The previous employee directory and campus map site was continuously out-of-date, provided misinformation, and users could not rely on it as a source of truth. This, in part, was because the department that owned the directory was not staffed to maintain the website.
We stepped in and created a proof of concept called “Maps,” aimed with the goals of not requiring continuous admin updates, while pointing to a single source of truth.
Scope: Wireframing, UI Designs
Time: 2 months
Brainstorm/planning: Miro, Jira
Design: Figma
Collaboration: Zoom, Slack
I was the sole designer behind this experience, and worked closely with a product manager and a developer to improve the experience of browsing the employee directory and campus map.
I was in charge of facilitating design workshops and ideations for the initial launch and subsequent updates, as well as working with developers in ensuring all details are translated accurately in handoff.
I designed a new platform featuring an integrated, automated map API that provided real-time updates and served as the reliable source of truth for all employees.
Decreased amount of tickets submitted regarding issues related to location maps and directory
New site's automation removed the manual burden administrators had prior.
Positive! There were many Slack messages speaking on the improved site.
With the anticipation of many employees returning to office after COVID mandates, we must develop a quick solution to solve this issue so employees can find accurate information quickly upon their return to Blizzard life.
From speaking with users and reading anecdotes of users and developers maintaining the previous site, it was clear that it was consistently outdated and hard to maintain.
Through a personal evaluation of the site, I understood the frustrations voiced by the users. I identified the main pitfalls of this site to further inform the team on where we should focus our attention.
With the wide variety of employees at ABK, I wanted to ensure the designs addressed the needs of all user types and most of the scenarios they would be encountering. This includes new and old employees, remote and in person employees, etc.
When designing for multiple types of user groups, identifying their important needs and where they compare and contrast is important.
Working close with developers, I identified constraints early on in the project so everything was feasible and in-scope.
To push out a solution quickly in response to more employees returning to office, we identified main avenues to address for our first launch.
Clean and modern designs empowers users to feel confident in the results they're looking for and reduces the work of site administrators.
The biggest consideration of this project was the wide range of different employees that would be using the platform. The user base with geographically and occupationally broad, and it was very important to determine the types of information these employees need without causing overload.
The platform launched for all employees to use during my time at Blizzard, and receiving feedback in real time from fellow colleagues far and wide really informed where the designs thrived and what could be improved on.
This project was an example of revamping an outdated website with a quick turnaround. Personally, it was a little challenging as the project timeline was more condensed than I was used to, but I learned many lessons about feature prioritization. I am looking forward to where this project will go!