Develop a dashboard designed for organizers of peer groups. The CIRKEL dashboard allows organizers to add content to sessions, monitor challenges and questions as they arise, and aggregate data to inform content.
The objective is to enable employees to co-create intimacy, be purpose-driven, and create diverse remote communities based on trust, commonality, and consistency to develop a psychologically safe and innovative working environment.
My role: UX/UI designer. I collaborated with two other designers and the co-founders of CIRKEL to ensure all business goals were met. Enjoy!
Project Scope
Project Plan
Competitive Analysis
Research Wonderings
How can we help Cirkel demonstrate impact and value as a SAAS platform?
What experiences do you have with peer groups?
How can we help providers measure session effectiveness?
Are there any measurable results after running the peer sessions that you noticed? (Employee Promotions, Positive Feedback, increased retention, etc.) What metrics are providers (users) using to gauge success and provide value to their business?
What actionable metrics do providers (users) use to ensure end users are (satisfied, happy, engaged, etc.)?
What We Heard
“You have to check in with everybody. Be super intentional that everyone has a voice, time to process, a process for participants to offer feedback afterward, wait time is needed, and monitor that everybody contributed to the group.”
- Participant 1
“[Concerning data], there's much to be desired, I think, from these companies to understand how to really quantify the impact that coaching is having on their business.”
-Participant 2
“Taking and analyzing before and after surveys (session). The most powerful check-in is one-to-one and done at a minimum bi-weekly. It is important to have these check-ins because they bring the human element to the virtual world. I also like to text people and check in.”
-Participant 3
“The data we collect is pretty soft because it is self-reported data. There's much to be desired from these companies to understand how to quantify the impact that coaching has on their business.”
-Participant 4
“Challenges come when people don’t want to participate because they were told to attend a session. There is nothing for the forced participant. This commitment and want has to come from the participant.”
-Participant 5
Interview Data Analysis
Give the people what they want!
Based on user interviews, we found the following insights into user sentiment and functionality.
Structure: Clarity in expectations, agendas, objectives, and goals is paramount. This approach instills purpose, meaning, and active engagement in sessions.
Trust and Belonging: Fostering trust and establishing an atmosphere of inclusion contributes to the learning process and stronger connections.
Managing with Intention: Purposeful intentionality is vital in achieving successful implementation. Although managing pacing can be problematic, it remains a necessary aspect guided by facilitators.
Metrics: Purposeful intentionality plays a vital role in achieving successful implementations. Although managing pacing can be problematic, it remains a necessary aspect guided by the facilitator.
Adjusting to Learners' Needs: Clarity in expectations, agendas, objectives, and goals is paramount. This approach instills purpose, meaning, and active engagement in sessions.
Meet our Personas
Dr. Emily Thompson
College Profesor
Dr. Thompson is a renowned engineer, educator, and researcher recognized for her advancements in mechanical engineering. Her commitment to innovation and cultivating future communities of engineers has made a lasting impact at NYU.
Bio
Dr. Thompson enjoys watching her students develop together by transforming complex concepts into real-world applications, which fosters a deep understanding among her students.
Motivations
-Student disengagement
-Meeting diverse student learning needs
-Not able to quantify class effectiveness
Frustrations
-Creating an interactive learning environment where students can actively engage
-Ensuring students clearly grasp the concepts being taught
-Seeing students apply what they learn to reach their goals
Goals
“I like to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM fields by allowing students to tinker, experiment, and turn their ideas into reality!”
-Dr. Emily Thompson
Emmet Marsh
Coach
Emmet Marsh is passionate about helping individuals unlock their full potential and achieve their goals. With over 20 years of experience in coaching and strengthening leadership, he brings a holistic approach to personal and professional growth.
Bio
Coaching provides him with intrinsic fulfillment. The process of guiding someone through challenges, witnessing their growth, and helping them achieve their goals can be deeply satisfying.
Motivations
-Time management and session pacing
-Making sure all students have a voice
Frustrations
-Adapting the sessions to meet student needs and goals
-Develop actionable strategies that lead to sustainable change.
-Empower individuals to build confidence
-Create a safe environment for students to take risks.
Goals
“As a coach, you must have careful preparation, be strategic, and be intentional about what you want to accomplish.”
-Emmet Marsh
How might we…
design a dashboard incorporating meaningful and useful metrics to drive learning and meet business goals?
User Flows
Wireframes
Creating a CIRKEL session
Running a Session
Facilitator Dashboard
Metrics
Usability Test 1
Remove the dashboard from the onboarding screens.
Show the progress of the process to the user.
A screen should have a maximum of three actions in it.
Show overall participants of CIRKEL and each peer group.
Instantaneous feedback and the ability to seamlessly join an ongoing session.
Add positive data alerts.
It is beneficial to have both session data and holistic data.
Usability Test 2
More onboarding questions and options to better define each CIRKEL
Help functions, options such as video, email, and FAQs.
Notify participants of their CIRKEL group.
Option to add own actions to metric screens, depending on session needs.
Welcome to CIRKEL, a B2B/B2C web platform facilitating supportive peer group sessions.
Sentiments
In my inaugural collaboration with fellow designers, I had a highly enriching experience. Exploring my teammates' strengths and recognizing my own was enlightening. The co-founders of CIRKEL were ecstatic as this project fulfilled the initial scope requirements and exceeded expectations by introducing group notifications and simplifying complex directions. While adapting to a new team presented some initial challenges, we swiftly navigated through learning curves in interpersonal dynamics and work styles. Given our time constraints, our performance is commendable.
Lessons Learned
Conduct thorough user research to inform design decisions and ensure the final product aligns with actual user behaviors. Establish clear communication channels among team members, stakeholders, and end-users. Miscommunication can lead to misinterpretation, resulting in design misalignments and user dissatisfaction. Flexibility in the design process allows for quicker adjustments, ultimately leading to a more responsive and user-friendly outcome.
Next Steps
The next step would be to integrate AI, requiring close collaboration with engineers to assess the feasibility of our design concepts.