About The Project
استشاري تجربة المستخدم في PIF | موظف سابق في Backbase
Project Overview
In 2024, I led the UX design for a ground breaking enterprise portfolio management tool , The tool was designed to record and analyze performance across multiple levels: portfolio, company, project, and subproject.
Problem and challenge for Business
Goal
Design a tool that allows seamless tracking and analysis of project performance from portfolio to sub-project level for multi-billion-dollar projects.
Problem Statement
Large-scale projects face numerous challenges, including tracking performance at multiple levels and deriving insights across company, portfolio, project, and sub-project levels. The current tools lack granular control and tailored insights necessary to manage billion-dollar projects effectively. A robust tool is needed to record, monitor, and analyze work at all levels, ultimately boosting efficiency, visibility, and accountability.
Success Metrics
• Adoption Rate: 80% adoption among target users within the first 6 months.
• Efficiency Improvement: 30% reduction in time spent on manual tracking.
• User Satisfaction: User satisfaction score above 85% for ease of navigation and reporting.
• Reduction in Project Delays: Decrease project delays by 20% due to enhanced oversight.
1. User Research and Cultural Insights
• Conducted user research through surveys, interviews, and focus groups with Saudi youth to understand their preferences, cultural nuances, and banking habits.
• Analyzed cultural themes, colors, and visual styles that resonate with the target audience.
2. Localization and Usability Testing:
• Performed usability testing with Arabic-speaking users to identify language and interface issues.
• Ensured right-to-left (RTL) language support and accurate translations through collaboration with native Arabic speakers and professional translators.
3. Security Best Practices:
• Consulted with security experts and reviewed industry best practices for secure app design, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and biometric verification.
• Implemented regular security audits and updates to keep the app secure against emerging threats.
4. Compliance with Regulations:
• Studied the guidelines and regulations set by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) to ensure legal compliance.
• Collaborated with legal advisors and compliance officers to integrate necessary legal disclaimers, privacy policies, and consent forms.
5. User Education and Support:
• Developed educational content based on common user questions and feedback obtained during usability testing.
• Created easy-to-follow tutorials, in-app guidance, and a comprehensive support section to address user needs and enhance their understanding of the app’s features and security measures.
User Persona:
User Profile: The Supervising Director
Name: Sarah Thompson
Position: Head Portfolio Manager
Age: 45
Objectives: Receive immediate feedback on portfolio activity
Quickly pinpoint underperforming initiatives
Distribute resources effectively throughout the corporation
Struggles: Challenges in accessing a comprehensive understanding of multi-tier performance
Labor-intensive manual data compilation
Unreliable reporting between varied tiers
Difficulties
Data Complication: Merging substantial quantities of data from various origins and layers.
User Classification: Crafting a user interface accommodating diverse roles and permissions.
Instant Updates: Guaranteeing data currency without sacrificing system efficiency.
Expandability: Developing a system capable of processing thousands of assignments and subtasks.
1. Portfolio Supervisor
• Targets: Ascertain that projects align with strategic targets and abide by the budget.
• Obstacles: Requires amalgamated overviews across various projects for effective top-level decision-making.
2. Project Director
• Targets: Monitor the progress of individual projects and optimize the use of resources.• Obstacles: Needs comprehensive insights on each project to manage potential risks and dependencies pragmatically.
3. Task Coordinator
• Targets: Supervise daily activities, adhere to the timeline, and ensure efficient work processes.
• Obstacles: Requires immediate updates on individual tasks and the key performance indicators of sub-projects.
4. Corporate Executive
• Targets: Acquire a comprehensive understanding of project performance throughout the company.
• Obstacles: Needs a tool that provides high-level data summaries while enabling detailed analysis when required.
Responsible for End to end journey for Onboarding, User Profile, and settings MCDC, Account, and Transactions
Experiments and Validation
Card Sorting: We conducted card sorting exercises with 20 executives to determine the most intuitive information architecture.
Prototype Testing: We created interactive prototypes and tested them with 50 users across different organizational levels. This revealed that 80% of users preferred a modular dashboard design over a fixed layout.
A/B Testing: We tested two different data visualization approaches:
Version A: Traditional charts and graphs
Version B: Interactive, drill-down capable visualizations
Results showed that Version B led to 30% faster insights generation.
Solution
The final solution included:
Modular Dashboard: A customizable dashboard allowing users to arrange key performance indicators according to their preferences.
Multi-level Navigation: An intuitive navigation system enabling users to drill down from portfolio to subproject level seamlessly.
Real-time Data Integration: Utilization of advanced APIs and microservices architecture to ensure near real-time data updates.
Interactive Visualizations: Implementation of interactive charts and graphs allowing users to explore data dynamically.
Role-based Access Control: A sophisticated permissions system ensuring users only access data relevant to their role.
Empathy mapping
To gather insight, i carried out both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) research which helped me gain better understanding of the problem to be solved
User interviews
Final Outcome
The Performance Management Tool was successfully adopted by the client organization, with substantial improvement in tracking efficiency and project oversight. Post-launch feedback indicated that users found the tool essential for streamlining workflow, reducing manual tracking, and providing comprehensive performance insights.
Reflections and Next Steps
• Future Iterations: Consider adding more in-depth AI-driven insights and predictive analytics.
• Continuous Feedback Loop: Set up regular user feedback sessions to gather insights for future updates.
• Scalability: Explore scaling the tool for similar high-budget projects in other sectors beyond construction, such as technology or infrastructure.
• Several users highlighted the importance of having clear, step- by-step instructions during the onboarding process, particularly when verifying their identity or submitting documents.
• Many authentication (fingerprint or facial recognition) and visible security indicators increase their confidence in using the app. Users frequently mentioned frustration with the need to visit physical bank branches for account setup and other services.
• Several users highlighted the importance of having clear, step- by-step instructions during the onboarding process, particularly when verifying their identity or submitting documents.
Requirement Gathering and WOW
Competitor Analysis
A thorough competitor analysis was conducted to assess existing tools in project and performance management. Notable tools analyzed included:
• Oracle Primavera: Comprehensive for scheduling but lacks user-centered, interactive dashboards for cross-level tracking.
• Microsoft Project: Suitable for mid-sized projects, lacks flexibility for managing multi-billion-dollar projects.
• Asana and Trello: Good for task management but lack scalability for complex project hierarchy.
The analysis highlighted gaps in hierarchical navigation, real-time risk detection, and AI integration, underscoring the need for a custom solution tailored to high-budget projects.
