Dispatch

About Dispatch
Dispatch, a startup based in Minneapolis, MN, specializes in providing businesses with on-demand and same-day pickup and delivery services.

Team
1 UX designer, 1 product manager, 1 marketing coordinator and 1 front-end engineer
‍
Time
May, 2022 - August, 2022

Tool
Miro
Figma

My Role
During my internship at Dispatch, I led the design efforts as the primary UX Designer for two significant projects, each involving the launch of a new module on the Dispatch web portal. For the estimator module, my tasks were multi-faceted, including stakeholder interviews, competitive analysis, restructuring the information architecture, and creating high-fidelity prototypes.

SOLUTION PREVIEW

Simplify quoting.
Enhance effortless quotation on the web portal.

Streamlined Input | Tailored Recommendations | Transparent Options

Get a preliminary quote swiftly to help customers make an informed decision. Simply fill out six information fields to receive an easy, quick estimate.

The Estimator intelligently suggests a vehicle type based on the estimated total weight. Users also have the flexibility to explore additional vehicle options at a click of a button.

Once customers select the delivery option that best fits their needs, they'll be directed to the Order Form. Any information previously entered will be automatically transferred, ensuring a smooth and efficient process.

PROBLEM & STRATEGIC ANALYSIS

A high abandonment rate of order forms.
Leverage estimators to uncover the root cause.

What are order forms?

The order form is a customer's gateway to defining their delivery needs, including pickup, drop-off locations, service options, and vehicle types. Upon completing these details, customers receive an estimate and can proceed to payment, making it a tool for service customization and transaction completion.

Our data did not reveal the reason for the high abandonment rate

The product team noticed an intriguing trend: users would reach the pricing information on the order form, only to abandon the process. However, our current analytics left us guessing at the root cause. The team is now seeking a swift yet effective solution to pinpoint the exact reason for this behavior.

Possible reason 1

High pricing causes users to abandon order forms.

Possible reason 2

Users are merely seeking quotes with no intention to place orders

How might we benefit both groups?

We were thinking how might we design to benefit both groups. Since price is the key here, we decided to develop an estimator to streamline the process under two use cases. It simplifies the customer journey significantly by providing pricing information upfront, thus eliminating the need to fill out all the fields in the order form before accessing cost estimates. Consequently, it reduces steps and saves time, enhancing overall user experience while maintaining the effectiveness of our services.

RESEARCH NEEDS

Embody the customer perspective:
understand the needs of those seeking quotes.

Observe user interaction with the form

Why shadowing?

Given the time constraints, direct interaction with customers wasn't feasible. However, to understand what they might be seeking in a quick estimator, I observed user behaviors through app recordings.

User criteria

I focused my observations on users who entered delivery information multiple times, suggesting they were likely seeking a quote. I was able to examine the behaviors of 25 such users.

Key Finding: users seemed to become impatient

After reviewing 25 user recordings, I had an initial hypothesis:
users seemed to become impatient due to the excessive number of fields they needed to fill out.

To validate my hypothesis, I examined customer satisfaction surveys administered in April and May.

Among 51 feedback responses, eight were related to the experience of completing the form, with a common request to 'make it easier to complete the form.'

These insights indicated that minimizing user input and maximizing speed should be included in our design principles.

MARKET ANALYSIS

Learn from the past failure and competitors.

Old estimator is inaccurate & inflexible

Upon discussing my findings with my mentor, I learned about an older estimator previously used for marketing purposes. However, it was discontinued due to poor user retention.

This prompted me to perform a heuristic evaluation to identify its shortcomings and to determine what elements could be retained or improved upon.

Know market needs through competitors

Taking lessons from our past shortcomings, I felt it was essential to understand how our competitors were faring. This would enable us to discern how our estimator could better meet market demands.

Consequently, I carried out a competitive analysis, reviewing seven competitors and pinpointing aspects that appealed to me, as well as elements I believed needed improvement.

DESIGN ITERATION

Tailor design solutions to meet business needs.

Feedback 1: Enhancing User Control & Clarifying Actions

After completing prototypes, I shared them with the product team. Their insightful feedback highlighted aspects I hadn't considered, which was a valuable learning experience.

Before

After

Customers can only see the price options for the recommended vehicle.

Customers can see the recommended vehicle but can also explore service plans for all vehicle types.

Before

After

Service prices displayed on buttons.

Action buttons labeled 'Continue' to alleviate concerns about unintentional order placement.

Feedback 2: Information Editing in the estimator

Concerning the ease with which users can edit information in the estimator, the product manager had a viewpoint that differed from mine.

Phase 1: Worries from the PM

Given the Product Manager's concerns about competitors potentially misusing our estimator to collect pricing data, he suggested making information editing more difficult. I used wireframes to visually present these changes alongside the existing design options for better comparison. The designs below represent his vision.

Phase 2: Striving for a Balanced Solution

While safeguarding our pricing data was crucial, user experience was equally important. I thus proposed a compromise, making edits moderately difficult, but not overly so. However, this approach wouldn't entirely eliminate the risk of competitors accessing our pricing information.

Phase 3: Reach concensus

Given the potential business risks, our team collectively decided to launch the version with higher editing difficulty. Nevertheless, to gauge user sentiment, we plan to distribute a survey once the estimator reaches a satisfactory adoption rate.

Final Deliverables:
Streamlining the Estimation Experience for Your Delivery Needs

Meet Dispatch Quick Estimator

Once we had agreed on the low-fidelity prototypes, I proceeded to create high-fidelity versions, following Dispatch's design guidelines.

High completion rate & conversion rate

The instant estimator has been launched in late October, 2022 and so far the product team is seeing a positive impact from it.

People who get to the instant estimator are generally able to complete the form (about 80% based on analytics).

Most people who get an estimate, move onto starting an order - It is now getting closer to 90%.

More to come

Survey Distribution
We would like to get more qualitative feedback and we're waiting for adoption to get a little higher before sending out any surveys.

INTERNSHIP LEARNING

Communication means a lot!

During my three-month internship, I gained valuable insight into collaborating with individuals from varied backgrounds and roles. I learned that when confronted with differing perspectives, it's crucial to understand the context and underlying rationale before making decisions. If these differing views are well-founded, it's beneficial to seek a compromise that satisfies everyone.

Alternatively, if their assumptions are still to be proven, consider creating a plan that allows for testing these hypotheses, such as using data tracking and iterative design cycles.