Landing an in-house chat solution

PRINCIPAL PRODUCT DESIGNER 2021

Landing an in-house chat solution

PRINCIPAL PRODUCT DESIGNER 2021

Landing an in-house chat solution

PRINCIPAL PRODUCT DESIGNER 2021

Overview

As the newly established Collaboration Tools Pillar, we acquired ownership for the existing chat experiences within our organization. As chat experiences were becoming more common for business solutions, Business Units were increasingly requesting new capabilities, but the presence of ~5 different chat services created a significant challenge in delivering features efficiently to various user types and needs. As the lead designer, I collaborated closely with our Product Manager and Tech Lead to develop a comprehensive strategy that addressed this complexity. Together, we worked across the organization to chart a path forward for a new in-house chat solution.

Impact

  • Influenced key business decisions through design methodologies grounded in industry insights

  • Worked across ~3 business units to align teams on requirements for a minimal viable product (MVP) and sequential releases

  • Diligently shipped two MVP releases within three months

  • Designed Intuit's first capability framework to increase process efficiencies and ensure quality across varying business needs

Crafting the vision

Understanding the landscape & building the blueprint

As a new service team, we aimed to create digital experiences that foster meaningful brand relationships. Collaborating with User Research, we examined industry trends and previous user studies to understand evolving consumer expectations and current service pain points. This informed our strategic approach and aligned our efforts with user and business needs. Simultaneously, we received numerous requests from business units using outdated chat services. To build a roadmap and align on priorities, my PM and I engaged with various teams to gather requirements and understand consumer needs. I conducted industry research to identify standard functionalities and enhance user confidence for a top-tier chat experience. We synthesized these insights, prioritized features, addressed pain points, and presented our plan to leadership, securing support for developing a Minimum Viable Product.

Crafting the vision

Understanding the landscape & building the blueprint

As a new service team, we aimed to create digital experiences that foster meaningful brand relationships. Collaborating with User Research, we examined industry trends and previous user studies to understand evolving consumer expectations and current service pain points. This informed our strategic approach and aligned our efforts with user and business needs. Simultaneously, we received numerous requests from business units using outdated chat services. To build a roadmap and align on priorities, my PM and I engaged with various teams to gather requirements and understand consumer needs. I conducted industry research to identify standard functionalities and enhance user confidence for a top-tier chat experience. We synthesized these insights, prioritized features, addressed pain points, and presented our plan to leadership, securing support for developing a Minimum Viable Product.

Crafting the vision

Understanding the landscape & building the blueprint

As a new service team, we aimed to create digital experiences that foster meaningful brand relationships. Collaborating with User Research, we examined industry trends and previous user studies to understand evolving consumer expectations and current service pain points. This informed our strategic approach and aligned our efforts with user and business needs. Simultaneously, we received numerous requests from business units using outdated chat services. To build a roadmap and align on priorities, my PM and I engaged with various teams to gather requirements and understand consumer needs. I conducted industry research to identify standard functionalities and enhance user confidence for a top-tier chat experience. We synthesized these insights, prioritized features, addressed pain points, and presented our plan to leadership, securing support for developing a Minimum Viable Product.

Shipping an MVP

Building incremental releases to unblock teams across the organization

Grounded in our prioritization principles, we shipped two releases within three months. As the lead designer, I worked diligently across multiple teams and functions to ensure a frictionless foundation for future success.

Shipping an MVP

Building incremental releases to unblock teams across the organization

Grounded in our prioritization principles, we shipped two releases within three months. As the lead designer, I worked diligently across multiple teams and functions to ensure a frictionless foundation for future success.

Shipping an MVP

Building incremental releases to unblock teams across the organization

Grounded in our prioritization principles, we shipped two releases within three months. As the lead designer, I worked diligently across multiple teams and functions to ensure a frictionless foundation for future success.

BETA RELEASE

This release was foundational and incorporated must-have's to "keep the lights on". In order to kick-off the UI and ensure efficient delivery, I worked across the org to create a foundation for a convo UI grounded in historical insights

1.0 RELEASE

This release focused on features that had major results tied to its functionality whether its top-of-funnel, units, revenue, or customer experience. This required working closely with BU's to understand the nuances across user needs, determining P0's vs nice-to-haves, and building flexible components that can be customized to business needs.

Ensuring seamless integration

During the initial phases of our approach, we heard concerns from BU's around the flexibility of our components. Collaborating with the visual design team, I took initiative to develop a comprehensive design toolkit. This resource facilitated the integration of chat designs into BU concepts, while also offering components that automatically updated over time. Additionally, leveraging my Anatomy of a Capability framework, I worked with BU designers to understand concerns and partnered closely with development to create flexible components for out-of-the-box experiences, allowing easy customization to meet specific needs.

Ensuring seamless integration

During the initial phases of our approach, we heard concerns from BU's around the flexibility of our components. Collaborating with the visual design team, I took initiative to develop a comprehensive design toolkit. This resource facilitated the integration of chat designs into BU concepts, while also offering components that automatically updated over time. Additionally, leveraging my Anatomy of a Capability framework, I worked with BU designers to understand concerns and partnered closely with development to create flexible components for out-of-the-box experiences, allowing easy customization to meet specific needs.

TOOLKIT & STICKER SHEET EXAMPLE

OUT-OF-BOX CAPABILITY DOCUMENTATION

Charting the future

Collaborating with business units and capability designers to envision an ecosystem for the platform

The Full Service BU in TurboTax approached us about a concept for a new experience in the iOS platform that heavily leveraged chat as it's main point of entry. In order to align their goals with our chat service and plan for the future, I worked with other design owners on my team to conceptualize, and design, a collaboration ecosystem provocation that integrated multiple collaboration tools with chat, ensuring ongoing innovation, business integration and success.

Charting the future

Collaborating with business units and capability designers to envision an ecosystem for the platform

The Full Service BU in TurboTax approached us about a concept for a new experience in the iOS platform that heavily leveraged chat as it's main point of entry. In order to align their goals with our chat service and plan for the future, I worked with other design owners on my team to conceptualize, and design, a collaboration ecosystem provocation that integrated multiple collaboration tools with chat, ensuring ongoing innovation, business integration and success.

Charting the future

Collaborating with business units and capability designers to envision an ecosystem for the platform

The Full Service BU in TurboTax approached us about a concept for a new experience in the iOS platform that heavily leveraged chat as it's main point of entry. In order to align their goals with our chat service and plan for the future, I worked with other design owners on my team to conceptualize, and design, a collaboration ecosystem provocation that integrated multiple collaboration tools with chat, ensuring ongoing innovation, business integration and success.

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Get in touch

SAMANTHA HOY | 2024

Get in touch

SAMANTHA HOY | 2024

Get in touch

SAMANTHA HOY | 2024