Preserving Historical Documents
Improving the user experience by addressing and solving key problems.
A. Improving retention
B. Customer Acquisition
C. Transitioning Users to a New Program
Role: UX Designer
I collaborated with developers, quality assurance, UX designers, analysts, project managers, translators, and our users to solve key problems and improve the experience of indexing (The transcription of historical documents.)
Throughout the development we've tested our work with users, studied our product with analytical data, and looked at feedback and research to guide our efforts to creating the best possible user experience.
Collaborating and discussing user research gathered in a CI on Family History.
A. Improve User Retention
The Problem
Through user testing, adobe analytics, and creating a journey map we learned that the onboarding experience is lacking because our users don't see the value of indexing fast enough.
Using adobe analytics, we saw the drop off rates of users throughout the site. Users want to get to indexing faster than they are able to.
Analytics also taught us where users are looking on our different pages, and what they aren't using.
Building a journey map helped us communicate our findings to upper management and unify our team towards a common goal of simplifying the experience and fixing the problem points in our current model.
We also wanted to understand the context better of how indexing currently fits into the rest of the FamilySearch site so we helped create a User Environment (UE)
Current New User Journey Map
We studied how our site is currently designed. We created a map visualizing the path that a user has to go in order to have success using our product. We classified this as successfully indexing a batch of images. On this map we recorded the analytical data (omitted in this jpg), quotes from users gathered while testing our product, and identified points of friction our users encounter while using our product.
Current Path to Checking out a Batch
In indexing you need to check out a batch which is a group of images. We mapped out the paths that users can go in order to get a batch and start indexing. There is a lot of duplication of functions throughout this process which is illustrated in the map as well as in the User Environment we created for the site.
Simplified New User Journey Map Proposal
This focused journey map was created through influences of the UE, long term business goals, the current User Journey Map, and problems identified by user testing our product. We want to simplify the path that a new user has to take to in order to have a success moment using our product.
The User Environment (UE) of Family Search
I participated with other UX designers in building the UE for the Indexing portion of the site. Doing this observation and study of our current system is helpful to understand how our users interact with our product and to know where certain functionality resides and where it is duplicated.
(Above) Recent design sprint
I've also worked in design sprints for other products of FamilySearch, rapidly iterating to create more ideas and then study what works best in order to create better experiences.
B. Customer Acquisition
The Problem
Our onboarding experience makes it difficult for new users to see the value they get from using our product. We don't provide a success opportunity for new users until they have gone several steps into our product. Indexing doesn't fit into a lot of people's lives because of the limited ways they have to participate, and the lack of a mobile offering.
Some initiatives we have undertaken is to increase the efficiency of an email campaign that gets sent to new visitors to our pages (described later in this section.) We are working on creating a stronger beginning experience making learning about indexing and how to do it easier. We are also looking into the mobile sphere and how indexing can be more consumable for the masses.
(Left) Old text, control email.
(Center) Refined text, single call to action.
(Right) Refined text, single call to action, visual element.
In efforts to increase user activity we send out an email to every new visitor to our pages. We worked with the analytics team to AB test changes to this email campaign looking to improve its effectiveness in driving customer acquisition.
From our iterations, changes, and testing, we succeeded in increasing the email open rate from 26.9% to 47% (42% increase), and clicking on the call to action from 3.1% to 8%. (250% increase).
The next step we are taking is creating a faster avenue for users to start indexing from the call to action in the email. We are also applying this iterative model to how we address changes to the overview page.
(Left) Old Overview Header
(Right) New Header Concept
We are developing AB tests we can perform on elements of the indexing pages on FamilySearch to increase user understanding and engagement.
Indexing on the Home Screen
We want to simplify the path that a user can take so they are able to start indexing sooner. We are developing an easier indexing experience so a new user can try it out right on the overview page removing a lot of the friction they currently experience.
I studied our current tool and how the space is used for the different focus areas and functions.
Mobile Indexing Tool Concepts
After understanding the current web browser tool, I manipulated the interface to fit better on a mobile screen. This process of shrinking the interface started many discussions on how we wanted indexing to even happen on a mobile device.
C. Transitioning Users to a New Program
The Problem
We have a desktop application that still has a large user base. The users rely on certain features to use the product and some of those features are missing in the new Web Application for indexing.
In order to get the remaining users onto the web application it needs to have all the functionality they need from the old tool. We separated implementing the features into manageable parts to roll out faster in order to drive consumer acquisition of the new
web application.
web application.
Origami Studio Prototype: Moving the text entry form
To better test the ability to move the form I needed a higher fidelity prototype. I realized that users were telling me what they'd do rather than showing me what they'd do when I gave them the scenario. I utilized Origami Studio to achieve a drag and drop functionality which is what we plan on doing for the final implementation of this feature. It tested well.
Sketches and progression of the show/hide field feature. At first I started with an out of context menu that allowed you to hide unnecessary fields. Through user testing we decided to move towards having the controls all in context to make the process of modifying the data fields easier and more intuitive for the user.
Invision Prototype: Show/Hide functionality.
We used Invision to test this feature with our users. It allowed us to rapidly prototype through changes and get results to guide our iterations. One problem I ran into while user testing this feature is that the labels for the function were confusing and didn't give users an understanding of what would happen. I changed the labels to be more direct and the testing afterwards went much better.
Product Prototype: Reordering data fields
During our testing of moving around data fields, the majority of users wanted to click directly on the field to move it and drag it to a new position. We studied various other software that allowed similar functionality and realized that it is a taught behavior in many different places.
Product Prototype: Resizing and Moving Form
We have to design for several different viewing modes, this video shows the implementation of moving the data entry section to different sides of the screen as well as resizing it for better usability.
