top of page
EXECUTELY
A goal achievement product utilizing AI
OVERVIEW
Executely provides a solution for people who are looking to start a large project but aren't sure where to begin. Executely utilizes AI to help users create an overall plan for their endeavor, as well as set up day to day tasks to assist with organization and accountability. For this project I was tasked with designing the "Accountability Buddy" section of the product. In this section users are paired with another individual with whom they will meet weekly to discuss goals and progress.
PROBLEM
-
It can be difficult to stay accountable while working on a project alone
-
It can feel isolating and overwhelming to not have anyone to talk to about a large scale project.
-
Finding someone to talk to who is experienced in the field a project is in can be difficult
GOALS
-
Create a way for people who are starting a project stay accountable when working alone
-
Improve the odds of users sticking with their project until completion
-
Help users create both long-term and short term goals for their project, assist users with day to day work organization and prioritization
PROTOTYPE LINK
ROLE
UX Intern
TIME FRAME
2 Months
INDUSTRY
Goal Achievement Software
ONBOARDING
The onboarding flow for the Accountability Buddy section of Executely focuses on two main issues.
1. Teaching the user about the Accountability Buddy program so that they understand they value of having a Buddy to meet with to assist them in staying accountable and achieving their goal.
2. Providing the user with an opportunity to choose an Accountability Buddy. A successful and fruitful partnership depends on a cohesive pairing.
The initial screen the user sees after clicking to find an Accountability Buddy on the dashboard provides information about the purpose and value of the program. Next the user is able to choose a Buddy candidate from their 1st degree LinkedIn connections or given the option to input an email of a specific person they may have in mind for a candidate. The user is shown information about each on the possible candidates, this information includes their relevant work experience and why they were selected by the Executely AI as a possible candidate. After a selection has been made by the user they are shown a confirmation message explaining the the next steps of the process (ie. setting up their first meeting with their new Buddy).
SCHEDULING A MEETING
Scheduling an initial meeting with a new Accountability Buddy is the next step taken by the user. The user selects their available chunks of time and a list of options is populated to send to their new Accountability Buddy. The Buddy will then select a time that works for them and the user will receive a link to join the meeting. Regular meetings are essential for the user to get the most out of the Accountability Buddy partnership.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
01 RESEARCH
PROVISIONAL PERSONAS
Two generalized provisional personas were created to produce a basic understanding of what type of user the research would be targeting.
USER INTERVIEWS
User interviews were conducted to better understand the needs and issues of people who are beginning a large project. These interviews were aimed at gaining insight for the overall product design, rather than only the Accountability Buddy section.
QUESTIONS
Q: Starting and building a company is a famously hard challenge. Can you tell me a little about your short-term goals and how you set your priorities?
Q: Do you have a system in place to ensure that you are working on your priority goals every day? If yes, could you describe it to me?
Q: Could you tell me a little more about how you organize your work day in general?
Q: Do you struggle at all with accountability and making sure you do what you set out to do every day? What accountability techniques have you found helpful so far?
Q: What are the biggest challenges or roadblocks you have faced in building your startup so far?
Q: Can you tell me for how long you have been dealing with or facing this challenge?)
Q: I have an idea for a potential solution (describe solution); do you think this would solve your problem? What would be essential for you?
PAIN POINTS
1. Wish they had more developed long-term plan
2. Difficult to effectively prioritized day-to-day tasks
3. Not satisfied with current goal management tools (either too granular and time intensive, or too broad and unhelpful)
4. Difficult to stay accountable with necessary high-priority tasks (either because they don't have experience or because they don't enjoy working on them)
5. Difficult to work on project alone without someone to talk too/bounce ideas off of
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
Assistance with developing initial long-term plan (utilizing Artificial Intelligence)
Daily tasks organized by priority
User not allowed to continue to other tasks until all high priority tasks have been completed
User to be connected with an Accountability Buddy to check in with consistently to help with feelings of isolation and lack of accountability when alone
Estimated time of each task
Project broken down into Goals, Milestones, and Tasks
Today's tasks featured prominently on dashboard so users know where to start daily
Progress tracking for sense of acomplishment
02 DESIGN
FEATURES/CONTENTS
Created a list of possible features to be implemented in Executely main dashboard design and Accountability Buddy feature
FLOW CHARTS/USER FLOWS
Flow charts and user flows were created to map out the main user paths
SKETCHES
Rough sketches were created to explore the layout of the different elements of the designs
WIREFRAMES
Using the user flows as a guide, lo-fi frames were assembled to organize information, develop the layout of the screens, and identify elements that will be necessary to design for the UI kit and component library.
VISUAL DESIGN
For consistent visual design, a component library of the basic essential elements used in the product was assembled. All of the elements created work together to create an atmosphere of recognizable professionalism.
HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
Utilizing the established visual design language and the layout from the lo-fi wireframes, high fidelity frames were created and an interactive prototype was assembled to facilitate usability testing the Accountability Buddy feature of Executely.
03 TESTING
USABILITY TESTING
An unmoderated usability test was performed on the 2 main user paths to uncover any issues with the product design.
FLOW 1
Sign up flow and choosing an Accountability Buddy
FLOW 2
Scheduling first meeting with Accountability Buddy
QUESTIONS
Q: In your own words, what is the Accountability Buddy program?
Q: Is there any additional information you would like to know about the Accountability Program when signing up?
Q: Did the scheduling process make sense to you? If not, what did you find confusing?
Q: Where there any steps that you found confusing? If so which steps?
Q: How did you feel about the visual design of the screens you saw?
TEST RESULTS
MAIN ISSUES
1. People wanted more info about who their potential buddies are, and why they had been chosen.
2. Users wanted more control over Buddy choice maybe able to filter the qualifications of the buddies.
CHANGES MADE TO ADDRESS USER ISSUES
.png)
04 CONCLUSION
IDEAS FOR LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT
1. Add features for team management. As the users project progresses past the early stages (especially businesses and startups) they may start acquiring other team members. The ability to manage a team through Executely would help maintain users over a longer period of time.
2. A messaging feature to enable users to communicate with their Accountability Buddy and team members on the platform.
3. A community feature for users to see the projects that other users are working on and to allow them to make connections in their fields while sharing ideas.
4. A "Featured Project" section that highlights users with standout projects and illustrates the progress that has been made while using Executely. This would inspire users who are just beginning on their journey while advertising the efficacy of Executely.
LESSONS LEARNED
1. Many people starting out with a new project don't have a well thought out long-tern plan. This can cause issues with efficiency down the road. For example having to do the same steps twice or doing things in an order that make things more difficult than they need to be.
2. There is a delicate balance with goal management software between being in depth and simplicity of use. People don't want to spend time they could be using to work on a project to set up schedules and plan out daily tasks. It's essential that goal management software is quick and simple to use but also flexible and powerful enough to actually be useful. Utilizing AI to take care of tedious housekeeping tasks can be very helpful in this regard.
3. People feel isolated and unmotivated when working on a project alone. Every person I interviewed said they wished they had someone to talk to to stay motivated and accountable, as well as to have someone to bounce new ideas off of. Relieving this type of isolation is essential to keeping users and increasing the odds that their projects are completed.
bottom of page