Powerfully Simple
Mobile Solutions for
Small Businesses
ContractorPro by Logicel
My Role:
UX Designer and Research
Dates: June 24-30
Methods and Tools: Competitive Audit, Stakeholder Interviews, User Journey Maps, User Surveys, Kano Model, Annotated Wireframe Prototyping, Figma, Google Surveys
Background
Improving ContractorPro's Usability and Onboarding Experience
The Client
Logicel Solutions specializes in creating dynamic web and mobile solutions for the trades industry. Their flagship product, ContractorPro, helps small and medium-sized trade businesses streamline job and worker management. ContractorPro simplifies dispatching, communication, estimates, invoicing, scheduling, and task management, alleviating the operational burdens on business owners with 1-4 employees.
Client’s Needs
Logicel Solutions approached our UX team to streamline ContractorPro’s user interface, enhancing its usability and mobile-first experience for its primary users who are trade business contractors.
My Role
As a UX designer on a team of three, I collaborated with two other teams to generate feature recommendations that fit into the existing UI. We focused on reducing learning curves and making the onboarding process simple and intuitive, ultimately creating features intended to delight contractors while working within a budget of 10 story points.
The Problem
This what a new user sees upon clicking the link sent by an Owner inviting them to join their network
Improving Usability and Function for Contractors
While ContractorPro effectively meets many of its clients' needs, primary users face a significant learning curve, especially those who are tech-averse.
The current mobile-first experience lacks proper onboarding infrastructure, creating confusion for new contractors invited to use the platform by current users. This leads to difficulties in performing the main functions of the app, such as finding jobs, learning details about the jobs, and accepting or declining them.
Additionally, it is not intuitive for a new user to set up their profile to indicate their trade, skills, or the jobs they can perform. If this capability existed, users could grow their network, secure more work, and enhance their overall experience with the app and their business.
Understanding the Users
Empowering Contractors Through Powerful Simplicity
ContractorPro’s primary users are contractors and subcontractors who are invited or added by a business Owner currently using ContractorPro to manage their operations. This group is typically tech-averse or has low technical experience and are often overwhelmed business owners themselves.
Contractors receive emails when an Owner needs help with work they cannot do for various reasons. The primary user seeks easy work management and cannot afford to deal with difficult processes or requirements on top of their already busy schedules.
Once introduced to ContractorPro, the goal is to provide such a great experience that these contractors convert to using ContractorPro as owners themselves. They will invite other users to the platform, helping Logicel Solutions meet their business goal of offering “Powerfully Simple” business solutions to small trades businesses.
Existing Feature and UI research
Research Methods and Strategy
We conducted research aligned with Logicel Solutions' goals to enhance the new-user experience, improve the contractor experience, discover usability enhancements, and explore AI assistance.
We began with a competitive audit of existing platforms, using this data to create a persona and journey maps for current and future states based on feature updates. I sketched low-fidelity wireframes to brainstorm features for a scoping meeting, helping us understand the project's budget and technical constraints. We chose 10 features and included them in user survey. We used the Kano model to analyze that data.
Considering all points of data and with a budget of 10 story points, I selected three impactful features for development. I developed annotated wireframes of those features to be presented to the client.
Findings & Recommended Features
Strengths
In its Minimal Viable Product (MVP) state, ContractorPro meets the needs of contractors seeking efficient business management. Clients report that despite a learning curve, the app simplifies dispatching, communication, estimates, invoicing, scheduling, and task management, achieving its goal of "powerful simplicity."
Feature Recommendations
Integrate Push Notifications:
This feature will enhance communication efficiency and improve user engagement by providing timely updates and reminders. Data show that this is an expected feature for contractors. This feature directly impacts contractor productivity and satisfaction with ContractorPro.
Industry and Skills Tags:
Adding these tags will streamline the process of finding the right contractors, improving usability and contractor experience by facilitating better matches. For new contractors, this feature is vital as it allows them to showcase their specific skills and expertise, making it easier for them to get matched with relevant jobs and build their reputation.
Opportunities
Given that ContractorPro is in its MVP state, several opportunities exist for the primary user, the contractor. Based on research and budget constraints, The following features are recommended to have the most immediate positive impact on the user experience.
New User Guided Walkthrough
This feature will significantly enhance the new-user experience by simplifying the onboarding process, reducing the learning curve, and increasing user satisfaction. Given that new contractors are the primary users, a guided walkthrough will help them quickly understand how to use the platform, making their initial interaction seamless and encouraging continued use.
Next Steps
If I were to continue working with Logicel Solutions, I would focus on the following steps to continue to build Powerful Simplicity into ContractorPro.
User Testing and Feedback: I would conduct user testing sessions with new contractors to gather feedback on the implemented features. This would provide valuable insights into usability and areas for further improvement.
Iterative Design and Development: Based on user feedback, I would refine and enhance the features. Continuous updates would ensure the platform evolves to meet user needs effectively.
AI Integration Exploration: I would further exploreAI-assisted features to automate routine tasks and provide intelligent recommendations, further enhancing user efficiency and experience.
Expanded Guided Walkthroughs: I would recommend features for a more comprehensive guided walkthrough, covering advanced functionalities to support users as they become more familiar with the platform.
Reflections
Looking back on the project, if I were to assess the overall experience, I would note the following:
Resources and Prioritizing: Adapting to developer feedback and being willing to iterate on initial designs based on technical and financial constraints requires mental agility, empathy, and creativity.
Value of User-Centered Design: The focus on understanding and addressing the needs of new contractors is essential in creating a Powerfully Simple user experience. User personas and journey maps are instrumental in guiding design decisions.
Collaboration and Communication: Effective collaboration with stakeholders, team members, and among cooperating teams along with clear communication of design choices is key in aligning the project goals with user needs and technical constraints.
Long-Term Vision: While the initial focus is on immediate impact features, considering the long-term vision and scalability of the platform ensures its continued relevance and success in the market.