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Traack

UI/UX Design / Research / Branding / Wireframing / Prototyping

2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on all aspects of life, especially the corporate sector. To explore how Filipino workers can maintain safety and security in their daily routines, I conducted research that revealed a heightened caution among employees regarding their environment and the objects they interact with. Workers feel safer when they can manage their tasks independently, without relying on shared items.

Problem

Navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 brought about numerous uncertainties, especially regarding virus exposure risks. People became increasingly aware of the dangers associated with surface contact, particularly in crowded environments like offices and workplaces. Traditional attendance tracking methods, such as manual sign-in sheets and fingerprint scanners, emerged as significant concerns, as they involved shared surfaces that could potentially facilitate virus transmission.

Goals

I am designing a mobile app that enables employees to conveniently clock in and out using their personal devices from anywhere in the workplace. My goals are to enhance safety by eliminating shared surfaces, boost efficiency, improve the user experience, ensure data security, increase flexibility, build employee confidence, and facilitate seamless attendance data collection.

My Impact

Through this project, I identified the need for a mobile app that allows employees to safely clock in and out using their own devices, directly addressing COVID-19 concerns. Drawing on my research into Filipino workers' safety and security preferences, I developed a comprehensive solution as a solo designer. This app minimizes the risk of virus transmission by eliminating shared surfaces and offers a secure, touchless attendance system for the workplace.

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Research

Goals

Below are the areas I’d like to explore during the user research. I want to understand:

  • The pain points users experience in their workplace during COVID-19.
  • Their preference for physical attendance versus alternative methods during the pandemic.
  • Innovative solutions for improving the work attendance system in the Philippines during COVID-19.

Methodologies

In my current project, I’m conducting secondary research to gather preliminary insights and assumptions about employee check-in and check-out system across various companies. To validate these initial findings, I'm also engaging in primary research through interviews, questionnaires, and surveys targeting the end users—specifically, employees within these organizations. This multi-method approach will help me better understand and validate the existing attendance systems used by companies in the Philippines.

Competitive Research

In this phase, I focused on uncovering the concerns and pain points of employees regarding attendance processes, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. My research revealed that companies required employees to interact with shared objects like pens, paper, and biometric devices to record their attendance. This traditional method, which necessitated physical presence at the workplace, heightened employee anxiety due to the risk of virus transmission during that period.

There was also no platform that allowed employees to complete the attendance process without physical contact. To mitigate the uncertainty surrounding virus transmission, I recognized the need to design a product that addresses the limitations of traditional attendance methods. This solution will empower users to work with greater confidence and assurance regarding their health.

User Interviews

Causing anxiety and lack of confidence to go to the physical workplace because of the Corona Virus.

Tends to resign because of health and safety reasons.

Employees and other target users requires to have an attendance through manual way such as pen, paper, and biometrics.

Hoping that there would be alternatives of signing in and out their attendance without interaction with physical objects.

Research Synopsis

The primary goal of this study was to understand and empathize with my target users, specifically employees in the Philippines. To achieve this, I employed various research methods, including questionnaires, surveys, and interviews. I conducted interviews with 10 employees from diverse sectors such as healthcare, education, and private companies. One of the key findings that stood out was the significant concern employees had about their health and safety due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 virus. Many expressed a strong inclination to resign because of the risks associated with using shared physical objects at their workplaces. This concern led some to seek safer job opportunities that minimized physical interaction.

These insights underscored the urgent need for a design solution that eliminates the necessity for employees to interact with shared objects, particularly in the attendance process. By addressing these pain points, the proposed solution aims to provide a long-term, user-centered approach that enhances both safety and job satisfaction.

Background

The insights and key points gathered from users provided valuable clarity on the project’s goals and highlighted the needs that can be addressed through a tailored product. The lack of alternative options for signing in and out at their respective companies underscores a significant gap in the market and the daily needs of target users in the corporate environment. Additionally, user feedback revealed a strong desire for attendance solutions that prioritize their health and safety.

Define

User Persona

After I compiled the outtakes from the research into the affinity map, I was able to create a persona that represents the main users group.

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User Scenario

After developing my user persona, I envisioned a specific scenario where Beth could benefit from the product. This use case was informed by a combination of primary and secondary research, user feedback insights, a competitive analysis that revealed a market gap, and a persona I could deeply connect with.

The MVP enables users to virtually sign in and out through a mobile application, accessible only within their respective companies. This solution modernizes the traditional attendance process, offering a technological alternative that provides users with the security and confidence they need.

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Ideation

Feature Prioritization

After identifying the best solution for my users, I focused on developing specific features. I aim to create a user-friendly app that's easy to use on the go, with a simple interface, streamlined onboarding, and quick access to key functions. My research helped me distinguish between features with minimal and substantial value, ensuring I focus on what matters most.

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Initial Task Flows

After having defined the features of the app, I created flows for the main tasks.

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User Flow: As an employee, I want to check-in and check-out for my attendance using the Near Field Communication (NFC) system using my personal cellphone device.

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Task: File a refusal form to not get care by Emergency Technicians

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Task: File a refusal form to not get care by Emergency Technicians

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Prototype and Test

Hi-fi Prototype

After I created the user flows for the users, I was able to create a wireframe that represents the main user group.

See full protype
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Usability Testing

I tested the first version of the prototype with 5 users to determine the necessary revisions to make the overall experience more intuitive and pleasant. Here are some outtakes.

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Main pain points that were discovered during the tests and addressed in the iteration:

  • Users had problems in the Attendance Page where it does not indicate how to use the NFC feature especially for new users
    Fix: added a check-in and check-out button that once device is activated, button is active
  • Users may have issues regarding the attendance notifications where a silent device may not notify users
    Fix: extending a default vibrate feature to notify users