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Acting on Behalf - A Feature Facilitating Family Management of Helpers for Employers (Phase 1)

 

Navigating the complexities of migrant domestic workers' (MDWs) work pass transactions is a challenge for non-tech-savvy employers, often relying on family members. The "Acting on Behalf" (AoB) feature emerges as a solution, simplifying this intricate process.

THE PROBLEM

Non-tech-savvy employers entrust family members with their SingPass for work pass transactions, encountering a maze of complexities. The AoB feature steps in to simplify this intricate web.

DURATION

Embarking on a nine-month journey, weaving through discovery research, wireframes, prototypes, design, usability testing, and feature development. A collaborative team, including a Business Analyst, Copywriter, UI/UX Designer (myself), and Developers, assembles to tackle this challenge.

MAKE OF THE TEAM

Business Analyst, Copywriter, UI/UX Designer (myself), Developers

KEY GOAL

The mission is clear – streamline work pass transactions for non-tech-savvy employers. As the UI/UX Designer, my role involves contributing to research, wireframes, prototypes, and designs, with usability testing as our guiding compass.

Discovery Phase - Unveiling Challenges:

 
OBJECTIVE:

Dive deep into the world of non-tech-savvy employers and their families, understanding their struggles in managing MDWs' work pass transactions.

APPROACH:

  • Comprehensive User Interviews: Unearthed pain points and challenges in one-on-one sessions.

  • Identifying Hurdles: Explored challenges like the lack of SingPass and physical constraints.

  • Persona Creation: User personas emerged, each representing unique needs and challenges.

DECISION-MAKING PROCESS:

  • Listening to users painted a vivid picture of their needs.

  • Prioritizing challenges laid the foundation for the design journey.

Persona Eve.jpg
Persona Ahmad.jpg

Design Phase - Crafting Simplicity:

 
OBJECTIVE:

  • Create a user-centric feature, a beacon of simplicity for managing work pass transactions.

APPROACH:

  • Ideation Sessions: Team collaboration sparked creative ideas and potential features.

  • Wireframing: Low-fidelity sketches mapped out the basic structure and flow.

  • Prototyping: Interactive simulations gathered initial feedback.

DECISION-MAKING PROCESS:

  • A feature-driven approach empowered family members in the transaction management journey.

  • Iterative refinement followed internal reviews and insights from user testing.

Testing Phase - The Crucible of Validation:

 
OBJECTIVE:

  • Validate the feature's usability and effectiveness through rigorous user testing.

APPROACH:

  • Moderated 1-on-1 Interviews: Validation of concepts, designs, and navigation.

  • Usability Testing: Family members participated, evaluating usability and usefulness.

  • Continuous Feedback Loop: Iterations flowed seamlessly from feedback integration.

DECISION-MAKING PROCESS:

  • Design changes prioritized based on identified issues.

  • Impact assessments gauged user satisfaction through iterative testing.

INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Tech-Savvy Challenges:

  • Insight: Users, including employers and family members, face frustration due to tech-savvy challenges when transacting on behalf.

  • Solution: Provide a written consent template to control file size and assist users with limited language skills. Offer guidance on compressing file sizes.
     

2. Roles and Authority Complexity:

  • Insight: Unclear roles and authority concerns arise in the Transact on Behalf feature.

  • Solution: Clarify roles and responsibilities for users. Evaluate if the introduction of complexity aligns with user expectations and needs.
     

3. Terminology Alignment:

  • Insight: Participants struggle to relate "Family Member Permissions" to "Transact on Behalf."

  • Solution: Align terminology across the platform, considering user expectations. Address internal concerns about potential confusion with EA-related phrases.
     

4. Cognitive Load and Dashboard Issues:

  • Insight: Introducing a dashboard increases cognitive load and distracts users.

  • Solution: Simplify the dashboard, aligning it with users' transaction-based mental models. Gradually introduce new concepts to avoid overwhelming users.
     

5. Diverse Options for Transacting:

  • Insight: Family members may not be the best choice for transacting on behalf.

  • Solution: Explore options beyond family members, including in-laws, friends, neighbors, and volunteers. Provide flexibility in choosing representatives.
     

6. Content Clarity Challenges:

  • Insight: Introducing new concepts leads to content clarity challenges.

  • Solution: Present roles, responsibilities, and transaction details. Ensure banners convey specific information and guide users effectively.
     

Conclusion: These insights provide valuable considerations for optimizing the Act on Behalf feature. Addressing tech challenges, enhancing navigation, clarifying roles, and simplifying the user experience will contribute to a more user-friendly platform.

Understanding the User - A Shift in Paradigm:

 

Diving deep into user interviews revealed a pivotal challenge – obtaining consent from non-tech-savvy employers.

The solution? A user-centric shift, allows family members to initiate the authorization request, making the process more accessible.

Testing Phase - The Crucible of Validation:

 
DISCOVER RESEARCH - TESTED 5 USERS:

  • Engaged a diverse group for discovery research, to validate concepts, designs, and functionality.

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED DURING TESTING:

  • A poignant challenge surfaced – the struggle of non-tech-savvy employers to provide consent.

SOLUTION:

  • An inclusive solution emerged, empowering family members to lead the authorization process.

 
IMPACT ON DESIGN ITERATIONS:

  • Real-user feedback triggered design evolution, ensuring a user-friendly AoB feature.

 

Post Testing - Post AoB Feature Research Findings Summary:

RESEARCH - TESTED 10 USERS:

  • Research on the Acting on Behalf (AoB) feature was conducted through one-on-one generative research interviews.

  • Audience: Family members actively involved in using the AoB feature.

  • Demographic Details: Age Distribution: 50% of participants were above 40 years old, and 50% were below 40 years old.

Research on the Post Acting on Behalf (AoB) feature revealed significant insights, showcasing its positive impact:

USER APPRECIATION:

  • Beneficiary Profiles: Family members aiding employers were often dealing with physically incapable, non-tech-savvy, or busy employers.
     

  • Heartfelt Testimonial: A user shared, " AoB was a godsend because I could do everything legally and super easily, "-P2, mid-50s highlighting its significance in critical situations.
     

  • What users liked the most:
    “The convenience of e-application and very user-friendly forms. Also appreciate the ability to submit on employer's behalf.”
    “Fairly easy to navigate and instructions were clear.”
    “The process to submit the request was quite fast and fuss-free.”
     

  • WOGAA satisfaction score: 78.4% - WOGAA Benchmark: 75%

USER-FRIENDLY ONLINE PROCESS:

  • Ease of Application: Users found the online AoB application process simple and well-guided.
     

  • Clear Instructions: Testimonials emphasized the clarity of instructions, making the process straightforward.
    " The instructions are clearly labeled and it’s easy enough to follow through. I wouldn’t say there’s anything that needs to be improved. It’s pretty straightforward and you can’t get any better than. " - P5, the late-50s

LEVY PAYMENT CONVENIENCE: 

  • Post-Authorization Process: After family members were authorized for AoB, paying a helper's levy was straightforward.
     

  • Positive User Experience: Even users who were not tech-savvy found it easier than other online tasks, expressing its user-friendly nature.
    " I’m not tech-savvy. I don’t like working on my phone and stuff like that but I found this easier than ordering food online. It was very straightforward." - P3, late-50s.

 

Conclusion: These findings underscore the successful implementation and positive reception of the AoB feature, reinforcing its value in catering to the needs of diverse users.

My First Board - AoB Phase 1.jpg
Design Artifacts:

The design process involved creating several key artifacts:

  • User Personas: Representing target users and their pain points.

  • User Flow Diagrams: Visualizing the user journey, identifying pain points, and opportunities for improvement.

  • Wireframes: Low-fidelity representations of proposed features and user flows.

  • Mockups: High-fidelity visual designs showcasing the final feature appearance.

  • Interactive Prototypes: Realistic simulations to gather user feedback on usability and functionality.

LESSONS LEARNED - BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: 

From this project, valuable insights emerged. One key takeaway was the importance of considering the needs of non-tech-savvy users in digital solutions. As technology advances rapidly, ensuring universal access becomes paramount, bridging the digital divide.

 

Another lesson learned is the growing preference for mobile devices in transactions. Designing for mobile-first is essential, creating accessible and user-friendly solutions. This approach enhances efficiency, effectiveness, and overall user experience.

REFLECTION - BEYOND INTERFACES:

This project extended beyond interfaces, delving into the intricate tapestry of user challenges. Insights from interviews illuminated human stories behind the process, emphasizing empathy in design.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT - THE JOURNEY PERSITS:

Survey results echoed the positive impact of the feature. Future endeavours focus on gathering continuous user feedback, ensuring perpetual usability and effectiveness.

CONCLUSION - TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT:

The Acting on Behalf (AoB) feature emerges triumphant, addressing challenges for non-tech-savvy employers. As the UI/UX Designer, my journey encompassed thorough research, intuitive design, and rigorous testing – a transformative solution leaving a positive mark on users' lives.

Tools Wielded:

 
RESEARCH:

  • Google Form: Streamlined participant selection and data gathering.

  • Dovetail: Centralized data analysis for comprehensive insights.

DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING:

  • Figma: The primary tool for creating prototypes, design iterations and usability testing.

USABILITY TESTING:

  • Dovetail: Organized and analyzed usability testing sessions.

In this journey, tools were not just instruments; they were the artisans shaping a user-centric masterpiece. In this journey, tools were not just instruments; they were the artisans shaping a user-centric masterpiece.

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