Case Study: The Big Shift - Measuring SEEC Across New Zealand

Problem Statement

Organisations in New Zealand lacked a unified platform to measure their impact on SEEC areas. Existing methods were fragmented, leading to inconsistent reporting, difficulty in assessing progress, and limited insights into how to improve their contributions. There was a need for a solution that could streamline data collection, offer insightful analytics, and promote more effective decision-making.

Solution

The Big Shift web portal was developed as a one-stop solution for organisations to measure, analyse, and report on their SEEC contributions. The platform provided tailored dashboards, actionable insights, and comprehensive reporting tools that allowed businesses and communities to understand their impact and identify areas for improvement. It also facilitated better alignment with national goals for sustainability and cultural preservation.

My Role

As the UX/UI Designer and Frontend Developer, I was responsible for:

1. Design Process: Creating user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes using Figma.
2. User Research: Conducting surveys and interviews with company representatives and end-users to gather insights on their needs and expectations.
3. Frontend Development: Implementing the user interface, ensuring a seamless and responsive experience across devices.

User Research Insights

The user research consisted of 8 survey responses and interviews conducted with representatives from various companies and end-users. The surveys were divided into two types: a company questionnaire and a user questionnaire.

1. Need for Standardisation:
- Company Insight: Organisations highlighted the lack of consistent metrics and reporting standards, which made it challenging to benchmark SEEC performance across different sectors.

2. Desire for Actionable Insights:
- User Insight: End-users expressed a need for more than just raw data; they wanted actionable insights that could guide decisions and help improve their SEEC contributions.

3. Importance of Visualisation:
- Both Groups: Both companies and users valued the ability to visualise data through dashboards, making it easier to quickly understand their SEEC performance and communicate it effectively to stakeholders.

These insights underscored the necessity of developing a comprehensive platform like The Big Shift, which could standardise SEEC measurement, provide actionable insights, and enhance decision-making processes for both companies and end-users.

Persona Development:

Based on the findings from the competitor analysis and market research, I developed personas to guide the design process. Here’s an example of one of the key personas:

1. Research & Discovery:
- Conducted surveys and interviews with company representatives and end-users, gathering insights into current challenges in SEEC measurement.

2. User Persona & Empathy Map:
- Developed a primary user persona representing a sustainability officer, focusing on their frustrations with manual SEEC reporting.

3. User Journey Before & After the Software:
- Mapped the transformation from manual data collection to a streamlined, centralised process using The Big Shift.

4. Information Architecture:
- Designed a clear sitemap and user flows, ensuring intuitive navigation and easy access to key features.

5. Wireframing & Prototyping:
- Created high-fidelity prototypes in Figma, followed by usability testing to refine the design based on user feedback.

Design Process

Challenges & Solutions

1. Challenge: Balancing the needs of diverse users, from small businesses to large enterprises.
- Solution: Created flexible user interfaces and customisable dashboards that could be tailored to different user needs.

2. Challenge: Ensuring data accuracy and reliability.
- Solution: Integrated Power BI to offer robust data analytics and visualisation capabilities, enhancing the reliability of insights.

3. Challenge: Encouraging user adoption of a new system.
- Solution: Conducted training sessions and provided detailed documentation to help users transition smoothly to the new platform.

Conclusion

The Big Shift addressed a key need in New Zealand by creating a web portal that helps organisations measure and improve their SEEC contributions. The project focused on user-centred design, ensuring that continuous feedback shaped the tool to meet real user needs. Close collaboration between design and development teams facilitated a smooth transition from prototype to product. Flexibility in the design process allowed for adjustments based on user input and changing project goals, ultimately supporting sustainability and cultural preservation.