Overview icon showing a book

Overview

This was a group project, and we saw the problem and the opportunity to make the lives of retail workers simpler.

Output icon showing a list with checkboxes and a pencil

Output

  • Interactive app design
Details icon showing a pencil and a ruler in a container

Details

    Duration

  • 2 months
  • Tools & Software

  • Google Surveys
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe XD
Mind map of retail employees
Mind map
Empthy map showing what a retail worker does, says. thinks and feels at work
Empathy map
Assumption chart showing stickie notes of what we already know, what we assume we know and what we want to learn
Assumption chart

For this group project, we had to think of a group of people that we would have easy access to complete a survey from us. Those people were retail workers to complete it to answer our research questions before even thinking about an app idea. First, we did a mind map of what came to mind when we thought of retail workers. Followed by the empathy map of our own experiences working retail, then the assumption chart of what we assume and what we want to learn. After we did these together, we did extensive background research and began thinking of our survey questions to help answer the unanswered questions.

Google survey response showing the many things retail workers to communicate with each other.
Google survey response

We came up with survey questions for us to better understand what they need to make their lives easier. The question of what technology or apps do they use to communicate amongst each other was the most eye-opening.

User flows showing how the schedule and chat functions
User flows

After reaching out to retail workers to complete our survey, we identified the problem that companies use old school methods (paper and pen) to schedule staff, book time off and switch shifts. Then we went to Invision to map out the user flows of the app to make sure that this app keeps employees inCheck.

Low fidelity showing the process of a user setting availability
Low fidelity showing the process of a user setting availability
Low fidelity showing the process of a user setting availability
Low fidelity showing the process of a user setting availability and deleting the date
Low fidelity showing the employee looking through their schedule
Low fidelity of the request being approved by the manager

Why we chose to solve this problem is to allow management to be able to keep track of their staff effectively. It will also help staff members to find a replacement in the case of an emergency and being able to select the days that they want to book off. We are saving paper and the hassle of having to track people down.

Above is some of our low-fidelity prototypes, Raquel Alves did these, and I took the completed pages I went into Adobe XD to start prototyping.

Usability testing of changing the availability
Usability testing of giving an employee a shift
Usability testing of signing out
Usability testing of booking time off

After prototyping, we went to test it and found some friction. The most significant friction we identified while testing our app was getting the users to figure out how to schedule employees for a shift. For the user to see the employee list to get Ben to work 5-10pm, they would have to select the hidden drawer above the tab bar with the employee list. Them not being able to see it caused friction for the users because they would try to click on the date on the manager's schedule screen to try to give the employee a shift.

Home screen
Messaging screen
Booking days off
Manager approval screen
Schedule screen
Schedule screen showing the hours
Home screen in a mockup

Brand

inCheck's brand was to be as intuitive and straightforward as possible because it's an app for both employee and managers. Mostly grey and white but with pops of colour to lead the user and guide them through the app.

Underlying Magic

Our users have to struggle to download multiple employee scheduling/chat apps because the apps are missing features that others have. This problem has led us to create inCheck so retail workers can stop struggling and have all the features they're looking for in one app. Instead of having retail workers download multiple apps to get a single function, we created inCheck that has them all.

Value Proposition

This app benefits both employees and management. For management, it saves paper and the hassle of having to track people down. It also improves the time management to be able to keep track of their staff effectively. For employees, it makes booking time off more accessible because they can automatically send to management for approval. It also allows them to find a replacement in the case of an emergency.

View the next project which is an isometric illustration