A mobile app for technicians in the trades
Technicians complete more jobs in a day with route optimization and step-by-step guidance to properly document their work.
My role and contributions
Senior Product Designer
Team
Product Designer, Joy Lam
Product Manager, Ashwin Raman
Onshore and offshore developers
Project timeline
6 months, starting November 2022
Pilot launch
May 2023
Outcome
1.2 million work orders completed
Methodology
Agile
Client
National single-home leasing and management company
Internal operations leadership
HIGHLIGHTED SKILLS
As a Senior Product Designer, I took a strategic approach not only to the design of this product, but to the development and launch strategy as well.
End to end design
Systems thinking
Simplifying complex processes
Product strategy
Launch and marketing strategy
Research
High-fidelity design
Usability testing and shadowing
Stakeholder management
RESEARCH
Stakeholder discovery
I led 3 days of interactive discovery with our largest client, who were also part of our stakeholder team.
Purpose
Understand goals of building a new app instead of improving the existing app
Uncover assumptions held by operations about technician attitudes, schedules, and struggles
Define operational needs
Establish a partnership. This helped position us as SMEs, not order-takers it
Ride-alongs with techs
I spent 3 days riding along with technicians as they fixed issues at residents’ homes ranging from leaking toilets to broken door locks.
Purpose
Experience the conditions technicians work under
Observe how they organize their trucks
Witness how they interact with customers
how the old app worked/failed to work.
Test the assumptions held by stakeholders. We reported back what we validated to be true, and which assumptions we found to be misinformed.
Pilot user shadowing
After the app was released to pilot users, I shadowed 3 technicians over 3 days to see how the app performed.
Purpose
Observe technical performance of app
Discover how well the app meets technicians’ needs
Gather list additional features
Prioritize improvements
Strategize the order of additional improvements
CHALLENGES
“I got into the trades because I didn’t want to use a damn computer!”
How might we make this app intuitive for all users, regardless of their tech-saviness?
– Technician in Phoenix, AZ
Technicians must use the app because their employer requires it.
How might we make this app enjoyable for technicians who have to use it?
Clients need proof of work from technicians, but the requirements differ by client and job.
How might we serve the needs of clients while creating clear expectations for technicians?
SYSTEMS THINKING
Armed with business direction and user needs, I began to design the information architecture and interface.
I mapped out how this app connects to the rest of the One by Lessen platform.
I considered the multiple sources of data we used and consolidated language to remove company jargon, creating an understandable experience for technicians.
I created a scalable design by using reusable design patterns so that future designers can enhance the app and maintain consistency.
As I designed, I kept a list of features to consider for the future success of the app.
DESIGNS
Based on what I learned during research and the knowledge I gained from other projects at Lessen, I set to work designing the experience you see below. The images below are from the app store because this project is protected under an NDA. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more.
The relationships I build with my collaborators are as rewarding as creating a great product.
That’s why the kudos from my external stakeholders mean so much to me!
This project is protected by an NDA
For more information, please reach out!
I’d love to share more about my process and experience.