INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTOR WORK

Ask IDP - a fast paced project for a changing world

When everything changes suddenly, digital products can help us move quickly and answer some of the most important and pressing questions.

the project

Ask IDP is an app that started as a fast-paced project to quickly support our industry partners as the world shifted from globally connected to country bound.

my role

I supported the development of Ask IDP as the UX/UI Designer.

This project took place from January to July 2020.

My main tasks included:

  • the central UX/UI designer from discovery to first release, all happening within a 10-week timeframe.

  • I designed the information architecture, wireframes and final designs based on a new visual language specifically developed for this product.

  • the key contact person focusing on continuous development and iteration of the app to add new features based on user feedback.

  • leading the UX work in collaboration with development and content teams to prioritise a backlog of new features and needs.

  • responsible for user research including surveying users to collect feedback that informed future features.

Ask IDP’s screen flow from receiving a question to answering it.

the process

While working towards an incredibly tight timeframe of 10 weeks from inception to product launch, I heavily relied on the 7 tenets of human centred design to validate this project throughout the journey.

The seven tenets of human centred design:

  • Get past your own idea: Ask IDP as an idea was actually brought to us from another department who had come across similar apps in the US.

  • Don't be restricted by knowledge: I started working with the development team from day 1 to make sure all experiences are technically feasible.

  • Use real people: Throughout the process I worked with IDP counsellors who were identified to be one core user group of the app.

  • Identify other users: Universities were quickly identified as another major user group which lead us to arranging focus groups to gain more insight.

  • Follow your users: I surveyed users throughout the pilot phase to understand their pain points, which then allowed me to triage those into bugs and future features.

  • Think about the journey: After the first release we took a step back and split our focus between internal needs and app experience to make sure our users would get the most visibility out of the product.

  • Prototype and test: I was able to test a lot of the new features with current users and iterate new features accordingly.

The marketing video introducing our new product.

outcomes and learnings

What started as a comment during a "show and share" session turned into an app that's produced over 5 hours in the first 6 months since its launch.

The app's end product, the video snippets displayed across IDP's websites and social media platforms, alone is proof of Ask IDP's success with a 5% click-to-engage and a 90% watch-to-end adoption rate.

While working on Ask IDP I've gained some important knowledge:

  • If time is tight, communicate well: The 10-week timeframe didn't allow us for a lot of trial and error, which taught me to communicate often with stakeholders and developers to make sure the product is technically feasible but also usable to a high standard.

  • Start iterating as soon as possible: After the release of the product I instantly started working towards feedback I had collected in early trials, allowing me to add new features and remove pain points within weeks from Ask IDP's first release.

  • Check what others are doing: There's such a breadth of knowledge and ideas in the world that it's always good to keep an eye out, as someone else's idea might help you spark a new train of thought for yourself.