Research Strategy

In order to empathize with the user, I needed to know the user. I was wary of a lot of negativity, so to structure the process, I started with a survey first.

• Demographics
• Tech knowledge
• Platform issues

Results

The survey results were not what I expected and were pretty positive. Despite the low response rate, I cannot say there were major problems to be solved. After talking with the stakeholder and team, we changed tactics. I turned the table and made vanDoen the user. What caused the company and user to disconnect?

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vanDoen Academie

So what is vanDoen? On their website it says: “vanDoen Academie: Driven by impactful training, specializing in healthcare education since 2011. Our approach combines practical learning, personal growth, and tailored programs for healthcare professionals and organizations to succeed.”

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“Our approach combines practical learning, personal growth, and tailored programs for healthcare professionals and organizations to succeed.”

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Strength

On the vanDoen website, they write: “Our approach is personal, and our offer is truly customized!” They offer varied courses and training, interactive, result-oriented, and inspiring. They are not only skilled but also very helpful, always ready to assist students with anything they need, even on weekends.

Weakness

Because of having only 3 people managing the e-learning platform, the company has a small budget and limited time to manage the platform and students. The software platform they have also has technical barriers to what is possible.

Opportunities

Tailored learning will offer a chance to gather information on student experience and develop a learning path that is continuous. The interactive part could be enhanced by gamification.

Threats

They need to comply and undergo yearly checks because they provide certified training. Licenses and training material are expensive.

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New User

I interviewed three people from the Academie who have affiliations with the platform. I was now looking for the following:

• Day to day
• Frustrations and needs
• Core Business

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Time is of the essence

The company gives customized training to students and aims to make learning enjoyable and interesting. They miss a lot of time on the digitally challenged, not working on core business.

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Empathic experience

They are passionate about their users and want to be passionate about their product.

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Only negative feedback

They get only negative feedback from their clients.

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Storyboard

Problem statement

vanDoen Academie's tailored healthcare education is suffering. They need to communicate with all their students instead of just responding to problems.

• How might we improve context for those studying at vanDoen Academie?
• How might we create an e-learning platform that solicits feedback and fewer questions?

"The vanDoen Academie was like a tailor behind a curtain; we needed to remove the curtain and let them step into the spotlight, communicate with the user, and showcase their passionate dedication."

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Design challenges

• The user testing was the student who was not the user researched, they were difficult to reach out to.
• The UI was not pleasant according to vanDoen(and myself) but it was not the problem
• Limited time frame with uncertain external factors

Design process

• Iteration with Wij zijn Vroeg(stakeholder) and dote voting to decide Must haves.
• Low- and Mid-fi
• High-fi with mini design critiques of fellow students

Design strategy

• I focused on the must-haves and quick wins
• Usability testing with students during the entire process to be flexible
• Research on UX to streamline the process and interpret and underpin test findings
• Use the 60-30-10 rule for a pleasant design within the constraints of time and design system

Musthaves

Feedback

During the iteration phase, we decided to create a feedback form for students, with balanced options, so not only the negative feedback would reach vanDoen. The goal was to choose ease above detail, so we could collect viable data.

Onboarding

To create context and add a nice onboarding page, to avoid confusion and give guidance on the platform. A selection of video's and a checklist with all topics with reinforcing sentences provides a good start for the student.

Helpfile

The obvious one was a help file with explanations on various subjects. It should relieve vanDoen from a lot of questions. It can also provide as feedback for vanDoen on what needs more explanation.

Contact

If there is contact, the best way is to use a form that will provide useful information for the people answering the question.  The button should be visible and clear in its purpose.

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Usability testing

The users I tested had some great insights and were tested during the process to safe time and to accommodate their schedules.

• The helpfile needs the point of view of the User, and not the sections: content and platform.
• Language was an important aspect of the feedback. To harsh or to impersonal.
• The users didn't use the initial tooltips or hover points. So I made a lot clickable.

UX research

With the feedback of the users, I did additional secondary research and found 2 key findings:

• There is a maximum of 7 choices, you can present a user
• Only use the feedback button where people need to be active and change the feedback accordingly

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UI

Before

After

"Fixing the UI was a really challenging decision. But with a redesign we could add more context and make a the e-learning more relaxing."

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Reflection

Undertaking the redesign of the e-learning platform for vanDoen Academie proved to be an enlightening journey that encompassed various stages of research, strategy formulation, and design implementation. The project aimed to address the prevalent issues of negative feedback, lack of intuitiveness, and time-consuming interactions that were hampering both the user experience and the core operations of the Academie.

At the onset, I recognized the importance of understanding the user base in depth. To gain insights, I initiated a survey that, despite a modest response rate, revealed a more positive perception than expected. However, realizing the limitations of this approach, I shifted the focus to empathizing with the stakeholder, treating vanDoen Academie as the 'user.' This perspective shift illuminated various aspects, such as strengths in their personalized approach and opportunities in enhancing interactivity. Conversely, constraints emerged, including a small team managing the platform, budgetary restrictions, and technical barriers.

Interviewing key personnel from vanDoen Academie further augmented this understanding, revealing their commitment to student success and the urgency they felt to redirect their efforts towards core business activities. The realization that they solely received negative feedback highlighted the need for a transformational solution that enabled proactive communication and a streamlined learning experience.

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Conclusion

In tackling the challenges posed by this project, the design strategy adopted was marked by a focused approach to achieve tangible improvements within a limited time frame. The core principle was to prioritize essential elements and capitalize on quick wins, ensuring a balance between design quality and efficiency. Integrating usability testing with students throughout the design process added an essential layer of flexibility, allowing iterative refinements to meet user needs effectively.

The project's journey, while marked by the challenges of user inaccessibility and time constraints, ultimately led to a design solution centered on enhancing context and feedback solicitation. By anchoring decisions in established UX principles and leveraging the 60-30-10 rule, the resulting design aimed to deliver a visually pleasing and user-friendly platform.

In retrospect, this project reinforced the importance of adaptability, empathy, and a strategic mindset in design endeavors. While some challenges were unforeseen, each presented an opportunity to evolve the approach, thereby shaping a design solution that aligned with both user needs and the stakeholder's business objectives. The endeavor to bridge the gap between vanDoen Academie and its students symbolizes a commitment to user-centricity and innovation that can serve as a blueprint for future design undertakings.

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