A website and web extension design
Lordie's
Final Version Below
A website for a small food business.
Read Case Study
Lordie's
A website for a small food business.
Read Case Study
Lordie's
A website for a small food business.
Read Case Study
Project Overview
This unique challenge was brought by Autism Speaks, a non-profit aimed to increase global awareness around autism. They have contributed to a better understanding of the breadth of the autism spectrum, and advocacy to increase research and access to care and support.
Together with HeroX, they sponsored this event to help autistic individuals transition into adulthood and secure stable employment.
Together with HeroX, they sponsored this event to help autistic individuals transition into adulthood and secure stable employment.
Zensory
This project was completed by my team and I by conducting research, drawing up possible solutions, and submitting our best proposal to help job seekers on the autism spectrum.
Role: Lead UX Designer
Timeframe: 4 months
Primary Tool: Figma
Industry: Non-profit
01.
My Process
Understand
02.
Research
03.
Materialize
05.
Test
06.
Reflect
What is the Problem?
Before jobseekers on the spectrum can be employed, they encounter many challenges at the start of the hiring process. Currently they face feelings of being overwhelmed, confused, lost, and misunderstood.
What is the Solution?
My team and I chose to design a web extension for accessibility and a corresponding website for help with making a resume and interview readiness.
Who are the Target Users?
Our target users are adults on the autism spectrum that can perform most daily activities independently.
Arthur is considered a high-functioning adult who would need help understanding complex job applications online but can work most jobs without any assistance.
Jane is considered a mid-functioning adult who would need help with complex applications and a longer training period with a boss who is aware/understanding of their personality.
Literature
My team and I came together to study and learn more about Autism and current job application problems these potential employees face.
Here were some of our findings:
Here were some of our findings:
Media
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. This series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
Of autistic adults have a job (autism.org.uk)
22%
Of workplace accommodations cost nothing (autismsociety.org)
58%
Never applied to a job online.
30%
Of participants scored as having problematic internet use (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
38%
Competitive Analysis- Are there existing solutions?
We conducted a competitive analysis with other web extensions that offered similar functionality to that of our design and ideas.
We chose to do this because we could understand competitor's missions and main features already provided on the market.
We chose to go with features competitors were lacking.
We determined that Etisilat and Simplify were our biggest competitors.
We chose to go with features competitors were lacking.
We determined that Etisilat and Simplify were our biggest competitors.
Some of the ideas that emerged from this research tool was to combine great features while also not spinning the same wheel in terms of how we could help.
Overall, conducting an analysis of what was on the market allowed to us to design a better product.
Overall, conducting an analysis of what was on the market allowed to us to design a better product.
Moodboard & Branding
The entire team contributed to our moodboard.
We found so much inspiration not only for our UI but also what our brand should mean. It is so important to try out best connecting with users and what they would like to see visually.
We wrote down adjectives such as zen, calm, senses, fairness, equality, and natural. These are some of the images I added.
We found so much inspiration not only for our UI but also what our brand should mean. It is so important to try out best connecting with users and what they would like to see visually.
We wrote down adjectives such as zen, calm, senses, fairness, equality, and natural. These are some of the images I added.
What is the meaning behind "Zensory"?
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. The series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. The series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. The series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
Style Guide
My team and I drew up many user flows, but we ended up using what we considered the most important ones:
Together we collaborated and determined which flows were the most vital for our MVP.
- Upload a file
- Edit my profile
- Auto-fill job applications
- Download a resume
Together we collaborated and determined which flows were the most vital for our MVP.
Designing Information Architecture
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. The series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. The series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
We also watched the show "As We See It" which is based off three different autistic adults navigating adulthood. The series gave us an emotional and deeper look into Autism and neurodivergence.
Sketching up Lo-Fidelity Wireframes
With time not on our side, we briefly sketched out lo-fidelity wireframes to help us visualize our ideas yet start piecing flows, branding, and IA all together.
- One of the first features is the auto-fill feature. This would allow Zensory's users to fill in job applications automatically on popular job boards such as LinkedIn and Indeed.com.
- Second, I wanted to make sure we had an extension that was easy to use, accessible, and would change the visual aspects of a webpage efficiently.
- Third, uploading files seemed to be a no brainer as people on the spectrum can upload files to express themselves. This can ease the stress of having to use solely words to describe their talents and skills. They could even use videos or audio files to practice interviewing.
Unmoderated Testing through Maze.com
We sent out our prototype to be tested by 20 participants that included strangers, family, and friends.
These participants took a 5 question quiz with opinion scales, yes/no questions, and an open-ended feedback section.
These participants took a 5 question quiz with opinion scales, yes/no questions, and an open-ended feedback section.
- Was the concept and goals of the web extension and website clear to you?
- How helpful do you think Zensory's features are to the Autism community?
- Do you feel that Zensory's extension is accessible while applying to jobs online?
- What would you recommend for us to change?
- Need one more question related to opinion scale
I am so proud of the final designs and product idea.
I had a very strong team and I ended up learning so much from both of them.
The main challenge was time consuming, but we were able to work through it by splitting up tasks and responsibilities (thank you Jira) between each other.
I am also very proud of what I learned from our research. I have gained a deeper understanding of what autism is and how adults with autism struggle finding employment.
As a team I felt like we took the time to really empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test our solution fully.
I had a very strong team and I ended up learning so much from both of them.
The main challenge was time consuming, but we were able to work through it by splitting up tasks and responsibilities (thank you Jira) between each other.
I am also very proud of what I learned from our research. I have gained a deeper understanding of what autism is and how adults with autism struggle finding employment.
As a team I felt like we took the time to really empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test our solution fully.
Understand
01.
Research
02.
Materialize
04.
Test
04.
Test
04.
How Might We's
- You can see that our how might we's provided a huge insight into what our potential users would need, want, and like to have. Our goal was to satisfy most of the HMWs while developing a MVP fast enough due to the project's time constraint.
Zensory's Extension Menu
The extension provides a menu that will work on most website and browsers. It provides accessibility tools as well as a way to change website languages, contact us, review FAQs, and report any issues.
From a user's perspective, they can easily click on the extension icon and change the look of an overwhelming webpage in a matter of 2 clicks.
From a user's perspective, they can easily click on the extension icon and change the look of an overwhelming webpage in a matter of 2 clicks.
- They can also edit answers before committing to auto-fill job applications online by clicking on the button "edit answers."
Usability Testing
Testing
We conducted a usability test with our prototype.
We had 20 randomized testers participate from Maze.com and 6 family or friends take our usability test.
The target group were people who knew at least 1 autistic adult.
The test method Maze provides is unmoderated user testing without observation (no visual recordings). Instead, Maze tracks users' clicks and responses to guiding test questions.
We conducted a usability test with our prototype.
We had 20 randomized testers participate from Maze.com and 6 family or friends take our usability test.
The target group were people who knew at least 1 autistic adult.
The test method Maze provides is unmoderated user testing without observation (no visual recordings). Instead, Maze tracks users' clicks and responses to guiding test questions.
Guiding Questions
- Do you feel that the overall design matches the word zen?
- How helpful do you feel Zensory's features are to the autism community?
- Do you feel that Zensory's extension is accessible?
- What would you recommend for us to change? Please write 1-2 reasons.
Feedback
You can see some of the direct responses that were provided below. The other few responses were either missing or replied with n/a.
We were hoping to achieve feedback and suggestions for improvement through open ended questions and opinion scales.
What I Learned
As the lead designer for this project, I am so proud of our final designs and product idea. I had a very strong team and I ended up learning so much from both of them. The main challenge was time, but we were able to work through it by splitting up tasks and responsibilities (thank you Jira).
I am also very proud of what I learned from our research. I have gained a deeper understanding of what autism is and how adults with autism struggle finding employment.
As a team I felt like we took the time to really empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test our solution fully.
As the lead designer for this project, I am so proud of our final designs and product idea. I had a very strong team and I ended up learning so much from both of them. The main challenge was time, but we were able to work through it by splitting up tasks and responsibilities (thank you Jira).
I am also very proud of what I learned from our research. I have gained a deeper understanding of what autism is and how adults with autism struggle finding employment.
As a team I felt like we took the time to really empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test our solution fully.
Moving Forward
If our team had more time, we would have drawn up a second version with the suggestions and feedback provided by our testers.
Reading our testers' responses made me want to stop and try again. I began to understand and listen to what people were really looking for from a concept like this. I think our project and idea has potential to make waves across the autism community.
In the future I hope to keep enhancing my UX skills so users will want to use a product like this.
If our team had more time, we would have drawn up a second version with the suggestions and feedback provided by our testers.
Reading our testers' responses made me want to stop and try again. I began to understand and listen to what people were really looking for from a concept like this. I think our project and idea has potential to make waves across the autism community.
In the future I hope to keep enhancing my UX skills so users will want to use a product like this.