Chapter Front-End Strategy
2022 - RESEARCH / STRATEGYDuring my final term at Norwich University of the Arts I got the opportunity to work with The User Story (TUS) on their in-house UX report generation tool Chapter. When I started work on the project, Chapter’s service-facing front-end was in MVP stage and TUS wanted to get a direction on its further development.
Outcome
I wrote the report following TUS’ internal format using Chapter. By doing so I familiarised myself even more with the system and picked up on a few quirks that slipped the net in my previous research. It also meant that the structure of information was already familiar to the team at TUS and could be actioned more easily. Working in the framework that the client of a project is already using increases the chances of success and allows me to broaden my horizon. After finishing the report I presented my findings and research in a meeting with TUS staff.
Interviews
I prepared questions based on my analysis of the app’s interface and data structure. Categorising those questions helped guide the direction of my interviews and made it easier to keep track of the results. After each interview I reflected on the catalogue and my performance, consistently improving upon my process. TUS’s staff helped me with that by providing feedback on my technique.
Contextual Enquiry
When looking into user workflows and behaviours, I got to conduct a contextual enquiry. This was the first time I got to use this technique, and I learned a lot from doing so. I was allowed to record the session, which helped me get results as accurate as possible, because I was already overwhelmed with the complexity of the situation. I underestimated the amount of information I had to process and struggled to maintain close attention to the user’s work while taking notes. In retrospect I should have relied on the recordings to take notes, because due to my split focus I missed a lot of opportunities to ask questions and had to rely on assumptions regarding the user’s motivations.
Reflection
I discovered themes around goals and issues of Chapter, general challenges users face with reports, mental models they employ, and adjacent software that informs familiar interactions.
From getting professional feedback on my process, over improving on my interview preparation, to communicating my work, I learned a lot over the course of this project. I also managed to get an insight into the work of a UX agency, that inspired me to rethink the way I handle assumptions. I have started to let them influence my recommendations, while earmarking them for future investigation.