creates a number, so I put that in my spreadsheet.”
  “The director approves [a request] and then I put it into C2. I attach her email to the request.”

• Value of C2 C2 provides structure and accountability to the approval process that email alone lacks. Understanding the status of a request and who’s responsible provides information to move the request forward in a timely manner.
  “I put it in C2. It’s up to you guys to sign it and approve it.”
  “As long as they know I’ve completed my part, I’m fine.”

• Role of Email Email accounts for the majority of most people’s experience with C2. Email is convenient and already a part of people’s daily work routine. Many people process relatively few C2 requests—emails alert keep them up to date and aware of when they need to be active in the process. Going directly to the App to process requests becomes more desirable the more requests a person has.
  “I deal with my emails throughout the day.”

• Small Teams In general, approval teams consist of a small group of people working together. When something isn’t clear or complete, they are likely to pick up the phone or send an email directly to the person that can resolve it. A person’s name is valuable because it enhances trust and accountability.
  “I see these people all the time. It’s easy to remind them but with budget that’s different.”

• Familiar is comfortable People are comfortable with what they know and it can be hard to adjust to new systems. Gmail and Excel are systems that are integral to people’s work flow and familiar. With the right tools people were comfortable finding and interpreting information for themselves.
  “My ideal C2 is the same as before. It’s fine, it’ll just take some time to get used to it.”

• Balance simplicity and customization Every team is unique. We are successful when our system is flexible enough to meet their needs and doesn’t require extensive customization. There is evidence that based on role type, people have different content needs.