CONTEXTUAL DESIGN
A research project to find what a "right-sized" solution looks like for small firm users.
THE PROBLEM
Our small firm users were creating shortcuts and workarounds to make our current software fit their needs.
Wolters Kluwer has a large variety of products for tax prep and filing, with varying levels of complexity. We noticed that most of the current software was catering to larger firms with larger budgets and ample training opportunities, and many small mom-and-pop firms were having a hard time justifying the cost of the software with more tools than they needed and struggling to utilize the software in a way that works for them.
The team was created to document and address these pain points. Our first task was to take time to really understand what our users do on a day-to-day basis. We did this through a contextual inquiry process, which dictated that we observe users in their environment and take note of every keystroke, process, distraction, jotted note, and breakdown they faced during the observation period of two uninterrupted hours.
HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE
2 months for contextual inquiry, 1 month for affinity diagramming, visioning, and workshops, and 1 month of prototype design and user testing.
MAKE OF THE TEAM
2 product owners, 2 UX designers, 1 team lead, and 1 UX researcher.
KEY GOAL
Solution-agnostic discovery and observation of users, with later work on wireframes and prototypes.
MY ROLE
I conducted a contextual inquiry and participated in all interpretation sessions, affinity diagramming, and workshops. I also created user personas and clickable prototypes for one of our proposed improvements.
BREAKING DOWN THE PROCESS
This entire process took about five months to get to the development phase but could have taken much longer.
We more closely followed the rapid contextual design model, which allowed us to move more quickly through the steps.
PROCESS
1. Team setup
2. Contextual Inquiry
3. Interpretation Sessions
4. Work Models
5. Affinity Mapping
6. User Personas
7. Visioning & Storyboarding
8. Prototype Development
9. Usability Testing
10. Prototype Revision
11. Development
What is Contextual Design?
A research method that observes users in their everyday environment with little to no input from the researchers. This method allows the researchers to take note of users' pain points and external factors and encourage out-of-the-box solutioning.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
User personas are a vital part of the UX design process. Through them, we can better understand and empathize with our target audience and find ways to improve their experience with the product. These fictional characters are the amalgamation of facts and data from real users. We created these user personas based on the contextual design inquiries we conducted at the start of the study.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Starting a new return can be overly complicated.
Our current software versions have lots of features and customizations. This is great for bigger firms and more complex returns, but for simple returns and new customers, this can be overwhelming.
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Training resources aren't accessible to everyone.
We learned that our training videos and help articles are locked behind a paywall for many. Lots of larger firms have preparers who can teach new employees what they need to know, but smaller firms don't always have that option.
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Some users are very married to their systems.
Because the software can be overwhelming, many users learned one path to completing a task and hold onto it tightly. These users are very resistent to trying new ways, since previous attempts at experimentation have worked out poorly for them in the past.
WHY CONTEXTUAL DESIGN
By taking the contextual design route, we learned far more about our small firm users and their environments than we ever thought we would. By taking the time to sit back, observe, and take notes on all the little details, we got a glimpse into what goes into making a simple tax return.
TITLE OF THE CALLOUT BLOCK
A FEW FINAL SCREENS
© 2024 by Jessica Wininger.