Project Overview

As a UX Designer intern at ACI Worldwide, I collaborated with another UX Designer and worked closely with the Product and Engineering teams on the redesign of the COP tool. Our primary objective was to create an intuitive and user-friendly application that would greatly enhance the overall user experience during client onboarding and management processes. Additionally, we aimed to ensure that the revamped tool reflected the ACI branding and visual identity.

The COP tool is designed to facilitate and streamline the process of onboarding and managing clients within ACI Worldwide.

Duration

Nov 2022 - Dec 2022

My Role

My responsibilities included aligning the design vision with technical requirements, consolidating user insights, defining areas of improvement, and participating in ideation sessions. After receiving feedback from Designers and PMs, I created a set of hi-fi prototypes to show to the Product team.

⸺ Problem

Existing COP Tool:

Scattered information and tabs across multiple pages causing inefficiencies.
Users needed to navigate back and forth for easy tasks like onboarding multiple clients (highly frequent use case).
Client service configurations were cumbersome and confusing to use.
Ineffective feedback and error handling mechanisms.
Users lack guidance and ability to rectify mistakes effectively.
Legacy system that did not reflect ACI branding.

How might we streamline the client onboarding processes to enhance efficiency and improve their overall experience?

⸺ Solution

Consolidated Workflows, reducing the need for users to navigate between multiple pages or systems.
Simplified Information Input, removing any unnecessary input types and provide a clear fields to minimize the time and effort to onboard clients.
Intuitive Dashboard, offerring a comprehensive overview of client details so that users can quickly access and management relevant information without the need for extensive searching.
Enhanced Service Configurations, providing users with extensive options and settings that empowers users to efficiently configure services for multiple clients.
Error Handling and Recovery, allowing users to perform granular edits, confirm critical actions, and the ability to undo errors.

⸺ Business Context

Cost Savings: Improving service code configurations to minimize services being executed incorrectly or unnecessarily. - Every service execution costs money.

Reducing Call Center Call Volume: Streamlining workflows and implementing user-friendly interfaces to facilitate the efficient setup of client profiles and minimize errors, reducing the reliance on call center support.

⸺ MVP & Constraints

Before starting any design work, it was crucial to define the MVP to outline the key functionalities and features necessary for Phase 1 which also involved identifying any constraints.

⸺ Redefining User Group

Upon engaging in conversations with the target users initially defined by the user stories, we realized that they don't actually use the tool to onboard clients. We investigated and redefined our target users to realign our design decisions to better meet the needs and behaviors of our actual users.

⸺ Ideation

With the insights on how the system is being used and what users struggle with, the other Designer and I took different approaches to find solutions. While the other designer pursued a design that involved a complete restructuring of the layout to accommodate a more future-oriented self-onboarding experience for clients, my focus was on ideating designs & flows that aligned closely with our existing state.

⸺ Final Takeaways

Backup plan when proposing a new solution: Collaborating with another designer on this project not only enabled us to explore diverse problem-solving approaches but also emphasized the need for a backup plan. Recognizing the constraints and potential risks, I ensured that I had an alternative design solution ready to mitigate any unforeseen challenges. This proactive approach provided a safety net and allowed for a smoother execution of the project, ultimately contributing to its overall success.

Understanding the goals of the product team: Recognizing the importance of aligning with the product team's objectives was a crucial takeaway from this project. While I was focused on delivering innovative and user-centered designs, it was equally important to understand the product team's priority of shipping the product within a specific timeline. By maintaining a balance between design thinking and practicality, I ensured that my design solutions aligned with the project's timeline, avoiding any potential blockers and enabling a smooth progress towards the product's release.

Design in academia vs. real-world work: One notable takeaway from my experience was the difference between design in academia and design in a professional work environment. In academia, the focus often lies on exploring theoretical concepts and pushing the boundaries of creativity. However, in the real-world work setting, design must also consider practical constraints, such as technical feasibility, budget limitations, and business goals. It was essential for me to adapt my design approach to the realities of the industry, ensuring that my solutions were not only innovative and user-centric but also feasible and aligned with the project's objectives. This shift in mindset highlighted the importance of balancing creativity with practicality in order to deliver effective and impactful design solutions in a professional context.