WeWork India: Boosting discoverability for all workspace needs
BACKGROUND
WeWork India had introduced On-demand and virtual office as new products, which they plan to integrate with their existing subscription model products (wework.co.in) to provide users with a more flexible and complete workspace booking solution. This strategy can help them cater to different user needs, expand their user base, and generate more revenue.
DURATION
4 months (Sep 21’ - Dec 21’)
MY ROLE
Research, Ideation, Card Sorting, Wireframing, Interaction Design
COLLABORATORS
Ashritha Rao, Anjali Srinivasan
Outcome
Although, the journey of the project had to end for us at this stage, the redesigned website received great reviews from the stakeholders and is set to launch and increase user engagement & conversions.
Learnings & Takeways
Research saves iterations
Time and effort invested in user research early into the other WeWork project resulted in useful insights on usability issues and user preferences which informed on our design decisions in this project.
This made the design process more effective and efficient at the same time.
Accessibility is key
Having multiple flows to complete a goal on a website makes it accessible to all types of users and increases user engagement.
However, at the same time it’s important not to overwhelm the users with a lot of options which results in cognitive overload.
Wiring up ideas
I started to build wireframes keeping in mind the insights we gathered from the audit and the card sorting workshop. At this stage, I gave specific attention to the information flow on the website.
It took me multiple iterations to come up with a layout which resonated well with the stakeholders.
It’s useful to highlight that a lot of insights about layout, flow and design components have been leveraged from the On-demand project I worked on some months prior. You can find the link to that case study here.
Final user flow
Multiple iterations of wireframes led me to refine the user flow to make it more streamlined and effective:
Final Designs
After going through multiple iterations, we ultimately reached the final designs that encompassed feedback from all stakeholders.
Less is more
The website's improved layout, featuring larger and more visually appealing images, as well as cleaner and more organized content sections, makes it much simpler for users to find the information they are looking for and take action.
Enhancing discoverability
A mega menu to subsume all offerings under one hood. By dividing the workspaces into relevant categories, users can quickly find what they’re looking for.
Quick book module
Having a full-fledged booking experience on the home page can be beneficial for regular users who are familiar with the website's offerings and want to make a reservation quickly.
E-commerce journey
The ability to book workspaces on the website makes the interaction more streamlined & convenient and more traffic can be generated on the website.
Location first quest
Filtering buildings based on workspace availability can be a useful tool for users searching for a workspace as it allows them to quickly narrow down their search to buildings that have the type of workspace they need and in the location they want.
Moreover, displaying amenities and other building features can also inform on users’ decision.
Information Architecture
After analysing the existing site structure, I gathered that there were inconsistencies and redundancies that had to be removed. So I wanted to design a new structure that made it easier for users to find the information they need.
The goal was to understand how users’ mental models in terms of categorizing information and evaluate whether the names used for WeWork's products and services are clear and resonant.
I opted to conduct a round of card sorting with 5 participants. I presented them with a set of cards that contained various concepts and ideas, and asked them to group these cards in a way that made sense to them.
Some snapshots of the card sorting workshop:
We jotted down our observations as they sorted the cards and gave us their feedback. The observations were synthesized with the team and a matrix was formulated to analyze the resulting grouping pattern:
There were a lot of mixed perspectives when it came to organizing the information. In order to come to a consensus, the most common insights were taken into consideration and were used to simplify and streamline the information architecture.
You can view full size version here
At the end of this exercise, we came to a conclusion that the workspaces should be categorised into 3 main buckets: On-demand, subscription and enterprise.
Optimizing navigation with screenflows
In order to better grasp and visually represent the user journey, I mapped out the user flow for the website and sketched some initial ideas for the layout:
Problem space
Despite offering versatile workspace solutions that can be personalized to suit the requirements of individuals and big enterprises, WeWork India's digital platform appears fragmented and poses usability challenges.
A complete UX audit
I kickstarted the project by conducting a UX audit to evaluate the existing website's usability, accessibility, and overall user experience and to identify specific pain points and areas for improvement. The focus was on some key areas like:
Navigation & Information Architecture
Usability & Functionality
Visual design & Content
By collaborating with a visual designer and a content strategist, we worked together to gather insights from each of our respective areas of expertise. By combining these perspectives and considering technical considerations as well, we were able to start the journey of creating a comprehensive solution.
Some pain points gathered from the website:
MAJOR PAIN POINTS
Ambiguous website navigation & structure
Content inconsistency & redundancy
No ability to book workspaces
Poor visual hierarchy
Benchmarking against competitors
To better understand the market and how WeWork stacks up against its competition, I researched other companies offering similar products or services. As part of this research, I carefully evaluated the features and functionalities of their offerings, paying close attention to their design, structure, usability, and overall user experience.
Competitive Analysis
Arushi has been amazing working on our website and has been instrumental in helping design and build all the WeWork digital products in India. From in-person customer interviews to very rapid design and flow changes to match our fast growing pace, she has been able to anticipate upcoming challenges as the products scaled and designed for them in advance which has been instrumental for us as a product in the growth phase.
-Akshaan Nambiar, Senior Product Manager at WeWork India
Whether you're a potential co-worker, a fellow creative, or simply a curious soul, I'd love to hear from you!
Drop me a Hi and let's get the conversation started.
arushi.aa13@gmail.com
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