Product Designer (UX/UI) at Husqvarna Group
I was a part of the Global design team and was the Lead Designer for the Husqvarna Connect Application, a tool for owners of Husqvarna consumer products.
The outcome of my work at Husqvarna:
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A greater understanding of their users with the help of validated user goals, needs and pains.
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A mapped customer journey showcasing when and where users interact with the app, how it contributes to the bigger Customer experience, when and where the application provide value as well as areas to improve and explore.
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A new strategy, vision and goals to measure and validate when continuing to provide value to both user and business.
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A new information architecture improving the experience by categorizing bigger and more common user goals before smaller less common ones.
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Improved and more accessible user interface
Practiced
Service Design
UX Design
UI Design
Product development
User research
Concept test and validation
Strategy and Innovation
Design system
Design thinking methodology
Workshop facilitation
Husqvarna Connect Application
Objective
When I joined the Husqvarna Connect team, the newly released app did not live up to its expectations. Engagement and popularity was not as high as imagined and the insights available told a narrative of an application which purpose was created without an user-centered approach.
The goal was to understand the value of the application in present time, new areas where it could deliver value and how Husqvarna Connect would contribute to Husqvarna's long term vision and business goals.
I became aware of the lack of user insights and involvement and this resulted in an approach were I took a step (or five) back and started from the beginning. To understand the goals, needs, pains and why they users use Husqvarna Connect App, and with the insights, we were able to build a strategy and work to deliver a valuable, usable and desirable experience and in return, the numbers we want to see.
Design process to understand and create value for users and business
Process
We didn't know exactly where to start looking, so we met with users from the biggest markets and covered a several topics such as their garden space, tools and how the application is used in that context. When I had defined user goals, needs and pains, I used surveys to validate them with users smaller markets.
The outcome of covering several topics was that we could identify topics that the users where extra passionate about. These topics helped us define opportunities that we could use as ideation-fuel in a series of workshops, resulting in proof of concepts and hypothesis that we later tested on a low-fi level (quick sketches) on a smaller crowd. Using an open discussion format, we were able to evaluate which concepts had most potential.
Simultaneously, a strategy and how to measure success was formed in close collaboration with the product owner and later communicated with the rest of the team, updating and improving as we received feedback and insights.
Concepts where refined and tested, the app navigation structure and the information hierarchy in each screen was re-designed and reviewed to prioritize important user goals.
The interface was improved by balancing the visual hierarchy, minimizing cognitive load, constant user feedback and more. Updating the UI with components from the newly launched Design-system and design of new components, unique for Husqvarna Connect application and was reviewed by colleagues of the design team, refined and tested by users before development.
User flow - Product maintenance - Figma
Miro projectboard | Customer journey and touchpoints with application | User interviews overview and summary
Result
Smaller usability issues or low-hanging fruit was improved and implemented as the project was running, and by the end of the first year, the amount of bad ratings regarding usability had decreased significantly.
Working user-centered and understanding user goals created a basis to start from for the product owner and the team. It is more fun to work when you know why, what, how and who you're developing for. Sharing a collective vision, working goal oriented and having the tools to measure how valuable the experience is will benefit the users, the business and the team moving forward.
I went on paternity leave and left Husqvarna Connect just as the development phase began. The documentation in the Miro project board was a great asset when onboarding the new designer smoothly, assuring me that he could get up to speed and continue the work of creating a valuable, usable and desirable experience.