Microsoft's Return-to-Workplace
I worked as a core UX designer for Microsoft's return-to-workplace app. (Read more)
Since launch, the app has been implemented in 70+ countries, benefiting 14,000+ organizations.
Microsoft wanted us to create an app for employees who were trying to return to the office during the pandemic. At that time, there was no safe solution available for employees attempting to return to the office. The pandemic was something we had never experienced in our lifetime. The suggested solution needed to be generic, direct, and simple so that any department and industry could use it.
Background
My Role
Core UX Designer – Create user flows based on workshop findings, conduct user research, develop wireframes, and be involved in user research and visual design using the design system our visual designer created.
Team
3 Design team members - 1 Design Director and 1 Visual Designer
Design Process
Here is our overall process to deliver design solutions to our clients.
User Flows
First, we used Mural boards to lead workshops with the key stakeholders and users to develop user flows for different personas. We created templates for these flows and meticulously reviewed each step of the journey for various users, both on the happy path and the unhappy path. We also explored current pain points and identified potential opportunities.
User Interviews
Then, we conducted interviews with 8 users to gain insights into their journey to the workplace. During these user interviews, many users expressed that they want to select and assign their facility when obtaining their daily pass.
We conducted additional user interviews to gather feedback on the designed flows and better understand our users' needs and challenges.
Wireframes
After multiple user research sessions, it became apparent that our users had pain points. They wanted to select and assign their facility, book workspaces, and obtain a daily pass. We made sure to solve these challenges in the overall daily pass journey. We went through multiple iterations to create high-level and hi-fi wireframes. A set of wireframes below illustrates one flow, specifically the whole process of obtaining a daily pass.
Visual Design
Our Visual Designer developed the design systems for the app and refined our design concept. Because of her well-thought-out design system, I was able to create multiple screens for a broader audience.
The Launch
After multiple iterations, Microsoft released our solution, the 'return-to-workplace' app, and it was a huge success. Over 14k+ organizations used it in 70+ countries. Microsoft's Return-to-Work solution has been featured in multiple articles and interviews.
What other team member says
Janie did excellent work. The work she did was transformational. She captured the essence of what we wanted and the client. She created options for the client to review and incorporated visualizations to further enhance the way the users interacted with the system. She is a strong communicator and puts together professional and well-thought-out presentations. I highly recommend Janie for your UX work. I'd use her immediately for my next project.
James Marzola - Global Technology Strategist at Microsoft
