SHIVAM

Work

Experience

FAQ

SHIVAM

Work

Experience

FAQ

SHIVAM

Work

Experience

FAQ

Keka PSA Project Creation, Edit & Summary

The revamp aimed to address several pain points identified in the existing PSA tool, such as cumbersome project setup, complex editing processes, and a lack of clear project summaries.

Overview

A Professional Services Automation (PSA) tool is a software solution designed to help businesses manage and automate their professional services operations. This includes tasks such as project management, resource allocation, time tracking, billing, and invoicing.

Project creation within a PSA tool is the initial step where a new project is defined and set up. This process typically involves specifying the project’s scope, objectives, timelines, and budget.

The Problem

Keka's PSA tool offers project creation, editing, and summary features, but users face challenges with data visibility and navigation. Users start projects with minimal info, then struggle to add details and find specific data. Editing is confusing due to dispersed data points across 'update project' and 'settings'. Improving these features is vital for better analytics, user adoption, and satisfaction.

Like every other PSA tool Keka also has features like creation of a project, editing a project and summary of a project but it faces a collective challenge

When creating projects, users start with minimal information and then have to go inside the project to add more details.
They can only see some of the project summaries while making changes, which makes it difficult to analyze data effectively.
Editing projects is also confusing because some data points are in 'update project' while others are in 'settings.'
Enhancing these features collectively is crucial for generating better analytical reports, aligning with business needs, improving user adoption, and increasing overall user satisfaction.

My Role & Duration

Research, Ideation, End-to-End Design, User Testing

April 2024

Research, Ideation, End-to-End Design, User Testing

April 2024

Research, Ideation, End-to-End Design, User Testing

April 2024

Process

This process was selected to ensure a comprehensive, user-centered approach to solving the identified challenges. By starting with thorough research and analysis, benchmarking against competitors, and iterating based on user feedback, we aimed to create a solution that is both effective and user-friendly.

Research & Analysis

Our main goal during this phase was to establish a clear understanding of existing problems and user behavior to set a solid foundation for improvements.

Current Designs and Problems

Create Project
- Presenting all fields at once can overload user's working memory, making the task more complex.
- The screen might not offer options for users to choose the level of detail they need during project creation.
Update
- User can update the some details of the project from the project list or from the 3 dot menu inside the project.
Settings
- Editing projects is also confusing because some data points are in 'update project' while others are in 'settings.'

Create Project
- Presenting all fields at once can overload user's working memory, making the task more complex.
- The screen might not offer options for users to choose the level of detail they need during project creation.
Update
- User can update the some details of the project from the project list or from the 3 dot menu inside the project.
Settings
- Editing projects is also confusing because some data points are in 'update project' while others are in 'settings.'

Create Project
- Presenting all fields at once can overload user's working memory, making the task more complex.
- The screen might not offer options for users to choose the level of detail they need during project creation.
Update
- User can update the some details of the project from the project list or from the 3 dot menu inside the project.
Settings
- Editing projects is also confusing because some data points are in 'update project' while others are in 'settings.'

User Behaviour (Data from Clarity & Pendo)

Create Project
- High interaction with basic info fields.
- Low interaction with attachment section.
- Frequent clicks on help icon for "Client Budget" and "Project Type".
After Creating the project
- Users create a project with minimal information and then navigate inside the project to update additional fields like team members and approval chains.
Updating a Project
- Users often do not realize that the "Update Project" option exists within the project's three-dot menu, leading them to return to the project list or try to find what they want in project settings.
- Most users update only 1-2 fields per session.
Settings
- Users typically focus on one project at a time, often navigating inside the project when they can’t find particular settings.
- Users repeatedly navigated between settings and update tabs, showing confusion about where to find certain data points.

Create Project
- High interaction with basic info fields.
- Low interaction with attachment section.
- Frequent clicks on help icon for "Client Budget" and "Project Type".
After Creating the project
- Users create a project with minimal information and then navigate inside the project to update additional fields like team members and approval chains.
Updating a Project
- Users often do not realize that the "Update Project" option exists within the project's three-dot menu, leading them to return to the project list or try to find what they want in project settings.
- Most users update only 1-2 fields per session.
Settings
- Users typically focus on one project at a time, often navigating inside the project when they can’t find particular settings.
- Users repeatedly navigated between settings and update tabs, showing confusion about where to find certain data points.

Create Project
- High interaction with basic info fields.
- Low interaction with attachment section.
- Frequent clicks on help icon for "Client Budget" and "Project Type".
After Creating the project
- Users create a project with minimal information and then navigate inside the project to update additional fields like team members and approval chains.
Updating a Project
- Users often do not realize that the "Update Project" option exists within the project's three-dot menu, leading them to return to the project list or try to find what they want in project settings.
- Most users update only 1-2 fields per session.
Settings
- Users typically focus on one project at a time, often navigating inside the project when they can’t find particular settings.
- Users repeatedly navigated between settings and update tabs, showing confusion about where to find certain data points.

Customer Tickets

Customers submitted OS tickets requesting additional fields to be included during the project creation process. These fields are essential for capturing more comprehensive initial project information.
Customers noted difficulties in locating certain data points once the project is created. This feedback highlighted the need for improved data organization and visibility within the tool.

Customers submitted OS tickets requesting additional fields to be included during the project creation process. These fields are essential for capturing more comprehensive initial project information.
Customers noted difficulties in locating certain data points once the project is created. This feedback highlighted the need for improved data organization and visibility within the tool.

Customers submitted OS tickets requesting additional fields to be included during the project creation process. These fields are essential for capturing more comprehensive initial project information.
Customers noted difficulties in locating certain data points once the project is created. This feedback highlighted the need for improved data organization and visibility within the tool.

Competitive & User Research

We then moved on user personas and mapped journeys to highlight needs and challenges. We also studied other PSA tools to identify best practices in project creation and data accessibility.

User Personas

PSA Admin
Responsible for creating numerous project and making sure that basic details are filled to launch a project.

Custom Roles
Responsible for creating projects, editing and ensuring that the project is going well.

Competitor Analysis

Here's a summary of the insights gathered from analyzing the project creation flows in various PSA tools, highlighting the do's and don'ts observed among competitors:

Do's

Consistent fields for settings changes help users recognize and navigate options easily.
Using modals keeps users focused on one task, reducing distractions and improving efficiency.
Reducing cognitive load reduces the risk of accidental actions.
Providing a project overview with links to specific settings improves navigation and quick access to key information.

Don'ts

Presenting all settings at once without categorization can overwhelm and confuse users.
Lack of organized settings leads to inefficient navigation and increased user frustration.
Without confirmation dialogs, users might be unsure if their changes are applied correctly.
Failing to offer a quick overview of project details can hinder users from easily assessing project status.
The absence of a save button leaves users uncertain if their changes are retained, leading to confusion.

Design

In the design phase, we made decisions through a combination of stakeholder feedback and iterative refinement. We created wireframes to outline the basic structure and flow, which were then reviewed and adjusted based on input. High-fidelity visual designs were developed, incorporating usability principles and brand guidelines. Each decision was informed by research ensuring the final design was both functional and user-friendly.

Wireframes

Initial Exploration: Created multiple pop-up layouts as per stakeholder preferences.
Conclusion: Decided on a step-wise process to cater to both new and experienced users, simplifying the project creation and editing process.
Feedback and Refinement: Gathered feedback highlighting the need for flexibility and clearer labels. Refined wireframes based on this input.
Finalization: Implemented feedback, validated the refined wireframes through reviews and testing, and prepared for high-fidelity design.

Initial Exploration: Created multiple pop-up layouts as per stakeholder preferences.
Conclusion: Decided on a step-wise process to cater to both new and experienced users, simplifying the project creation and editing process.
Feedback and Refinement: Gathered feedback highlighting the need for flexibility and clearer labels. Refined wireframes based on this input.
Finalization: Implemented feedback, validated the refined wireframes through reviews and testing, and prepared for high-fidelity design.

Initial Exploration: Created multiple pop-up layouts as per stakeholder preferences.
Conclusion: Decided on a step-wise process to cater to both new and experienced users, simplifying the project creation and editing process.
Feedback and Refinement: Gathered feedback highlighting the need for flexibility and clearer labels. Refined wireframes based on this input.
Finalization: Implemented feedback, validated the refined wireframes through reviews and testing, and prepared for high-fidelity design.

Final Designs

PROJECT CREATION

Full Modal with Step-wise Approach: Helps guide users and reduce cognitive load.
Required Fields: Added based on customer requests to ensure essential information is captured.
Quick Create Option: Allows users to skip steps for faster project creation, satisfying diverse user needs.
Automation and Pre-filled Text: Streamlines the process and reduces manual input.
Help Text: Added to provide guidance and clarify fields where necessary.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Upfront Display: Important project details are shown when clicking on the project list menu.
Quick Access: Allows users to view multiple project details quickly without navigating inside each project.

SETTINGS

Consistency with Project Creation: All settings can be changed from one place, ensuring consistency and ease of use.
Editability: Designed for easy editing with minimal clicks, enhancing user efficiency.

User Testing

In the user testing phase, we aimed to evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the new design by defining clear instructions, preparing a questionnaire, setting metrics for evaluation, and creating user prompts.

Task 1: Adding a New Project

Objective: Add a new project with specific details and settings in the project list.

Goal: Assess the ease of use and intuitiveness of the project creation process.

Task 2: Viewing and Updating Project Details

Objective: View and update project details in Keka.

Goal: Evaluate how easily users can access and modify project information.

Testing Process

Participants: The tests were conducted with 5 customers and internal team members to ensure a diverse range of feedback.

Execution: Participants were observed as they completed the tasks, with their interactions and feedback recorded for analysis.

Feedback

Streamlined Process: Participants appreciated the streamlined project creation and update process.
Step-by-Step Guidance: The step-wise approach in project creation helped users feel more confident and less overwhelmed, breaking tasks into manageable steps.
Skip Option: The option to skip steps during project creation was valued by experienced users who wanted to speed up the process without compromising on detail.
Increased Clicks for Settings: Some users noted an increase in the number of clicks needed to access settings.
Ease of Finding Settings: Despite the extra clicks, having all settings in one place was seen as a positive change, making it easier to find and make changes.
Timesheet Settings Copy: Some users found the UX copy in timesheet settings difficult to understand, indicating a need for clearer and more intuitive language.

Metrics

4.5

Overall Satisfaction Rate

4.5

Ease of Use

5.0

Intuitiveness

Conclusion

The redesign of the project management features in Keka successfully addressed key user pain points by implementing an intuitive, step-wise project creation process and a comprehensive project overview. This approach streamlined workflows, improved data visibility, and enhanced user satisfaction. By focusing on user needs and aligning with business goals, we achieved a more efficient and user-friendly experience, resulting in increased user adoption and satisfaction. The feedback gathered during testing confirmed that our design decisions met the diverse needs of our users, laying the groundwork for future enhancements.