VMware Homepage

Professional Project

This project aimed to understand user interactions with a new homepage design, focusing on improving navigation and information accessibility. The aim was to alleviate user friction by enhancing the homepage UI and support features based on user feedback, with the hypothesis that a more informative and user-friendly homepage will significantly improve the overall user experience.

Goals

• Enhance Homepage Usability: To improve the overall user experience of the homepage by making navigation intuitive and ensuring relevant information is easily accessible.

• Optimize Support Features: To enhance the effectiveness and usability of support request widgets and self-service support features.

Objective

• Identify User Behavior and Preferences: To conduct qualitative research to understand how users interact with the new homepage design and their preferences for finding products, licenses, and managing their accounts.

• Assess Friction Points: To identify any areas of friction or confusion in navigating the current homepage and using support features.

• Test Design Improvements: To implement and test changes to the homepage and support features based on user feedback and observed behaviors.

• Evaluate User Satisfaction: To measure the impact of the redesigned homepage and support features on user satisfaction and support effectiveness.

Problem

How might we learn about user behaviors and preferences on our new homepage design to ensure it effectively surfaces relevant information and support?

Role and Responsibilities

Role:

As a UX Researcher conducting qualitative research, my role involved designing and conducting structured interviews & usability sessions to gather detailed feedback on the new homepage design.

Responsibilities:

• Analyzing user behaviors

• Identifying friction points

• Understanding how users navigate and find information

• Evaluating the effectiveness of support features

• Guiding the iterative design process

• Ensuring the homepage is user-friendly and aligns with user needs and expectations.

Outcome

New Homepage Re-Design

Through iterative design and user feedback, the new homepage now offers a clean, user-friendly interface and widget experience, significantly enhancing users' ability to navigate and find relevant information and support efficiently.
To view new design, click here.

Process

Qualitative Research

Goals

• Customer feedback on new UI of CC Homepage 

• Preferences for getting support 

• Mental models for support flows 

Planning

Recruit Pacesetters (internal testing group) for 4 different segments (45-60 min interviews)

• S360 customers

• Customers with many entitlement accounts

• Customers with one entitlement account

• vSphere users

Interview Questions

Understanding how the customers feel about the new homepage UI, comparing it to the existing UI:

• Thoughts on overall look and feel

• What’s missing?

• What can be changed/modified?

• Widgets

Understanding customer mental models for support flows:

• How do customers get support?

• What are their preferences when requesting support?

Insights

Overall UI

• Clearer Navigation and Access to Useful Shortcuts 

• Utilizes Space Effectively and Enhanced Visual Clarity 

• Notifications Widget Unhelpful Due to Limited Daily Use

Get Guided Support widget

• User Preferences on 'Get Guided Support' Vary by Expertise Level 

• Confusion Over Links in Widget 

• Need Customization Options for Widgets 

• Disappointment with Support Assistant Functionality

My Support Requests widget

• Experienced Customers Prefer Support Requests Over KBs

• Need Visibility of Open Support Cases on Homepage

Click here for detailed insight report.