Benefits

• New users learn the application more quickly
• Existing users can work more efficiently
• Human errors are prevented
• Customers gain a more favorable impression of their vendor

Challenge

An IT group created a fully tested web application that met all its design requirements. But users still rejected it, calling in complaints about how difficult the application was. Sometimes they refused to use it altogether, relying on older procedures to get the job done.

How could something that met all its specifications fail so badly upon release? The problem was the system’s interface – the screens and reports that represent the user’s view of the system. They were cluttered with extraneous data and were inconsistent and baffling in their placement of common elements. The screens were not built around real user work flows, so there was no intuitive correlation between tasks and screens. Making matters worse, each page featured a multitude of hyperlinks that presented so many options that users had trouble navigating.

Stratagem's Solution

Stratagem talked to designers and users alike to determine what the underlying needs were. A Stratagem team then set to work redesigning the graphical interface around the tasks that users were really trying to perform. Stratagem determined what the real work pattern was and grouped data into corresponding screens.

The team removed excess elements and streamlined navigation.

When the revised prototype was complete, Stratagem ran usability tests with typical users to ensure the design was on track. By observing users interacting with the system, they were able to spot problems before releasing the application, something the original developers had not done. They were also able to refine their design assumptions and pick the best of several ideas based on input from testers.

Result

Stratagem’s user-interface designers made it possible for the IT group to overcome user resistance by crafting an application that was a useful business tool. Because the interface was now built around actual job tasks and an understanding of human behavior patterns, it was more intuitive. New users could pick it up quickly, and experienced users could feel more confident that they were doing things correctly and avoiding mistakes.

Perhaps the greatest benefit, however, was good will. The user community now respected the company that developed the application and the software developers had demonstrated care for their customers through good interface design.