Qubit’s personalization software matches trading demands with customer affinities to turn a visit into a sale.
In 2019 they comissioned us to take existing learnings and redesign their flagship web personalisation product so that it was fit to scale. Along the way we also helped their product and design teams to create and implement better working practices.
As part of this, we delivered a new product experience and interface that connects with users, makes it easy to create personalisations and effectively track performance. In our research, we discovered the need for a product that empowers users, giving them additional context and insight without getting in the way. In 100 days we went from discovery to a built Alpha product, Qubit Start, which we tested and scaled in collaboration with teams at Qubit.
Additional team: Ben Lambert, Sidd Vadgama, Steve Whapshott, Serdar Sesogullari, Fiona McLaren
100
Days from Discovery to Pilot
4 — 6
Face-to-face user research sessions per week
Our first step was to understand the company, its existing products and user base. We also began speaking to target users straight away — enabling us to challenge our assumptions and develop a picture of their needs.
We worked closely with Qubit's team to understand their existing product and processes. Through workshops and discussions with various departments, we gained knowledge and co-created a map of the user journey. We then challenged and improved upon it. We also conducted qualitative user research from the start, empathizing with customers and mapping our assumptions to ensure we were unbiased. The outcome was significant for Qubit and set the project's direction.
EXAMPLES OF USER NEEDS
EXAMPLES OF WIP JOURNEY MAPPING
We wireframed and tested emerging product journeys based on our learnings. At the same time, we explored a new visual language and brand positioning for the product.
Building on existing brand components (colour, typeface etc.), we pushed the boundaries of UI and interaction design in early exploration. We also tested a spectrum of propositions and tone of voice experiments to see which, if any, resonated with users and why. For this we produced four distinct propositions that focussed on specific benefits of the product we knew resonated with users. The findings enabled us to dig into customers' thinking and understand how to best position the proposition.
Qualitative discovery sessions with customers happened throughout every week and involved the whole team.
We did a wide variety of discovery activities from card sorts to needs mapping a and paper protoyping. We also ran sessions to help us understand customer repsonses to nuanced aspects of the proposition — from wording and framing to visual design.
CHANGING THE GAME
Our 100 day deadline was achieved. Qubit Start was born.
Our pilot product enabled users to complete the foundational aspects of web personalisation campaigns with ease. From creating campaigns and audience segments to measuring results, Qubit Start does it all with an unrivaled user experience grounded in deep empathy with users.
Our research enabled us to create Experience Principles that were grounded in the real-world need of our users.
"As a user, Qubit Start...
After a short series of design and build sprints we had a functioning Pilot of the new Qubit Start.
We launched with six early adopters from Qubit's existing client base. Over the following weeks we added features and refined existing ones based on their feedback.
LEFT:
The top of the welcome screen enables users to quickly set up their most frequently used personalisations. The rest of the page shows the architecture of their site and which placements have active personalisations running in them.
BELOW:
We improved personalisation setup by introducing WYSIWYG functionality, enabling merchandisers to see how their choices impact the algorithm immediately.
Users create experiences which pair content with the audience it’s aimed at. A placement usually contains multiple experiences which can be prioritised.
Creating a new type of audience (the criteria that determines when someone is shown a particular personalisation) is usually very difficult. We made it much simpler.
We implemented a clearer way to determine when or why a visitor should be served a particular type of content or message. Making that selection is simple, accessible and intuitive to use, following common patterns of interaction and design.
Creating a new UI and interaction language for Qubit
We developed a design system to bring together UI patterns and components, as well as our Principles and methodology.
When a campaign is live, users get a detailed view of how it is performing - including metrics for overall and individual placement performance.
Again, we worked with data scientists at Qubit to develop ways of summarising performance and suggesting actions based on this information. We also wanted to lift the lid on how things are calculated, explaining the data science in accessible ways so users know exactly what’s happening.
SUPERPOWERING INTERACTIONS
We wanted to celebrate the wins with merchandisers, so we created Power Moments.
Launching a new campaign with multiple placements, audiences and content can be a daunting task. Our research identified the need for a product that simplified complexity, while supporting users and feeling personable.
As a result of this we wrote a comprehensive strategy for Power Moments, which included a cast of characters which we named ‘Qubies’. We went as far as writing a narrative for the Qubies which described their character traits and cast them as members of a quirky brass band.
Introducing... The Qubies
We made launching a new campaign a reason to celebrate!
When a campaign is finally launched, the user is greeted with a confirmation message that celebrates the moment with them by introducing the ‘Qubies’ in full swing, playing their instruments.
Animated Qubies appear when naming a campaign...
...and form many easter eggs throughout the product.
Next Project:
Infogrid
IoT product changing the world through building intelligence
Ronan Kelly
Currently:
Product Designer at Sweep
I have spent 10 years helping companies of all sizes to design solutions for complex problems. To do this, I combine user centered product and graphic design practices that create engaging, successful digital products.
