📍 Project Overview
I led a usability assessment of a newly developed project management system (“The Blueprint”) used at Doe-Anderson, a creative agency. The goal was to evaluate and improve how effectively the system supports internal teams managing complex campaigns.
- Role: Researcher & Systems Designer
- Duration: 3 weeks
- Tools Used: SUS (System Usability Scale), Qualtrics, Wrike, Statistical Analysis
- Team: Solo-led research with cross-functional input
- Focus: Usability, Process Design, Internal Tool Optimization
❓ The Problem
Despite wide adoption of “The Blueprint,” a standardized workflow framework, anecdotal feedback suggested inconsistent usability across departments. Teams with different levels of tech experience and exposure were reporting friction, but no structured usability data had been gathered.
Challenge: How might we assess and improve the usability of a complex internal system used by diverse teams?
🔍 Research & Discovery
To measure usability objectively, I implemented the System Usability Scale (SUS)—a widely recognized tool in UX research. Two test groups were surveyed:
- Main Blueprint users (general campaigns)
- Web Blueprint users (digital/web-specific projects)
I collected data using a Likert-scale survey and followed up with qualitative observations on tool usage behaviors.
🧠 Key Insights from Analysis
- Both groups showed high intent to use the tool regularly, indicating perceived value.
- Complexity and inconsistency were significantly more apparent in the Web Blueprint experience.
- Confidence using the system was notably higher in the Main Blueprint group.
- The Web Blueprint group had a greater spread of responses, suggesting inconsistent user experiences due to variable contexts or training gaps.
Takeaway: The system is valuable but not equally intuitive across use cases. Usability varies based on familiarity and the complexity of the task.
💡 Synthesis & Recommendations
From the data, I derived three strategic recommendations:
- Segmented Training – Tailor onboarding by role and blueprint type to reduce learning curves.
- Modular Design Enhancements – Simplify or isolate complex components in the Web Blueprint.
- Iterative Testing Protocol – Set up recurring SUS testing post-system updates to monitor longitudinal usability.
✨ Outcomes
- Presented findings and insights to agency stakeholders.
- Sparked internal discussion on improving the Blueprint’s accessibility and effectiveness.
- Findings laid groundwork for implementing feedback loops into future internal tool development.
🔁 Reflections
This project demonstrated the power of quantitative tools in service design, especially when paired with systems thinking. It also emphasized the importance of testing not just the product, but the context in which people interact with it.
“Even internal tools deserve the same level of user empathy we give to client-facing products.”
