Arca
With the aim of developing and expanding software technologies to meet the needs of stakeholders of commodity and energy stock exchanges, Ava Etminan Management Company was established in 2013 in an agile and technical environment. It has developed several successful software solutions in order to meet various needs in the fields of sales, commerce, and financial services related to industries and large companies, commodity exchanges, and large corporations. One of their main software products is called Arca which is being used by more than 100 companies in various industries, including petrochemical, refinery, cement, steel, and aluminum.
Timeline
February 2019- April 2020
Responsibilities
Led the redesign of the legacy enterprise product, Dimsit, into a more user-centered platform named Arca.
Conducted extensive user research and employed iterative prototyping methodologies to enhance the platform's usability and meet the diverse needs of petrochemical staff in Iran for efficient transaction completion.
Problem Space
“Dimsit” was one of the main dashboards being used by industries such as petrochemicals, cement, steel, and traders on Commodity Exchanges and Energy Exchanges. In 2019, the companies saw dissatisfaction of their employees as the software was super hard to use. I was the main designer who got hired to redesign this legacy software. The platform consisted of twelve different modules. A user research and behavior observation process was used to get deep into the problems of each module. At the end, by reducing the complexity, simplifying the process of each module, and make the information architecture more user-friendly and intuitive, the employees satisfaction rate got raised for more than 30%.
Process
My design process began with extensive conversations with managers and a comprehensive study of each module to gain a deeper understanding of the industry's typical processes. This research formed the foundation of my approach and helped me to identify the key pain points and opportunities for improvement within the system. Once I had a clear understanding of the project's requirements, I developed user stories tailored to the users of each service. With a single platform, more than two types of users had to interact and each had to be designed separately. I collaborated with stakeholders to refine these stories, ensuring that they accurately reflect the requirements along with the needs of the target audience.
Flows and Diagrams
From there, I began mapping the user stories into diagrams that served as a blueprint for the project's development. I walked through the diagrams with stakeholders to ensure that everyone was on the same page and that the design would meet the needs of the users.
Design
A four-step process was developed from the content of this page. The content was divided based on the type and logical structure.
A simplified information architecture makes it easier for users to understand and navigate. Consequently, they are more likely to find the information they need and complete the task at hand. Additionally, Users can be overwhelmed by too much information presented at once. The cognitive load of processing information is reduced when it is broken down into smaller, simpler components.
Furthermore, the flexibility and scalability of the platform increase as breaking down a complex information architecture into smaller, simpler components make it easier to scale the system as it grows.
During the initial phase/iteration of the project, I focused on creating the first iteration of the design. This involved making sense of all the ideas and concepts, experimenting with different information architectures, and having constant communication with stakeholders to ensure that the new designs aligned with their goals and vision.
This project required careful consideration of each user group's unique requirements and designing an interface that was tailored to their specific needs. Different access levels ensured that users only had access to the features and functions that were necessary for their role, increasing security and reducing the risk of errors. For instance, for this module I created portals for:
Regular customers, Petrochemical agents, Handling agents, and Admins.
(The before/after picture showcases the admin portal)
Usability Testing
The final step of the first iteration was to engage the real users. For each of the persona types around three people was tested and the results showed the complexity was reduced drastically. To make sure that the platform is understandable the tests were done on two novice users and one professional user. Each module was tested after its first iteration and went through the second one afterward.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this UX design project was a success and provided me with an opportunity to leverage my skills in information architecture, user experience design, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. By focusing on the user's needs and requirements, I was able to create a design that was both intuitive and easy to use.
Throughout the project, I worked closely with stakeholders and users to gather feedback and ensure that the design met their needs. This involved conducting research and testing, refining the design based on feedback, and iterating until we arrived at a final product.
One of the key challenges of this project was dealing with the complexity of the system and simplifying it into an easy-to-use and intuitive system while still meeting the stakeholders' vision.
Overall, this project provided me with an opportunity to apply my skills in UX design to create a product that solved complex problems and met the needs of a diverse user base. It highlighted my ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, conduct user research and testing, and create user-centered designs that improve the user experience.