Service Design to Enhance Team Collaboration
A project roadmap to improve collaboration practices in a startup.
UI/UX DESIGN
UX RESEARCH
SERVICE DESIGN
IDEATION
WORKSHOP
Challenge
This thesis explored how service design can improve communication and collaboration in cross-functional teams, focusing on a case study of KAYAK for Business, a corporate travel startup.
Solution
The "Project Roadmap Framework" was developed to enhance team communication and collaboration.
MY OBJECTIVE
While working at the company, I noticed silos between teams, leading to misalignment and inefficiencies. Using service design, I aimed to bridge gaps, improve collaboration, and streamline workflows.
The Process
Employing service design, we built on literature for theoretical grounding and startup collaboration insights. Our mixed-method approach encompassed workshops, interviews, prototyping, research, and surveys to gather data.
Understanding the Business
In our research, we analyzed the typical life cycle of startups to understand KAYAK for Business's current stage. Identifying it as being in the Maturity stage was important as this allowed us to customize our service design to address its unique challenges and opportunities.
Organisational Chart
To effectively navigate the project, we created an organizational chart to map out the key stakeholders. This visual representation clarifies the structure of the organization, highlighting relevant positions, departments, and authority lines.
It helped ensure clear communication and alignment with the right people throughout the project, fostering smoother collaboration and more efficient decision-making.
💬 Involved in Thesis
Understanding the Stakeholders
In a two-hour workshop, we addressed collaboration challenges, improving communication and teamwork between diverse teams. Participants actively shared knowledge and ideas, fostering engagement. The goal was to identify existing obstacles, strengths, and actionable steps for improvement during the Define phase of our project.
This workshop included 12 participants from various departments, including management, designers, and engineers. We used Figma to create templates and streamline the workshop.
Icebreaker: Sketching First Jobs
Kicking off the workshop, participants sketched their first jobs as a fun icebreaker. This was the first of many exercises designed to spark creativity and encourage engagement.
Idea Generation
After pinpointing the core issue, we entered the Ideate stage to improve early project communication. We brainstormed and prioritized the top three ideas, supported by findings, and sought external input through expert interviews and client evaluations to guide our decision-making.
Our goal was to select one idea for the prototype stage, refine the project flow, and create a stakeholder motivation matrix to emphasize user benefits.
Prototype Test
We conducted prototype testing for our 'Project Flight Tracker' solution, primarily targeting senior designers to gather feedback and make improvements.
Key Insights & Outcome
Strengths: Clear project overview, useful persona information, streamlined processes, and a roadmap for clarity.
Weaknesses: File location challenges, unnecessary persona details, complexity, and potential name confusion.
Feedback Session
In our design thinking process, the evaluation stage was crucial to assess our Project Roadmap Framework's viability within the organization.
We used a structured service proposal document and gathered feedback from a Senior UX Designer and a Design Manager, offering diverse perspectives.
The feedback was really encouraging - our framework was seen as a great way to:
Spot requirements early, keeping teams aligned from the start.
Streamline workflows, making project execution smoother.
Improve communication, ensuring everyone stays on the same page.
Key Takeaways
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Solid knowledge and diverse team engagement are essential.
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Careful planning, external input, and evaluation lead to innovation.
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Learning from challenges drives future collaboration improvements.
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Customise approaches for successful implementation.