Teammates
Sam Schubert (UX Researcher)
Paul Porter (Software Developer)
Lauren Chell (Product Owner)
Nick Rosier (Chief Product Officer)
Role
Daniel Kim (Product Designer)
Duration
4 Weeks
Tools
Figma
Miro
Slack
CONTEXT
Gther: Next-Gen Event Experience Tools
Gther is a global leader in next-generation event experience tools, serving industries such as biotech, media, aerospace, defense, and tech. Trusted by renowned brands like Disney, Airbus, Bombardier, and Lionsgate, Gther offers a comprehensive suite of solutions, including ticketing, registration, badging, virtual and hybrid events, meeting management, and meeting screening. With a focus on delivering innovative solutions to agencies and event organizers, Gther is establishing a strong presence across the events industry.
GOAL
A Centralized Hub for Gther's Event Solutions
Gther seeks to consolidate its suite of products into a unified customer hub, offering seamless access and promoting greater adoption of its comprehensive range of tools. Additionally, Gther aims to target agencies hosting large-scale trade shows and conferences involving multiple vendors
CHALLENGE
Unifying a Fragmented Experience
Gther currently offers five individual tools, each designed to address specific needs. However, users often switch between these tools, leading to a fragmented experience and inefficiencies in task completion. While the initial challenge was provided by Gther's research, it's essential to uncover potential underlying issues and craft a solution using a structured approach: empathize, synthesize, and design.
Empathize
Understand and share the experiences of the user
Synthesize
Discover insights forming a fundamental understanding
Design
Explore ideas and create a user-centered solution
SOLUTION
A Centralized Hub for Gther's Event Solutions
A web-based central hub or dashboard offered a solution to reduce the need for users to switch between multiple browser tabs. However, user research revealed that 100% of participants identified a confusing user experience, and 60% noted that signing in and onboarding new users was time-consuming. Within the given timeframe, the team developed a dashboard incorporating a single sign-in and onboarding process, establishing a user-friendly cadence for each individual tool
EMPATHIZE
Competitor Analysis
Ideally, the next step would have been to interview active users to gain deeper insights into their workflows and the challenges they face. However, due to limited user availability, the team was unable to complete all interviews within the desired timeframe. In the meantime, the team conducted an audit of the top two competitors that Gther actively monitors while refining its suite of tools
Airmeet
Platforms that handle multiple events or tasks often use popup forms to simplify the process. Key details are grouped into a single form, reducing the steps required to upload an event or task, ultimately creating a faster and more efficient workflow
Cvent
Inline forms emphasize a simple UI by breaking steps down, helping users focus on entering accurate information. Typically, platforms with inline forms see users less likely to upload multiple events or tasks at once, significantly reducing complexity
User Research
The most common themes identified through affinity mapping included a confusing user flow, a demand for customization and a need for a simple user interface
100%
Confusing User Flow
All of the users has difficulty navigating the current products
60%
Customization
Different types of users require various types of data
60%
Clean UI
Users require a simple and intuitive UI
SYNTHESIZE
Addressing Key Pain Points While Prioritizing the Business Goal
User pain points were categorized into three key areas. However, the primary scope of the project was to create a unified hub for Gther's suite of tools. As such, we focused on addressing pain points directly aligned with the business goal, including creating a single sign-in process and ensuring a seamless, user-friendly experience for navigating and utilizing the tools efficiently
DESIGN
Dashboard: Quick Sketch Iterations
Early in the process, ideas are abundant but often unpolished. Quick hand sketches in a divergent thinking environment helped capture these ideas efficiently, reducing distractions later and serving as a solid foundation for refining concepts
SYNTHESIZE & DESIGN
How might we minimize users switching and searching through browser tabs, helping them stay focused and ensuring a seamless experience?
Developing a unified hub or dashboard naturally addresses the challenge of users switching between browser tabs, making navigation layout and hierarchy a primary focus. Additionally, one active user highlighted a preference for a native app over a web app
Single Sign-In & Onboarding
Gther's unified platform will streamline the user experience by enabling single sign-on and eliminating the need for multiple logins. A guided dashboard walkthrough will simplify onboarding for all users. While research emphasized the need for a simpler experience across all tools, the project focused on establishing a framework and cadence for future improvements
WHAT'S NEXT
Research-Driven Refinements
Given the opportunity, consolidating essential data and conducting additional user research on Gther's suite of tools into the main dashboard will be crucial to reducing the need for users to switch between tools when monitoring and executing time-sensitive tasks. Additionally, identifying key red routes will further optimize the dashboard’s functionality and user experience
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Successful MVP & Native App Considerations
Additional user research and a deeper familiarity with Gther's suite of tools will be critical for enhancing the dashboard. Despite a limited one-month timeframe, the team successfully delivered an MVP iteration. Some users expressed a preference for a native application over a web-based platform to avoid browser clutter, and this feedback was shared with stakeholders as a potential direction for future iterations