Balancing Simplicity & sophistication for diverse business needs

IN A NUTSHELL

I redesigned the dashboard for Figure Manage, a business management platform, to better accommodate its growing and diverse user base. By introducing a more digestible, user-friendly format and implementing tools to help users stay focused and aligned, this redesign aims to simplify performance reports and facilitate informed decision-making for both small and large businesses alike.

Client

Figure Manage

(Startup)

(Startup)

(Startup)

My Contributions

Sole Product Designer

(User Research, Competitive Analysis, Strategy, Visual Design, Prototyping, etc.)

(Brand Research, IA, Visual Design, Prototyping, etc.)

(User Research, Competitive Analysis, Strategy, Visual Design, Prototyping, etc.)

Timeline

1 week

Tools

BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND

The Dilemma That Comes With Growth — Figure offers a diverse suite of integrated products for business owners, with their management web app, Figure Manage, at its forefront. Initially, their client base consisted of small, local establishments and mom-and-pop restaurants that required minimal bookkeeping. At this stage, Figure noticed that the majority of their users were not utilizing the various financial data they offered on their platform and hence shifted focus to other services that would be more relevant and of value to these businesses. However, with a recent influx of new, larger-scale clients, Figure was looking to restrategize and reevaluate how to better cater to its now diverse pool of users, including those that required more sophisticated performance reports.

CONTEXT

Founder Interview

DEFINING GOALS AND CONSTRAINTS

DEFINING GOALS AND CONSTRAINTS

Before diving into the project, I had a chance to meet with one of the co-founders of Figure to go over the product, the 'why's', and the trajectory that the company was aiming to move toward.

For this redesign, we identified these main goals to focus on —

For small

Business Owners

For small

Business Owners

For small

Business Owners

A dashboard that is easily digestible to the average person without a financial background

A dashboard that is easily digestible to the average person without a financial background

A dashboard that is easily digestible to the average person without a financial background

For Large

Business Owners

For Large

Business Owners

For Large

Business Owners

Bringing analytics up to par with competitors’ products to provide value to large scale businesses

Bringing analytics up to par with competitors’ products to provide value to large scale businesses

Bringing analytics up to par with competitors’ products to provide value to large scale businesses

For The Company

For The Company

For The Company

Improving the overall UI and visual identity

Improving the overall UI and visual identity

Improving the overall UI and visual identity

We also identified these constraints to consider —

Data Types

Data Types

Data Types

Did not support reviews, marketing, and some operational data at this time

Did not support reviews, marketing, and some operational data at this time

Did not support reviews, marketing, and some operational data at this time

Usability

Usability

Usability

Maintaining the central graph to preserve familiarity and minimize user overwhelm

Maintaining the central graph to preserve familiarity and minimize user overwhelm

Maintaining the central graph to preserve familiarity and minimize user overwhelm

Time Constraints

Time Constraints

Time Constraints

1 week

1 week

Platform Type

Platform Type

Platform Type

Web application

Web application

Web application

Because data limitations were a factor, we went over the key screens of competitors to pinpoint the types of analytics that his team had the capabilities for and also discussed the types of data and features that his clients had been requesting.

Largely, data on reviews, operation times, and marketing were to be omitted, and it was requested that we keep the central revenue graph with an added option to compare daily revenue with corresponding averages and labor costs.

Below is a comparison of how Figure’s dashboard measured up against its competition before the redesign and how it was expected to compare after.

Figure vs. Competitors

EMPATHIZE

00. Status Quo

The Before

INITIAL DASHBOARD REVIEW

The screen above was the starting point from which I was to perform the redesign. To kick off the project, I conducted a quick critique of the dashboard and analyzed the pro’s and con’s of the product from a user’s perspective.

Pros

Provides detailed analytics on revenue compared to competitors

Integration with third party apps allow users to view compiled data in one place

Net revenue is prominently highlighted on the dashboard for a quick snapshot of business performance

Cons

Analytics were solely focused on revenue hindering a multifaceted view of performance

Low visibility and disorganization of the charts suggest high potential for users to disengage

Absence of guidance in comprehending graphs and metrics, leading to missed opportunities for optimization

01. User Research

WORKING AROUND CONSTRAINTS

WORKING AROUND CONSTRAINTS

Given time constraints, there was no leeway for extensive research recruitment. However, I was given the opportunity to conduct brief interviews with two of Figure's existing users. I asked each user to give me the run-down on how they were utilizing the product in their day-to-day, any pain points they experienced, and how their experience with Figure compared to those with other products.

Here’s what I learned —

Research Insights

Insight #1

Users were using the product to view net revenue, rarely exploring other metrics

Users almost solely used the dashboard for the purpose of viewing net revenue. I could deduce two reasons as to why this was the case: first, net revenue was the only information that was visibly highlighted on the dashboard; second, users found net revenue to be the most, or perhaps the only relevant metric on the dashboard.

Insight #2

Users were searching for the high’s, the low’s, the anomalies, and the extremes

Because users were well acquainted with the baseline of their daily operations, they tended to focus their attention on outlier events — such as when they had a particularly low-performing day or when there was a return or cancellation. In fact, the only times that users delved into the finer details (beyond net revenue) were the times when a known issue or anomaly had occurred.

Insight #3

Users were unsure of what to do with the information they were given — not just with Figure, but across all management platforms

While management platforms effectively delivered metrics and data, users ultimately sought to understand how these platforms would contribute to their business growth. Although all competitive products offered recommendations and suggested next steps, users were still struggling to make the conversion from data to actionable business decisions.

02. Competitive Analysis

HOW WERE COMPETITOR'S DOING IT?

HOW WERE COMPETITOR'S DOING IT?

Because the research pool was limited, I also sought insight from competitors and analyzed their approach on the user needs and pain points uncovered during the user interviews. By comparing each product side by side, I aimed to understand which elements we could adopt and which we could enhance or introduce to better align with user expectations.

Here are some of the explorations that were made —

Competitive Analysis

Informing Users of Context

Unlike Figure, I observed that competitors provided users with context – such as goals, comparisons, and visual cues – to help users assess whether a metric was good or bad. Competitors also guided users in the form of information buttons. Because users showed tendencies of shutting out metrics that they don't understand, it was imperative to educate users when necessary to make the product more relevant and inclusive, as well as to prevent drop-off.

Recommendations

All competitors provided some form of recommendations or next steps, yet users still reported difficulty turning insights into action. I took a look at the kinds of suggestions that competitors were making in order to figure out why this was the case. I found that while the insights were fairly direct and straightforward, they failed to convey why users needed to take action or were too generic to be compelling, which ultimately led to dismissal.

Competitive Advantage

While competitors addressed the need for clear information and enhanced relevance by defining and providing context for metrics, they overlooked users' desire to identify and act on outlier events. I realized this gap presented an opportunity to differentiate Figure’s product in the redesign. By highlighting and tracking outliers, we could facilitate user tasks and help users recognize patterns to ultimately inform their business decisions.

DEFINE

DEFINING WHAT TO SOLVE FOR

DEFINING WHAT TO SOLVE FOR

After the research phase, I was able to gain a clearer picture of the challenges that users were facing and the problems that I would be solving for. I distilled these insights into four main categories, outlined below, to ultimately inform the problem statement.

The Problem Space

Problem Statement

"Business owners need a clear, glanceable way to access relevant and actionable insights so they can focus their time and attention on business growth."

Business owners need a clear, intuitive way to access relevant and actionable insights so they can focus their time and attention on business growth.

"Business owners need a clear, glanceable way to access relevant and actionable insights so they can focus their time and attention on business growth."

IDEATE

APPROACHING PROBLEMS THROUGH HMW STATEMENTS

APPROACHING PROBLEMS THROUGH HMW STATEMENTS

To effectively tackle the challenges users were facing, I used "How Might We" (HMW) questions as a way to turn insights into opportunities for innovation. This approach allowed me to reframe specific user needs and break down pain points with a solution-oriented mindset.

How Might We's

How might we present information to users in a way that is clear and engaging?

To address this, I started with a preliminary sketch that condensed data into concise, digestible widgets, making metrics easier to view and interpret at a glance. However, after reviewing the design, I realized that a long list of metrics could lead to mindless scrolling and disengagement, similar to the issues with the previous dashboard. To combat this, I revised the design, focusing on creating a one-page experience. In this approach, I utilized tabs to group data into manageable sections and help users maintain focus by requiring interaction to access specific information.

v1 Wireframe

Conventional dashboard layout

Conventional dashboard layout

Conventional dashboard layout

v2 Wireframe

One pager layout using tabs

One pager layout using tabs

One pager layout using tabs

Benefits of utilizing tabs —

1

Reduces cognitive load by limiting distractions and grouping related data into manageable sections

2

Helps users retain focus and prevents mindless scrolling by requiring interaction to access certain sets of information

How might we increase the relevancy of the dashboard for diverse users with different business needs?

Because the objective of the redesign was to encompass the needs of diverse business owners, I felt that customization would be essential to not only enhance relevance for all users but to eliminate unnecessary clutter, enabling users to focus on the data that mattered most to them. Since this was a feature that was not supported in the previous dashboard, I made sure to include a Call-To-Action button at the top of the screen to encourage engagement.

Placement On Dashboard

Placement On Dashboard

Placement On Dashboard

Clear CTA to encourage engagement

Clear CTA to encourage engagement

Clear CTA to encourage engagement

Users are able to customize the metrics placed in the hero section and the first tab, ensuring a more relevant and focused experience.

Users are able to customize the metrics placed in the hero section and the first tab, ensuring a more relevant and focused experience.

Customization Wireframe

Customization Wireframe

Customization Wireframe

Overlay to add or delete widgets

Overlay to add or delete widgets

Overlay to add or delete widgets

How might we facilitate user tasks to enable users to focus on the things that matter most?

Users had reported that identifying anomalies and outliers was a key user task when reviewing a management dashboard. I considered several options as to how to integrate this user need into the design, ultimately landing on two methods that I felt were the most fit. The first involved creating a 'Reports' section that compiled significant events and anomalies as alerts within the second tab of the dashboard. The second would allow users to be more selective through an 'Outlier Search' in which they could manually input parameters to highlight values outside of the threshold that they have set.

1

Reports Tab

Reports Tab

Reports Tab

Alerting users of anomalies and significant events

Alerting users of anomalies and significant events

Alerting users of anomalies and significant events

Sample Cards

Sample Cards

Sample Cards

The 'Reports' tab aims to reduce the time users spent searching to identify and connect events, patterns, and the underlying causes behind anomalies/outlier events.

The 'Reports' tab aims to reduce the time users spent searching to identify and connect events, patterns, and the underlying causes behind anomalies/outlier events.

2

Outlier Search Wireframe

Outlier Search Wireframe

Outlier Search Wireframe

Helping users track and identify outliers

Helping users track and identify outliers

Helping users track and identify outliers

The 'Outlier Search' facilitates user tasks and allows them to detect patterns that are not evident with metrics alone.

Input Field for Outlier Search

Input Field for Outlier Search

Input Field for Outlier Search

Defining the feature in the dialog to prevent user confusion

Defining the feature in the dialog to prevent user confusion

Defining the feature in the dialog to prevent user confusion

Results for Outlier Search

Results for Outlier Search

Results for Outlier Search

Instantly highlights values outside of the predetermined threshold

Instantly highlights values outside of the predetermined threshold

Instantly highlights values outside of the predetermined threshold

How might we differentiate a way to make insights more actionable?

Based on earlier explorations on "recommendations", I recognized the need for a strong motivator and tailoring to make insights more actionable. To achieve this, I planned to leverage the complex analytics that Figure had on revenue to generate projections that would help users visualize the long-term impact of their decisions. These projections would be positioned in the third tab of the dashboard, creating a seamless flow from observing past and present data to envisioning future outcomes.

Projections Tab

Projections Tab

Projections Tab

Utilizing projections to motivate users

Utilizing projections to motivate users

Utilizing projections to motivate users

Sample Cards

Sample Cards

Sample Cards

Strategy for projections —

Strategy for projections —

Strategy for projections —

1

Make it evident to users that recommendations are tailored to their unique business to increase value

2

Inspire action by showing users the potential outcome and impact of their decisions

3

Include CTA buttons when applicable to encourage users to take immediate action

DELIVER

01. Snapshot

02. Clickable Prototype

03. Style Guide

VERIFY

Stakeholder Review

A WARM RECEPTION

A WARM RECEPTION

A week after the preliminary meeting, I reconvened with the Figure team to review the renewed dashboard. They expressed being impressed with the design and the thoughtful approach behind the new features. We then went over feedback and additional functionalities that they wanted to see implemented, which we decided to pursue at a later stage.

Suggested iterations were —

Displaying cumulative data

I was notified that users had a need for cumulative data in addition to hourly breakdowns. To address this, we explored implementing a draggable, interactive marker on the central line graph. This feature would allow users to see cumulative progress over the specified time period as they move the marker along the graph.

Expanding projections to include analytics outside of revenue

The Figure team shared that during a previous consultation with an analyst, they learned that one of the most significant predictors of an establishment's performance was, surprisingly, the weather. They felt that the ‘Projections’ tab would be an ideal space to highlight insights like this, to not only inform users about their sales progress but also provide expectations about their performance based on external factors and events.

REFLECT

REFLECTIONS & LESSONS LEARNED

REFLECTIONS & LESSONS LEARNED

This project with Figure has been an invaluable opportunity to experience firsthand what it’s like to design for an already established product. Engaging with diverse perspectives and advocating for the needs of real users brought a thrilling sense of reach and impact – especially for users who, like my parents, were local business owners.

Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had done differently, such as asking users more in-depth questions about the ‘why’s’ behind their actions and exploring more ways to enhance visibility. Balancing various expectations and constraints also proved to be challenging at times, which added a layer of pressure to the process. However, I feel that I was able to come out of this journey stronger with an improved ability to streamline my design process and communicate effectively with stakeholders.

Although development for this project was pushed to next year due to capacity, it allowed me to secure a 4-month retainer with Figure.

NEXT STEPS

The next steps that I would take to build upon this project are —

Implementing the proposed iterations and conducting user tests to validate hypotheses and gather feedback

Incorporating features that improve ease of use, such as allowing users to expand tabs or reorder widgets for better visibility

Building a preliminary dashboard for account holders with multiple businesses to help them review the collective breakdown of performance across all locations

Exploring AI to handle the 'Reports' or 'Projection' tabs to enable users to extract any desired information.

© 2024 Janet Ko Design. All Rights Reserved.
© 2024 Janet Ko Design. All Rights Reserved.
© 2024 Janet Ko Design. All Rights Reserved.