Lucidchart is a diagramming software, 14,000 new users sign up and try Lucidchart each day. Irrespective of users’ technical proficiency or familiarity with diagramming tools, when a user comes into the product they want to be able to get started immediately. Lucidchart wants to create an onboarding experience that helps users become familiar and productive with the product in no time.
In order to improve the diagramming experience, we wanted to understand the diagramming habits, working style, collaboration habits, product expectations, and the problems the software currently offers.
A survey was sent out for interested participants that alsoinquired basic information about the users. Following graph represents the willing participants. Out of these, people participated in user interview and usability test.
These user interviews revealed a lot of information for future action, but it was an overwhelming amount of information to process collectively. Thus, we used affinity maps to synthesize research information.
Help users think clearly on software and communicate their ideas.
Help users diagram effectively and productively.
Following softwares were used as design exemplars to curate a design solution to facilitate ideation.
In order to help users think clearly on software, the concept was based on two hypotheses.
Restricting input to keyboard
We hypothesized that by the use of keyboard shortcuts to add and modify elements in the diagram, users can focus more on the structure and elements of the diagram.
Cleaner UI
We hypothesized that a cleaner canvas and UI would also facilitate user’s thinking and thus aid ideation.
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Through multiple rounds of design testing and iteration, the final design was generated.
The design eliminates the need to switch between mouse and keyboard, and dragging and dropping, to help new users think effectively on software. The ease of diagramming would not only affect new users first experience with the software. But also would extend to existing users.
The user is provided with keyboard shortcuts to add and modify elements in the diagram. This reduces the cognitive overload of using the software and helps focus on thinking about the diagram.
Due to the lack of control over the software and usage data, we could not perform the following tests. The following two designs represent the trade off between ease of use and the extent of control offered to the user.
1. If offered to change shape along with the affordance to add text, users will have more control over the diagram. However, this could result in increased complexity of use.
2. If the menu to change shape is offered post entering text, the flow would be easier. However, users might not like this lack of control.
Test and iterate fast.
It is important that we keep our designs cheap and dirty. Test them iteratively and develop further on the basis of the results of design.
Dealing with team conflicts and disagreements
There are times when different members in the team have different opinions on what decision to take while moving forward. It is always helpful to keep calm when the argument gets heated. It is also sometimes helpful to discontinue the meeting and come back in the next meeting with a fresh mind to discuss matters again.
Knowing when to switch from research to design
We spent a lot of time synthesizing research data from the user interviews due to the large size of data. We could have saved some time if we had switched to designing earlier. I think the key is to switch to design once you realize that you have some meaningful key insights, which aren't directly evident and are actionable, to move forward with.