Jennifer Luo
Projects
About
Building an Internal Database
The end-to-end process behind launching a web-based enterprise file organization system
Company
A young finance company experiencing high growth, expanding over 150% in 2 years
Problem
The shared drive does not meet the current file sharing needs of the company
Solution
Design and develop a file management system that requires less manual work and cognitive load
Role
UX Researcher and Designer
Achievements
60%
Reduction in time spent on file management
10%
Efficiency increase on file related workflows
100%
Users can access files from the intranet rather than in office
Discovery
User pain points on shared drive
Discussions with users on their daily tasks revealed operating the shared drive is a common frustration. The many hands involved in the shared drive causes inefficiency, confusion, and in the worst-case scenario, potential breaches in confidentiality.
User Interview Quotes
"The inconsistency in organization across teams makes it difficult for me to quickly respond. What should be a quick task ends up taking me much longer
"
Director
, Business Team
"Missing files from the shared drive is at best a minor hassle, in the worst-case scenario a few days of delay.
"
Analyst
, Business Team
"I end up with a lot of files on my computer each time I upload files. If I happen to be audited, I have to have a reason for why each of the files has been downloaded.
"
Associate
, Business Team
Redesign
Designing for a simplified workflow
Implementing file organization via the shared drive has significantly impacted workflow efficiency and imposed a substantial cognitive burden on users. Our objective in designing a web-based file management system is to streamline the workflow, condensing it into a concise one to two step process, as opposed to its current complexity.
Current workflow
Highs and lows
Positive feedback from analysts
After participating in several rounds of iteration and testing, analysts are looking forward to the launch of the product.
Support from executives
The success of the new file repository system in the trial phase increased stakeholder support in the project's future.
Manual steps necessary
In the early iterations of the database, a few manual inputs are necessary. Until the information can be scrapped from all file types, analysts will need to manually label files.
Transitioning with manual steps
Since the development team needs time to build out the database's ability to be fully automated, pulling in old files will also require manual steps. Years of files means the business must either wait or hire help to process.
High Fidelity
Screens from the application
Exploring Design Debt
Native Plant Search
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