Usability Review

I performed a usability review of the existing user interface to make sure we learned from the past mistakes that had been made. This was also used to help justify the redesign.

Information Architecture

I created an inventory of functionality and content, documenting the API hooks in use. This was used to ensure that existing functionality was not left out unintentionally, and to identify required API changes.

I reviewed all content for appropriateness and conducted card-sorting to group the data so that tasks could be based on logical groupings. The Inventory was also invaluable in ensuring that every user input had a label, a default value, validation rules and an error message.

Task Analysis

I defined common tasks and categorized them, mapping them to users and objects. I could then link a set of similar tasks with a conceptual model so that recurrent tasks - like deleting an object - would behave consistently throughout the application. This sketch shows top-level tasks coded by user segment and one of the user object model trees.

Task Flow

We created task flowcharts for tasks and task sets, defining the steps and decisions involved in completing a given task.

Wireframes

I developed low-fidelity wireframes to define the structure. A lot of thought and discussion went into creating a scalable architecture that would accommodate the introduction of new features required by the short release cycles of the product. I then directed the evolution of the wireframes into design mock-ups and functional HTML.

Interface Design

Every aspect of the interface design was scrutinized from a user perspective. One such example is form design. I conducted research and testing for optimal placement and behavior of fields, labels, descriptions and error messages specific to our product. This prototype was one step in the process of defining error prevention and recovery during user input.

Results

The new user interface was a giant leap forward for Pheedo, bringing a Web 2.0 experience to a unique product. Support requests immediately dropped off and we received a stream of positive feedback from clients and our account management team.