Referral and Utility Access Portal
Redesigned a multi-user platform for professionals to submit referrals and request temporary utility service.
Project Context
Background
As a UX designer at Synoptek, I worked with Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) to redesign a web application within their main site. The app allows real estate agents and property managers to submit referrals, request temporary gas services, and manage tasks efficiently. We also redesigned the admin back-office interface to help GNG staff easily manage service requests and track referral activity. The goal was to streamline processes and improve usability for both external users and the admin team. My role involved conducting research, developing user flows, and designing a user-friendly interface for handoff to the development team.
Role
UX Designer
Client
Georgia Natural Gas (GNG)
Timeline
Oct 2024 - Apr 2025
Overview
Problem
The Rec Sports app suffers from slow performance, high cognitive load, and user confusion, reducing its effectiveness.
Solution
Conduct thorough user research and analysis to design solutions that address these pain points and enhance overall usability.
Design Process
Analysis
Affinity Mapping
After our research, we compiled user feedback from surveys and tests, categorized it by themes, and identified patterns.
User Personas
We crafted two user personas for the Rec Sports app, focusing on undergraduate students, to inform our user-centric design approach.
Journey Map
Next, we developed a journey map to visualize how undergrads use the Rec Sports app, revealing their interactions, emotions, pain points, and improvement opportunities.
Design
User Flow Chart
We started by creating a user flow chart to outline the core functions and screens that would be part of our redesign process.
Sketches & Mid-Fi Wireframes
Each team member provided sketches for the app's main pages (Home, Fitness, Competition, Adventure, and Member ID), later refined into mid-fidelity frames using Figma.
Final Frames
We created hi-fi designs based on the Rec Sports style guide, resulting in a prototype for Group-X sign-ups, intramural registration, and Member ID scanning.
Evaluation
Usability Testing
After completing our first prototype iteration, we tested the same tasks as the current app on a new random sample to gather quantitative data. Usability tests showed significant improvements in task completion times and success rates, thanks to streamlined processes, simplified navigation, and enhanced user satisfaction.
Qualitative Feedback
During the usability tests, we documented participants' feedback on specific criticisms and praises for functions within our prototype. As before, we organized this data into an affinity map for easier processing. Here is a summary of our findings:
Conclusion
Design Expo
At the end of our project, we designed a poster for the 2024 UMSI Student Project Exposition to showcase our project, share our journey, and present our results to interested teachers, alumni, and fellow students.
