Internal UX Project Tracker
Epic Healthcare Software
About Me
I discovered a problem, and saw it as an opportunity to create a tool to solve it.
The problem we wanted to solve.
UX Analysts within the company were struggling to lead projects through a successful user-centered design process, making it hard for management to see the impact of their efforts on projects.
So why was this a problem?
​Key Insights from our surveys and contextual interviews:
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UX Analysts were hacking together Excel spreadsheets, Word Documents, and OneNote notebooks in order to track their team’s usability initiatives
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There were 3 levels of tracking needs (product, project, and current-iteration to-dos)
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Current tools didn’t integrate well with development tracking tool (EMC2)
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There were so many barriers to entry to track the UX process that UX analysts were not tracking it well, or at all.
Create one tool, and make it integrate.
Creating a one-stop shop for UX analysts to track this information would make it easier for them to track everything, and that would propel them to actually track it.
We also wanted it to integrate with the current dev tool as much as possible (EMC2) to prevent double documentation. To this end, I took the focus on creating a content model that would integrate seamlessly.
Attempt 1: Save dev time by copying.
We started by trying to integrate into Excel. This was a decision based on:
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Testing tools already in Excel, so familiar tool for users
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Excel developers have already integrated with EMC2 and we could copy/paste a lot of that effort.
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We could design it ourselves without pulling in a visual designer.
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Unfortunately, after taking this to the Excel Macro developers at Epic, we learned the technical flaws of the current EMC2/Excel integration, and because this integration was core to our solution, we went back to the drawing board.
Working with the UX Hub.
Another option we considered, and the route we finally took, was to design and do development on top of the UX Hub - the current tool used to track UX testing results and parse data.
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After presenting our Balsamiq design and design specifications to the team, they agreed to design and develop the project.
Outcomes
But using company developer's spare time meant scoping down our project, but allow for a growth of opportunity in terms of design and functionality.
Because of this and other efforts, Epic was able to get ISO certified.
See the case study for an in-depth look.
Credits
UX Design
Me:
- Overall Project Coordination
- Interview Questions
- Whiteboarding
- Content Modeling / API
- Excel / Balsamiq Design
- Testing
Kat:
- Whiteboarding
- Education
- QA
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Natalie:
- Whiteboarding
- Survey
- Information Architect
Usability Hub Team
Byron: Visual Design
Johnny: Development
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Alex: Deployment