UX Case Study: Empowering Employee Independence

Client: Starbucks | 2023 | Case Study

Our Project

Throughout the three month duration of this project, I worked side by side with a team of talented emerging UX designers and researchers to propose a solution to lack of engagement and retention of information within Starbucks corporate training. Our process was to use a variety of user experience research methodologies to ideate, research, prototype and test a solution to this problem.

My Role

My team worked collaborative throughout the entirety of this project but my primary contributions were as follows:

Researching users needs and desires
Conducting user interviews
Ideating solutions and potential application framework
Sketching low to mid-fidelity prototypes
Unifying a cohesive brand identity
Assisting in the designing and prototyping of the final product
Conducting user testing

The Problem

Based on research we conducted, we found that young adults (18-24) have high rates of anxiety when performing new tasks on the spot at work alone because they do not feel their training has prepared them to do an adequate job. Our team set out with the goal to empower confidence within these new employees so that they could competently complete tasks in their service jobs with machinery they may not know well at that point.

Our Solution

Project Goals

We wanted to incorporate specific functions to our design system based on our target audience of young adults and the research findings we discovered about that demographic. We wanted to make sure this application was easy to navigate and users remained engaged while using it. We also wanted to be sure this application catered to the learning styles we found most prevalent in our early survey of users: hands on learning when possible and the use of visual aids. As a whole, our team continually reminded ourselves of the user and their needs at every step of the process.

Problem Statement

College aged young adults have high rates of anxiety when performing new tasks at work alone because they do not feel their training has prepared them to do an adequate job.

Hypothesis

We believe empowering task independence among young adult employees will reduce their anxiety with our solution of a scanning tool that will give in depth assistance on how to work tools in the workplace

Target User

Young adults (18-24) who work in service jobs. For the scope of this project the service business we decided to work with was Starbucks.

User Interviews

Our team decided to conduct user interviews to determine main pain-points users within our target demographic had in past job training environments. Their insights were beyond helpful in assisting us to frame our project. Insights regarding their desire for continual education in the work environment as they maintained on the job were the most insightful as we went forward.

Painpoints

Training environment was often too fast

Trainer attitude often hindered communication

Conversation during training was neither discouraged or encouraged, left user uncomfortable

Training in the back left alone on a computer/with paper work wasn’t helpful for job readiness

Trainer assuming that the user is ready for work

Training was long and drawn out, and could have been consolidated

Training left the trainee exhausted due to long hours

Virtual learning methods were lacking in many ways, especially maintaining focus of the viewer and keeping them engaged

Key Findings

Across the board participants preferred in person face to face instruction

Straight-forward information was mostly preferred

Hand eye coordination and practice was important for memorization

Feels most engaged and prepared when open conversation in the workplace is encouraged

Instructional videos were helpful in teaching complex software.

Eager qualified instructors were preferred

Varied focus environments amongst participant

More reliable when others are counting on you

Knowledge based mini test/ incremental was beneficial

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