Team
This project was a part of Bits of Good, a student organization that creates web-based solutions for local non-profits in Atlanta. I worked together with the project's product manager and engineering manager to lead a team of 7 developers in an agile cycle.
About
AccessH20 is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance, education, and support to individuals and families experiencing temporary financial hardship to avoid water shut-off. They communicate with their customers' respective utility companies to obtain individual information regarding eligibility status to determine if the customer meets the requirements to receive aid.
Problem
Context
The process of requesting, communicating, and tracking customer information and documents was time consuming and tedious. All communication was done through long email chains, most of them for uploading documents and requests for status and customer information.
Challenge
How might we streamline the communication of customer information between AccessH20 and utility companies?
Specific Goals
Discover experience paint points, user goals, and user needs.
Design a web app with a seamless flow to easily track and update customer information, documents, and eligibility.
Create scalable design system for future changes.
Research
Goals
Establish target audience
Eliminate pain points during the user journey
Questions
Who will be the primary users of our product?
What frustrations do they currently face in their process?
What format of data representation would best fit their needs and workflow?
Participants
Users
AccessH20 Staff
Utility Company Staff
Interviews
We conducted user interviews with both the director of the non-profit and staff members from utility companies. Speaking with the director of AccessH2O helped us to define core requirements of the web-app as well as pain points in their workflow. We also talked with staff from utility companies to hear about frustrations from their perspective.
Key Findings
User flow of existing process
User needs and pain points
Long email chains makes it hard to keep track of different customer information and files.
Much of the communication was requesting / sending customer details, related files, and status updates.
Major frustration: the time spend on asking for updates and missing files.
Design Decisions
Create a centralized dashboard where the two user groups can view and update all customer info.
Include a form that contains all this information and make it available at a glimpse on the dashboard.
Ensure the form prompts for all files, make the process a quick flow.
Solution
User Flows
Dashboard to see all applicants and their status with sort and filter
The central page of the web-app is a dashboard with a view of all the applicants. It allows users to sort and filter applicants by helpful factors like application status, city and date.
Applicant information form + review
This page is the primary form where utility companies can input the necessary information and documents required by AccessH2O. The results of the form are then available as a review of each applicant.
What I Learned
From this project, I gained experience working with a team of managers and engineers in an agile process. I found out how important it is to involve engineers early and throughout the design process, as well as handing off detailed design specifications. I learned how to use critiques to improve my designs and being intentional about gathering specific feedback.