Project Overview
Client: ArmyIgnited (Education and Funding Management Platform)
Industry: Military Software
Project Type: Global Platform Updates
Role: Lead UX/UI Designer
Project Summary
At BAM Technologies, I led a series of global updates for the ArmyIgnited platform, focusing on improving the user experience for service members and administrators. The project encompassed a data table redesign, creation of a mass communication tool, redesign of reports, and a complete overhaul of the search functionality. The goal of these updates was to make the platform more dynamic, user-friendly, and aligned with the needs of the Army’s service members, allowing for a seamless experience across various administrative and educational tools.
Goals & Objectives
The primary goal was to enhance the usability and efficiency of the ArmyIgnited platform, with specific objectives including:
- Data Table Redesign: Make the data tables more dynamic and interactive, allowing users to sort, filter, and manipulate large datasets with ease.
- Mass Communication Tool: Build a tool that would enable administrators to easily send mass communications to service members, advertising important information such as discounts, updates, and critical notifications.
- Report Redesign: Create more user-friendly report interfaces that allowed for easier navigation, interpretation, and export of critical data.
- Search Functionality Overhaul: Redesign the search feature to provide faster, more accurate, and relevant results for users searching across various types of data and documents.
Research & Discovery
User Research:
To identify the specific needs and pain points of ArmyIgnited users, I conducted in-depth interviews with both service members and platform administrators. Key insights included:
- Data Table Issues: Service members and administrators were struggling to work with large datasets due to static, difficult-to-navigate data tables.
- Communication Gaps: Administrators found it challenging to disseminate information to large groups of service members effectively, with existing tools being cumbersome and inefficient.
- Report Usability Concerns: Reports were often complex, leading to confusion when users needed to extract meaningful insights.
- Inefficient Search: The platform’s search functionality often provided irrelevant or delayed results, frustrating users who needed quick access to specific data or documents.
Competitive Analysis:
I analyzed best practices from other military and educational platforms, as well as enterprise-level software that handles large datasets and communications. This research informed the design of the dynamic data tables, communication tools, and search functions.
Design & Strategy
The design strategy focused on improving interactivity, usability, and scalability, ensuring that these updates would cater to a wide range of users, including both service members and administrators.
1. Data Table Redesign
Objective:
Make data tables more dynamic and easier to manipulate, allowing users to interact with large datasets efficiently.
Design Approach:
The redesigned data tables included sortable columns, filter options, and the ability to export data in various formats (CSV, Excel, etc.). I implemented interactive elements such as drag-and-drop column reordering and pagination, which made it easier for users to handle large datasets. Additionally, I included real-time updates for certain tables to ensure that users were always working with the most current information.
Key Features:
- Sortable and filterable columns for easy data manipulation.
- Export options for users to download datasets in various formats.
- Interactive elements like drag-and-drop reordering and pagination.
2. Mass Communication Tool
Objective:
Enable administrators to easily send mass communications, including discounts, updates, and critical information, to large groups of service members.
Design Approach:
I designed a mass communication tool with a simple, intuitive interface that allowed administrators to compose messages, select recipients, and send out bulk communications in a matter of minutes. The tool was integrated with the platform’s existing user database, enabling targeted communication based on various criteria (e.g., location, role, or status). The tool also featured pre-built templates for common announcements, making it faster to send out recurring updates.
Key Features:
- Easy-to-use interface for composing and sending messages.
- Targeted communication based on user demographics or role.
- Pre-built templates for recurring announcements and offers.
3. Report Redesign
Objective:
Make the report generation and viewing process more intuitive and user-friendly.
Design Approach:
I redesigned the report interfaces to be cleaner and more navigable, with clear filters and sorting options that allowed users to customize the data they wanted to view. Reports were broken down into easily digestible sections, and users had the option to export reports in various formats for offline review. Additionally, I included visual elements like graphs and charts to help users interpret data more quickly.
Key Features:
- Simplified navigation and filtering for customizable report views.
- Visual elements like charts and graphs for easier data interpretation.
- Export options for downloading reports in different formats.
4. Search Functionality Overhaul
Objective:
Redesign the search feature to provide faster and more relevant results across the platform.
Design Approach:
The search function was overhauled to use advanced search algorithms that prioritized relevance and speed. I implemented filters that allowed users to refine search results by type (e.g., documents, reports, users, etc.), as well as an auto-suggestion feature that provided immediate feedback as users typed in their queries. The search interface was streamlined to ensure that results were presented clearly, with the most relevant information appearing at the top.
Key Features:
- Advanced search algorithms for faster, more relevant results.
- Filtering options to refine search results by type.
- Auto-suggestion for real-time search feedback.
Implementation & Development
During the development phase, I worked closely with the engineering team to ensure that the designs were implemented seamlessly across the platform. Some key aspects of the implementation included:
Real-Time Collaboration:
Weekly design reviews and feedback sessions with developers ensured that the interactive elements of the data tables and communication tool worked as intended.Usability Testing:
We conducted usability tests with both service members and administrators to gather feedback on the new features, ensuring that they improved the overall user experience.Iterative Refinement:
Based on user feedback, I made several iterations to the design, particularly refining the data table interactions and the mass communication tool’s user interface.
Outcome & Results
The global updates for ArmyIgnited significantly improved the platform’s usability and efficiency, delivering the following key outcomes:
Dynamic Data Tables:
The redesigned data tables allowed users to sort, filter, and manage large datasets with ease, increasing productivity and accuracy for administrators and service members alike.Effective Mass Communication:
The mass communication tool enabled administrators to reach service members quickly and efficiently, resulting in more timely updates and higher engagement with critical information.User-Friendly Reports:
The redesigned reports were easier to navigate and interpret, with visual aids like charts and graphs improving the user experience and making it simpler to extract meaningful insights.Improved Search Performance:
The overhauled search functionality provided faster, more relevant results, reducing the time users spent looking for information and increasing overall platform satisfaction.
Lessons Learned & Reflections
One of the key takeaways from this project was the importance of maintaining an ongoing dialogue with users, particularly in large platforms like ArmyIgnited that serve a wide range of roles. By incorporating regular feedback loops, we were able to make meaningful improvements to the platform’s usability and performance. Another lesson was the value of scalability—designing the mass communication tool and dynamic data tables in a way that could easily be expanded as the platform grew was crucial to ensuring future adaptability.
Moving forward, I would recommend continuing to refine these tools, particularly in areas like search customization and data visualization, to further improve the user experience.