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Microsoft Support
I led the redesign of Microsoft's support page to streamline troubleshooting for users, cutting user workload by 25%
TECHNOLOGY
Figma
Miro
UserTesting.com
Google Surveys
TEAM
1 Product Manager
2 Designers
DURATION
6 months
Jan 2023 - June 2023
MY ROLE
User Research
UX Design
Concept Ideation
Low/High Fidelity Prototyping
Competitive Analysis
Introduction
The Microsoft Support Page (support.microsoft.com or SMC) is a platform where millions of users can troubleshoot technical issues and find answers to their product-related questions. By 2023, the Microsoft Support website had grown extensively, however users frequently experienced challenges in quickly locating relevant support and solutions.
Problem
THE PROBLEM
Users report difficulty in finding relevant support and solutions
The Microsoft Support Page is facing challenges with users encountering irrelevant or generic information that fails to address their specific problems. Microsoft hired me and my team to explore how we could provide a more personalized support experience.
I was brought on to work as a Product Designer for Microsoft as part of my capstone sponsored project. By personalizing a user's experience with the Support page, Microsoft can cater to each users' needs accordingly.
DESIGN VISION
How can we increase the personalization of the Microsoft Support website to help users efficiently find relevant solutions?
SOLUTION APPROACH
Your answers, your way - Personalization at Microsoft Support
We worked to implement personalization features on the Support website that would optimize a user's experience.By seamlessly integrating user preferences, we've transformed the support journey into a tailored and intuitive experience. Users now encounter a platform designed to understand and meet their unique needs, providing swift access to relevant information and solutions.
USER RESEARCH
What we wanted from our research:
1. Understand user views on support sites, personalization, and how their data is used
2. Consider ethical balances of privacy vs personalization
3. Understand user goals, motivations, and use cases when using support sites
Learning about our users
To understand the views of support site users, I sent conducted 8 moderated user interviews as well as sent out a survey that received 48 responses. I then sorted my findings through affinity mapping in order to organize my insights
Key Insights and What They Call For
Support Sites are Used
54% of participants stated that they do use support sites often, but go to platforms like Google, Youtube, Reddit first because of convenience, targeted solutions, and access to community
Call for: Functionality
Create an environment where users find support sites just as/more convenient as other platforms by providing personalized, efficient solutions and access to community
Personalization is valued
Personalization features such as relevant articles, question recommendations, search customizations, chatbots, and personalized product lists were desired features
Call for: Increase Tailored Solutions
Leverage data-driven insights to offer relevant recommendations, streamline navigation, and foster a user-centric strategy for customized content
Informed Data Use
8/8 of user interviewees said they weren't concerned with their data being used to personalize content - as long as they're informed and its used with purpose
Call for: Transparent Data use
Implement clear & concise communication strategies to inform user of what specific data is being used to personalize content and how its employed
Personalization shouldn't overtake regular content
4/8 interviewees stated that excessive personalization overshadows regular content
Call for: Balanced Content
Strive for a balanced approach that harmoniously integrates personalized content without overshadowing the regular experience.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
Exploring Personalization Strategies
I conducted a competitive analysis to identify the top personalization features on competitor sites. I evaluated various support sites to understand their approaches to personalization, how they display relevant data, and the strengths and weaknesses of their UI designs. This analysis helped me leverage best practices for implementing effective personalization.
The Apple Support homepage had an excellent list of products a user has as well as most commonly used apps and services.
The IBM Support page uses pop-up boxes and info pages to clearly explain the types of data they use to personalize content.
The Google Support page provides personalized search results specific to the user's device type and activity.
DESIGN VISION
Design Thinking: How Might We's?
Having established our user research as well as competitive analysis, I sought to develop some "how might we" questions to guide my design process. It was imperative to craft queries that address a key aspect identified during our research and act as driving forces, ensuring every design solution directly addresses these aspects.​
How might we...
develop a balance between personalization and privacy?
How might we...
incorporate personalization to make seeking tech support efficient and effortless?
How might we...
increase data transparency and empower the user to make informed choices?
Beginning to think of solutions
Our team began the redesign by coming up with different concept sketches on Miro to describe the designs/features each team member was thinking of. We then worked together to narrow down which designs we wanted to go with. Below you can see a few of the Miro concept sketches I created.
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HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPES
The Final Product: Personalized Support at Microsoft
My goal was to create a personalized support experience that makes users feel the platform understands their problems from the moment they start using it. Below is a look at the final high-fidelity designs
CHANGE #1: INCENTIVE FOR LOGGING IN
Personalized Content Begins at Log In
A clear message at the top of Log in informs the user that logging in generates personalized content
Users can click on the 'Learn More' pop-up, providing additional clarity on the implications and benefits of personalization
PERSONALIZING THE HOME PAGE
Finding Solutions Made Easy
Recommended search/community posts based off previous issues the user has been having to expedite user tasks
Displaying a 'Your Microsoft Products' section that lists the user's registered products for personalized, quick access
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RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Relevant Posts and Articles
The user is now presented with specific, tailored recommendations that are relevant to the user. Data transparency is also emphasized, as the data used to provide recommendations is clearly stated by "based off web activity, products, etc"
VIEWING RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
Relevant Posts and Articles
The user can now see personalized, recommended articles that are tailored to them. We also clearly state what data is being used to generate personalized content (i.e what products they have used, search history)
DEFAULT FILTERING OPTION
Finding relevant search results made easy
One of the biggest issues from user research was how difficult it was to find solutions specific to the user's device. Now, search results can be tailored depending on what device the user has. Results change based on device, product, etc
IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY FORUM
Tailored Help from the Community
User research revealed that people went sites such as Youtube, Reddit, etc to solve problems because they could talk to others. Adding a community feature adds a personalized touch by connecting users to relevant discussions and solutions from a community forum
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RESULTS + REFLECTION
The redesigned Support Page was a success and received very well by my team at Microsoft!
25%
reduced workload
18%
user satisfaction
My redesign was met with very positive feedback from my mentors at Microsoft as well as the users I tested on. My team and I were extremely proud of the 20+ wireframes we created and how we balanced time and business constraints with creating a successful product. Below are a few snippets of what they've said:
"Thank you guys for all your hard work! My team and I are excited to see where this takes personalization at Microsoft"
- Liane Scult, Program Manager
"The user research and design you guys did is really going to set the stage for how we Microsoft designs for the user. The personalization project is going to help both the users and us save a ton of time!"
- Kelli McGee, UX Researcher
"This is going to help me literally get off the site so much quicker because I've easily got the info I needed. "
- Usability Testing Participant
And just to top it off, below is a picture of us with our Microsoft Team during our final project showcase!
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