Streamlining HR Management Application for Enterprises
About the Client
Target Users
Our research included the following methods:
Interviews: We conducted one-on-one interviews with HR professionals, managers, and employees to gain insight into their experiences with the current HR management system.
Surveys: We created an online survey to gather feedback from a larger sample of end users. The survey covered topics such as ease of use, usefulness, and overall satisfaction with the current HR management system.
Task analysis: We observed end users performing HR management tasks to better understand their processes and identify areas for improvement.
The information we gathered from our user research was critical in helping us to understand the challenges that enterprises face when managing HR and to design a solution that meets their needs.
Some key insights from our user research included:
Lack of accessibility: Many non-HR professionals found the current HR management system difficult to use and had trouble accessing the information they needed.
Information overload: The current HR management system had numerous features and an overwhelming amount of data, making it difficult for users to find the information they needed.
Poor information architecture: The information architecture of the current HR management system was poorly designed, making it difficult for users to navigate and understand the relationships between different pieces of information.
Based on these insights, our goal was to design a solution that is easy to use for all users, regardless of their role in the company
Developing personas helped us to empathize with our users and to understand their unique requirements for the HR web app.
Here are the personas we created:
By creating personas, we were able to ensure that the HR web app met the needs and goals of each user group and provided a solution that was accessible and user-friendly for all.
Title : CEO
Gender : Male
Age : 45 years
Role
Responsible for managing a team of employees and overseeing HR processes.
Goals
Quick access to HR data and reports, such as employee headcount, benefits utilization, and turnover rate, to make informed business decisions.
Challenges
Limited time to review HR data, and difficulty navigating the current HR management system.
Title : Manager
Gender : Female
Age : 35 years
Role
Responsible for managing a team of employees and overseeing HR processes.
Goals
Access to HR information for their team, such as employee benefits and time off requests, to make informed decisions and manage their team effectively.
Challenges
Difficulty accessing HR information for their team, lack of visibility into HR processes and employee data.
Title : Employee
Gender : Female
Age : 25 years
Role
Responsible for performing job duties and managing personal HR information.
Goals
Easy access to personal HR information, such as pay slips and benefits information, to manage their own HR needs.
Challenges
Difficulty finding personal HR information, cumbersome HR processes, and confusing HR forms.
Problem Statements
HR management in enterprises was facing multiple challenges, including an overwhelming number of features, an unfriendly layout, extensive and unstructured data, and a poorly designed information architecture.
These challenges resulted in low usability for HR management, causing users to struggle to understand and utilize the platform effectively. This led to low adoption rates, with users relying on outdated manual processes instead.
The complex nature of HR management and the various pain points associated with it were hindering the growth and success of enterprises.
In order to overcome these challenges, it was necessary to simplify the HR management process and make it highly usable for everyone, not just HR.
User Journey
Here is a summary of the user journey we identified:
- Login
- Homepage
- View HR information
- Approve HR requests
- Manage HR information
- Logout
By mapping out the user journey, we were able to identify opportunities to simplify and streamline the HR management process.
User Research Pain Points
Based on the feedback and observations from our user research, we identified the following problems with the current HR management system:
Confusing layout: The current HR management system had a cluttered and confusing layout, making it difficult for users to find the information they needed.
Numerous features: The current HR management system had numerous features, many of which were not used regularly by users. This created an overwhelming amount of information and made it difficult for users to focus on the tasks they needed to perform.
Extensive and unstructured data: The current HR management system had a large amount of data, much of which was not organized in a way that made it easy for users to find what they were looking for.
Poorly designed information architecture: The information architecture of the current HR management system was poorly designed, making it difficult for users to understand the relationships between different pieces of information and to navigate the system effectively.
For example, we identified that the current HR management system had multiple sections for viewing HR information, which made it difficult for users to find the information they needed. To address this, we consolidated the HR information into a single section and improved the organization and structure of the information.
By improving the user journey, we aimed to create a solution that was more intuitive and efficient for users, reducing frustration and improving the overall HR management process.
Paper Wireframes
To start bringing our ideas to life, we created paper wireframes for the new HR management app. This helped us to visualize and explore different design solutions in the early stage of the project. Our paper wireframes considered the key insights from our user research, including the user personas, problem statements, and user journey.
By creating paper wireframes, we were able to:
Quickly iterate on design solutions: The low-fidelity nature of paper wireframes allowed us to quickly experiment with different design solutions and test them with stakeholders.
Collaborate with the team: By creating paper wireframes, we were able to collaborate with our UX design team and gather feedback on our ideas and design solutions.
Validate design solutions: By creating paper wireframes, we were able to validate our design solutions with stakeholders, including HR professionals, managers, and employees. This helped us to ensure that we were on the right track in terms of solving the pain points identified during user research.
Digital Wireframes
Our digital wireframes took into account the key insights from our user research and paper wireframes, and also considered the following:
Feedback from our team: Our UX design team provided feedback on our paper wireframes and helped us to refine our ideas and designs into digital wireframes.
Feedback from stakeholders: We shared our digital wireframes with HR professionals, managers, and employees and gathered feedback on our designs. This helped us to ensure that our designs met the needs and expectations of all users.
Accessibility considerations: We considered accessibility from the start and ensured that our digital wireframes were designed to be accessible for users with disabilities.
Usability considerations: Our digital wireframes were designed with usability in mind, taking into account the user research pain points and the user journey.
Overall, our digital wireframes served as a detailed blueprint for the new HR management app. It provided a clear visual representation of our designs and ensured that all key considerations, such as accessibility and usability, were taken into account.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Based on our digital wireframes, we created a low-fidelity prototype of the new HR management app. This allowed us to test the overall flow and functionality of the app, as well as to gather early feedback from users.
Our low-fidelity prototype focused on the following objectives:
Test the overall flow and functionality of the app: Our low-fidelity prototype allowed us to test the basic functionality of the app and ensure that all key features and processes were working as intended.
Gather early feedback from users: We shared our low-fidelity prototype with HR professionals, managers, and employees and gathered feedback on the app’s overall flow and functionality. This helped us to identify any issues early on and make necessary adjustments.
Test usability and accessibility: Our low-fidelity prototype was designed to be accessible and usable, and we tested these features during this stage.
Validate our designs: Our low-fidelity prototype allowed us to validate our designs and ensure that the app was on track to meet the needs and expectations of our users.
Usability Studies
To validate our design solution and gather feedback from our target users, we conducted usability studies with the CEO, Manager, and Employee personas.
The following was included in our usability studies:
User Testing: We observed users interacting with a low-fidelity prototype of our design solution and recorded their feedback. This helped us understand their thought process and identify any areas of improvement.
Surveys: We distributed surveys to our participants to gather their opinions on our design solution and gather feedback on specific areas.
Interviews: We conducted one-on-one interviews with our participants to gather more in-depth feedback and gain a better understanding of their needs and goals.
Iterations: Based on the feedback we received from our usability studies, we iterated on our design solution to improve its usability and meet the needs of our target users.
The usability studies helped us validate our design solution and gather valuable feedback from our target users. This feedback was instrumental in shaping our final design solution and ensuring that it was highly usable for everyone involved in HR management.
Usability Study Findings
Our usability study found that the new design solution for the HR management web app was a significant improvement over the previous design.
The following were some of the key findings from our usability study:
Simple and Easy to Use: Participants found the new design simple and easy to use, with a clear and organized information architecture. They felt that the design was intuitive and that the processes were straightforward.
Intuitive Navigation: The navigation was found to be intuitive, with clear labeling and logical grouping of information. Participants felt that they could easily find what they were looking for.
Clear and Organized Information Architecture: The information architecture was clear and organized, making it easy for participants to understand the relationships between different pieces of information.
Straightforward Processes: Participants found the processes straightforward and easy to understand, with clear instructions and a logical flow.
These findings were a testament to the success of our design solution and demonstrated that it was highly usable for our target users. The new design was a significant improvement over the previous design and was well-received by our participants.
Mockups
Based on the findings from our usability studies, we created high-fidelity mockups to showcase our final design solution for the HR management web app. The mockups were created to effectively communicate our design solution to our client and demonstrate how it addressed the challenges identified in our user research.
The following were included in our mockups:
Visual Design: The mockups included a visual representation of the final design solution, including the layout, color scheme, typography, and other visual elements.
Interactions: The mockups demonstrated the interactions and transitions that would occur in the final design solution, giving a clear understanding of how users would navigate the HR management web app.
Content: The mockups included sample content to demonstrate how the design solution would work with real data.
Responsiveness: The mockups were designed to be responsive and adapt to different screen sizes and devices, ensuring that the HR management web app would be accessible and usable on any device.
The high-fidelity mockups were an important step in the design process and helped to effectively communicate our design solution to our clients and ensure that it met their needs and expectations.
High-Fidelity Prototype
Building on the success of our mockups, we transformed them into a high-fidelity prototype to further test our design solution with users. The high-fidelity prototype allowed us to test the design solution in a more realistic and interactive environment, giving us a better understanding of how it would perform in real-world scenarios.
The following were some key aspects of the high-fidelity prototype:
Functionality: The high-fidelity prototype was designed to include all of the key functionalities of the HR management web app, allowing users to interact with it in a similar way to the final product.
Interactivity: The high-fidelity prototype allowed users to interact with the design solution in a more realistic way, with responsive and interactive elements.
Realistic Experience: The high-fidelity prototype provided a more realistic experience for users, allowing them to test the design solution in a more immersive environment.
Testing: The high-fidelity prototype allowed us to test the design solution with a wider group of users and gather additional feedback, helping us to refine and improve our solution.
The prototype helped us to gather critical feedback and make any necessary changes before proceeding to the final product needs and expectations.
Accessibility
Ensuring that the design solution was accessible to users with disabilities was a key consideration throughout the design process. We wanted to ensure that all users, regardless of their abilities, could use and benefit from the HR management web app.
To achieve this, we followed the latest accessibility guidelines and best practices, including the following:
Accessibility Guidelines: We adhered to industry-standard accessibility guidelines to ensure that the design solution was accessible to all users.
Color Contrast: We used high-contrast color combinations to ensure that the design solution was eligible for users with color blindness or low vision.
Text Alternatives: We provide text alternatives for all images, and other non-text elements to ensure that the design solution was accessible to users with visual impairments.
Keyboard Navigation: We tested the design solution to ensure that it was fully navigable using only a keyboard, making it accessible to users who cannot use a mouse or touchpad.
Screen Reader Support: We tested the design solution with screen readers to ensure that it was accessible to users with visual impairments.
By following the latest accessibility guidelines, we ensured that the HR management web app was inclusive and accessible to all users.
Takeaways
Simplified HR Management: Our design solution simplified the HR management process, making it highly usable by everyone, not just HR. The new design improved the overall user experience and made HR management tasks easier to perform.
Improved Adoption Rates: Our target users found the design solution to be simple, easy to use, and intuitive, which encouraged greater usage and adoption of the HR management web app.
Clear and Organized Information Architecture: The new design featured a clear and organized information architecture, which improved the overall user experience and made it easier for users to find and access the information they needed.
Intuitive Navigation: The users found the navigation to be intuitive and the processes straightforward, which improved the overall usability of the HR management web app.
Accessibility: Our design solution was accessible to users with disabilities, which helped to create an inclusive and accessible experience for all users.
These takeaways demonstrate the positive impact of our design solution on HR management in enterprises. Our design solution improved the user experience and made HR management tasks easier to perform, resulting in increased adoption and usage.
Next Steps
Refinement: The next step for us is to continue testing and refining the design solution to make it even better. We will gather feedback from users and make any necessary changes to improve the overall user experience.
Implementation: We will work with our client to implement the design solution and ensure a smooth transition to the new design. This will involve training users and providing support during the implementation process.
Monitoring: We will monitor the impact of the design solution on HR management in enterprises. This will include tracking adoption rates, usage patterns, and overall user satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement: Based on the results of our monitoring and feedback from users, we will make any necessary changes to continue improving the design solution.
These next steps will help us to ensure that the design solution continues to deliver positive results and improve HR management in enterprises. Our focus will be on continuous improvement and delivering the best possible user experience.