Discovery app
- The company was in charge of mass invoice distribution, and did so with an unsuitable application called Fulcrum.
- The application was expensive, and didn’t fully meet the needs of the company, its customers and delivery personnel.
- I was about to organize a design sprint, and the biggest replied with a harsh and very direct e-mail saying that they didn’t have as much time to give us. I was very upset, but I was able to manage my emotions and negotiate with them to get some interview sessions.
- I went out into the field with the delivery drivers to see how they distributed, and interviewed customers and internal agents.
- I created the graphic identity, design system, web and mobile app.
INTRODUCTION
Mass distribution is a complex process that can be expensive and time-consuming for companies. Discovery is a SaaS solution designed to manage mass distribution, replacing a high-cost tool that was not suited to the company’s needs. The project was realized using the Double Diamond method, involving the customer, the distribution manager and the deliverers throughout the design process.
Context
Founded in 2016, Paps is a business service operating in French-speaking Africa, offering warehouse services, pickups, and deliveries. They are the first on-demand and geolocated delivery company in the region with the largest fleet in West Africa. They gained recognition by winning the fifth edition of Hub Africa and has attracted investments from Google and Alibaba’s Global Initiatives. They serve a diverse range of industries, including financial institutions, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, retailers and e-merchants.
The company then entered a new sector, that of mass distribution, particularly of invoices. Before Discovery was created, the company was using Fulcrum, an expensive and not very flexible tool for the distribution of invoices. However, Fulcrum did not fully meet the company’s needs. Fulcrum is a generic application for on-site data collection using customizable forms. It is not adapted to mass distribution management.
I was given the task of designing an MVP more suited to their needs, while being flexible enough to adapt to other customers.
Design process
Discovery was designed using the Double Diamond method, which is often considered as an evolution of Design Thinking, and it was the perfect time for me to try it out, as I was doing a lot of research on it. The product manager put it in my OKRs.
The double diamond involves four key stages: discovery, definition, development and deployment. Throughout the process, I worked closely with the customer, the distribution manager and the deliverers.
research
The main objective of this phase was to understand the needs of the customer and stakeholders in terms of invoice distribution. I also focused on identifying the problems encountered with the current tool (Fulcrum) and understanding the key features the new product should have.
✨disillusionment✨
With all the best intentions in the world, I planned to organize a design sprint, with the biggest customer, to “co-create” a good product. But the disillusionment was unbelievable. Their head of innovation wrote back to me with such a harsh, almost disrespectful e-mail, telling me they had no time to waste with me. Our CEO and COO in copy of the mail. I was really annoyed and worried that I was giving the company the wrong image. I complained a lot to my designer/product colleagues, but I had to give a good example and manage my emotions. I managed to get 2 people on their side to give me interviews. One of my talents is negotiation by the way 😊
Interviews
I conducted interviews with three key stakeholders: the head of distribution at our company, an invoice deliverer and the head of distribution of our major customer for this sector. These interviews were designed to understand each stakeholder’s needs, their current challenges and their expectations for the distribution tool.
Immersion Sessions
I also went on a field immersion session to understand the current invoice distribution processes, and to see how deliverers interacted with customers. These sessions were extremely useful in understanding the problems encountered in the field and in identifying the key features our product should have.
Competitive analysis
For this project, a competitive analysis was performed to identify the existing tools for mass distribution management. I identified several tools currently in use on the market, such as Fulcrum, TaroWorks and FieldEZ. These tools are rather limited compared to what Paps wants in terms of flexibility and cost.
Results
I identified several problems with the current tool (Fulcrum), notably its lack of flexibility and high cost. I also understood that our customer needed a tool that would enable him to better monitor the distribution of his invoices and provide better support to his customers. In terms of key functionalities, I understood that the new product would provide real-time information from the field, a view of the distribution progress and a global dashboard to monitor everything.
Persona
Based on the research, I developed three personas: Jean de la Fontaine, Ousmane and Cheikh. Jean de la Fontaine represents the customer, Ousmane represents our distribution manager and Cheikh represents the invoice deliverer. They were all based on user interviews and surveys, and I updated them as I gathered new data. These personas helped me to better understand the needs, challenges and expectations of each stakeholder, and guided me throughout the design process.
HOW might we ...
Brainstorming
During this stage, I held separate sessions for each stakeholder to discuss and exchange ideas and expectations. I started by identifying their needs and the issues they were facing. I then discussed the different functionalities that could be integrated into the application to meet these needs.
Storyboards
The storyboards helped me to define the user path and the different functionalities of the application. I created several storyboards for each type of user (customer, distribution manager and delivery person) to understand the needs and expectations of each person.
Design
Now that I had identified the customer’s needs, defined the technical requirements and the company’s needs in terms of mass distribution management, it was time to move on to design. And it all started with sketches and wireframes.
Sketches & Wireframes
I started by drawing quick sketches, scribbled on an iPad, to visualize the first ideas that came to mind. These first sketches were far from perfect, but they enabled me to capture the main functionalities and key interactions of the application.
Once my sketches were ready, I used Figma to create more detailed wireframes. The wireframes helped me clarify the application’s structure, define the layout of the various elements and describe the navigation flows. I made sure that the wireframes were clear and understandable, using simple and effective visual elements.
Iterations
As I gradually shared these first versions with the team and gathered their feedback, I quickly realized that adjustments were necessary. User feedback and discussions with the customer highlighted areas for improvement and ideas I hadn’t initially thought of. After several iterations and adjustments, I finally arrived at a final version of the wireframes. It was amazing to see how different they were from the first versions.
User interface design
I designed the user interfaces required for the application to function properly. I created interfaces for creating delivery campaigns, dispatching deliverers, tracking distribution and support. Each user interface is designed to be easy to use and to enable users to perform actions efficiently.
User interface design (mobile)
Deliver
Dev Handoff
I provided detailed instructions to the developers, to ensure that specifications and requirements were communicated effectively. The developer’s annotations had already helped me streamline the design-to-development process and, given the amount of back-and-forth, ensuring that the developer had all the information needed to implement my designs accurately gave me peace of mind.
Documentation and training
I documented every stage of the application’s design to make it easier to understand how it worked, in both text and video format. I also organized training sessions for employees, to help them better understand the new functionalities and familiarize themselves with the new procedures.
reflection
This project has taught me some valuable lessons. I learned the importance of transparent communication, flexibility, emotion management and adaptability. The iterative, user-centered approach enabled me to design more relevant products. In addition, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of product management, working closely with managers to define product objectives, establish a roadmap and manage priorities. This experience strengthened my leadership and team management skills, while underlining the importance of collaboration between design and product management.
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