Problem Statement
Business owners face challenges when they need a temporary upgrade in bandwidth for short-term needs. The current system forces them to break their term agreements, upgrade to a new price, and commit to a new term, leading to unnecessary long-term costs and contract obligations. This negatively impacts user experience and business flexibility.
Goals
Launch Internet On-Demand Product
Historically, ordering internet through Lumen has been seller-led. This initiative aimed to transition the company towards digitalization by offering self-service products.
Seamless Connectivity
Users needed to swiftly procure capacity tailored to their specific needs. The focus was on providing a seamless and efficient solution for obtaining internet connectivity on-demand and reducing setup times.
Eliminate Contract Restrictions
The goal was to free users from the constraints of lengthy contracts.
Enable Adaptability and Performance
Empowering organizations with the flexibility to quickly adapt to evolving demands and maintain optimal network performance was a core objective.
Discovery
During the project kickoff, I collaborated with key stakeholders to conduct interviews and facilitate product discovery sessions in Miro. These sessions included product owners, key stakeholders, and select developers, ensuring a comprehensive consideration of all potential touchpoints. We diligently noted existing and anticipated pain points encountered by users interacting with Lumen salesmen, which I then translated into user journeys.
CASE STUDY
Internet On-Demand Product Dashboard
As part of Lumen’s digital transformation, we developed a platform to help users create and manage their internet on-demand product seamlessly.
PROJECT DATE
Mar 2022 - Apr 2024
PROJECT TYPE
Product Dashboard
COMPANY / CLIENT
Lumen Technologies
SCOPE OF WORK
UX Research, Wireframes, Mockups, Design System Update(s)
ROLE
Senior UX Designer
Define & Concept
After the product manager translated the identified touchpoints into JIRA requirements, I used Balsamiq to craft lo-fi wireframes, initiating feasibility discussions with the development team.
These wireframes, presented to the same stakeholders, served as valuable tools for brainstorming solutions, often revealing unforeseen pain points and prompting critical questions such as, "Can our APIs retrieve this data in real-time?"
Design
Next, I crafted pixel-perfect high-fidelity mockups, adhering to Lumen's standardized style guide and incorporating continuous input from fellow UX designers and leadership. Once finalized, these designs were handed over to the development team. I also actively engaged in User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure proper implementation of UI elements and address any discrepancies that arose during development.
Challenges
As with any project, there were challenges during the product life cycle:
Issue #1:
Wireframe discussions around feasibility led us to reevaluate our business goals and scope of work. We had to ensure that we could deliver what was promised while still meeting our deadlines.
Issue #2:
Due to the departure of the product owner, poor communication, and aggressive deadlines, the development team built Phase 3 of the product without consulting the designs I created. My designs had considered upcoming features, so the Phase 3 iteration was intended to be future-proof.
Issue #3:
Extremely aggressive timelines led to scheduling challenges and shifts in scope. The product team frequently added and removed features after I had officially passed off the mockups to developers.
Solutions
To address these challenges, I employed strong collaboration and empathic communication:
Solution to Issue #1:
By advocating for the inclusion of wireframes in our design process, we caught several issues early. I worked with stakeholders to refine what would be included in the initial launch and what would be deferred to Phase 2.
Solution to Issue #2:
Given the tight deadlines, I collaborated with the development team to correct their mistakes and negotiated a timeline for completing the Phase 3 iteration.
Solution to Issue #3:
I maintained an organized "version history" system to keep the developers on track as mockups were continually updated. I collaborated with them to determine the best ways to manage these changes and made accommodations as needed.
Results
After launching the MVP, we allowed 20 customers to test the live version. While it performed well, customers noted the absence of critical features like security options and integration with their private networks.
In response, I advocated for funding to conduct thorough user tests to identify other expected features (which had not been funded before the project started). With the new funding, we prepared to run tests on:
Dashboard expectations
A new UI Wizard for more complex order flows
Additional features users expected
Unfortunately, I was laid off due to a reduction in force before we could enhance the product dashboard based on these test results. Below are the final mockups I introduced to the company design system.
