NovaTech
mvp app definition
How I brought peace of mind and new market opportunities to a client who was modernizing their web app and services
My client, NovaTech*, wanted to create a mobile app to complement the robust web app that powered their equipment service business
They were concerned about the effort and expense needed to deliver a mobile app, as their web app was 12 years old and showing its age. They needed an experienced partner to help them know what to build
*Client name changed to protect intellectual property
my roles
Creative Lead
UX/UI Design
UX Research
By helping NovaTech understand what to build, I gave the client peace of mind and excitement about new business opportunities
We began by learning from current users—field technicians, managers and hospital staff
We discovered a clear difference in needs accessing NovaTech from the office versus on a service call out in the field. When on-site at a hospital, technicians are often in areas where network access is unavailable
Field technician
Travels to client sites
Manager
Works in the office
Hospital staff
Works in the hospital
Needs to
- Answer service requests
- Look up equipment details
- Add new equipment
- Accurately track time
Needs to
- Assign service requests
- Manage team workload
- Communicate with hospital staff
- Manage business priorities
Needs to
- Report broken equipment
- Understand repair progress and timeline
Devices
Devices
Devices
We shared direct quotes from employees and customers to help our client empathize with pain points, gain valuable perspective, and build confidence in our approach and recommendations
I’d like a simple version of the website with only pertinent information you need. If you have no cell service, you can input notes and it saves and syncs when you have service again.
Having the ability to scan a bar code with my phone and have it pull up all the important info would eliminate a lot of steps.
Another team was tackling the tech stack, migrating from a legacy platform to a modern framework
The client was worried that they had to recreate their web app in a mobile format. We showed them how to share technology to take advantage of the new web framework, focus on user needs, and drastically reduce the effort needed to deliver a mobile app
Web app
For managers and technicians in the office
Mobile app
For technicians at client sites
Client portal
For managers and technicians in the office
Features needed
Features needed
Features needed
Shared technology
Database
Business logic
Design system
To get to MVP features, we first aligned the team’s values
A great product team balances the needs of the business while delivering an exceptional experience to customers
We found this balance in a collaborative workshop where I facilitated activities to build consensus among stakeholders. Activities (like design sliders, shown below) were helpful to build understanding across the organization and were a valuable reference to look back on as we continued our work
Team Value Alignment Exercise (Design Sliders)
client stakeholders
what do we value?
what does it mean for the product?
User interface fit and finish
Test frequently with users
High quality UX/UI
Less features, more impact
Start with the right features
We decided to focus on field technicians for MVP
Field technicians are often away from their desk and in the field where a mobile app is most convenient
We felt great about the path ahead; we had a plan and alignment
The client had embraced a human-centered approach, the team was excited about the work to come, and we were ready for user testing
Unfortunately, it was at this moment that my teammates and I were impacted by layoffs, and we didn’t get to see what the client did next
This was an amazing opportunity, and I am proud of the work we accomplished
The results
1
We modeled and taught modern design methods and thinking, showing the value of a human-centered approach to building a product
2
We documented what we learned in interviews, so information could be shared by the client’s team
3
We aligned the team on shared values to make decision making easier and less prone to conflict
4
We illustrated how a mobile app with a focused feature set could greatly improve the lives of technicians
5
We helped the client gain confidence in pursuing this work alongside their existing initiatives
