Project Overview

Project Name: Google ChromeOS Device Selector
Role: UX Researcher / UI Designer
Date: January - May 2024
Insight partnered with Google to enhance the ChromeOS Device Selector tool, a questionnaire designed to assist small businesses in choosing the right ChromeOS device for their needs. Initially developed in partnership with Insight, the tool was integrated into the websites of various third-party hardware vendors, including Insight.
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I joined the project as a UX researcher and designer after the ChromeOS Device Selector tool had already been in use for some time. With no predetermined goals, my task was to analyze previously conducted user tests and offer recommendations for incremental improvements to enhance the user experience.
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Due to the confidential nature of certain aspects of the project, I am unable to provide complete details. However, I am excited to showcase my design process and highlight key findings that shaped the project's overall direction.

Project activities:
  1. Review User Testing
  2. Heuristic Evaluation and Competitive Analysis
  3. Provide Recommendations
  4. Create and Iterate on New Designs
  5. Project Challenges
  6. Project Takeaways

Review User Testing

The first task I completed upon joining the project, was reviewing the 10 user interviews that were conducted through UserTesting.com prior to my involvement. With access to the video recordings and an Excel file containing written responses, I delved into understanding the users thoughts on the tool

Navigating through the interviews posed challenges, as I had no role in designing the test, and most participants breezed though the tasks, providing limited insights. However, leveraging resourcefulness, I was able to find some valuable feedback to inform our improvements.

Following a the review of the user testing data, I synthesized the most prevalent and insightful feedback into a presentation for stakeholders. This encapsulated the key insights from the testing,  paving the way for informed decision-making on how to improve the tool.

Heuristic Evaluation and Competitive Analysis

The next activity I did was a mini heuristic evaluation to strategically go through the tool and identify design problems with the existing UI. This helped uncover some easy-to-fix issues and improve design consistency throughout the tool.
I also conducted a competitive analysis to see what other device selector tools were doing. One key tool I looked at was the Microsoft Surface Device Picker. I brought this to the attention of the project stakeholders, and they were on board with using it as inspiration for our improvements.
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This evaluation and analysis provided valuable insights that guided us in making informed design decisions and aligning our tool with industry best practices.

Provide Recommendations

After completing the heuristic evaluation and competitive analysis, I moved on to providing actionable recommendations.

Collaborating with a teammate working on a related aspect of the project, we compiled a comprehensive presentation of our suggestions. We then refined our recommendations based on stakeholder feedback, narrowing down a prioritized list of improvements to be designed.

This collaborative effort ensured that our proposed enhancements were aligned with both user needs and business goals.

Create and Iterate on New Designs

An interesting challenge in designing this tool was ensuring it could be "white labeled" for use by various companies.

I updated the UI to be more consistent and modern, focusing on a cohesive design throughout the tool. Additionally, I began redesigning the questions that received the most user feedback. This marked the start of an iterative process with Google, where we continuously refined the design based on ongoing feedback

Here is a look at the start page design before and after. We wanted to emphasis a ChromeOS device and create a more modern and eye catching starting point for users.
Before
After
Here is what this design looks like with the branding of other companies using this tool on their website:

Project Challenges

Throughout the project, I encountered several key challenges:
  1. Maintaining a White Label Design Solution: Ensuring the tool's design could be easily adapted for various companies while preserving a cohesive and modern UI.
  2. Balancing User Feedback and Stakeholder Goals: Striking a balance between incorporating user feedback and meeting stakeholder expectations, often advocating for user-centric design in the face of differing stakeholder visions.
  3. Working Within Structural Constraints: Enhancing a tool where the underlying structure was a significant pain point for users, despite being unable to modify this fundamental aspect.

Project Takeaways

  1. Confidence in UX Decisions: I've gained more confidence in my design decisions, knowing they are grounded in solid UX practices and user advocacy.
  2. Balancing User and Business Needs: This project reinforced the importance of balancing user needs with business goals, highlighting the ongoing need for effective negotiation and compromise.
These takeaways have significantly enhanced my approach to UX design, equipping me with valuable insights for future projects.