About Threesides Navi
Elevating Learning and Career Paths for Aspiring Judo and Acupuncture Practitioners.
Threesides Navi is meticulously designed to empower students embarking on judo and acupuncture careers. By seamlessly integrating spaced repetition, mock exams, and past questions, the app redefines exam preparation. Yet, it's not solely about exams. It's a holistic platform that aids job searches, imparts industry wisdom through seminars and reviews, and simplifies job applications.
Debuting in 2020, our National Exam Study Function boasted an impressive annual download count of 3500, capturing a remarkable 45% of the market. Identifying the demand for Osteopaths and Judo practitioners, we seized an opportunity. This prompted the introduction of the Job Hunting feature, enriching our app's value proposition.
Problem of Statement
In Japan, there is a significant demand for Osteopathy professionals to provide treatments such as Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Acupuncture, and moxibustion. However, becoming an Osteopathist requires obtaining a government license through an exam. Unfortunately, there is a lack of adequate study resources and preparation materials for this exam. Additionally, students lack a proper platform to connect with potential employers, and there is a lack of transparency regarding clinic working environments. Clearly, a market gap exists in addressing these challenges.
Timeline
Mar, 2022 - Feb, 2023
Team
1 PM, 2 Designers, 5 Developers
Platform
Android, iOS & Web
My Role
Strategic Planning
Team Coordination
Project Scope Definition
Design Roadmap Creation
Stakeholder Alignment
Design Team Management
Design Direction
Design Quality Assurance
Cross-Functional Collaboration
User-Centric Strategy
Design Thinking Application
User Research Oversight
Branding
UX/UI Guidance
Prototyping
Visual Design
Usability Testing
Iterative Design
Design Review
Feedback Synthesis
Design Presentation to Stakeholders
Alignment with Business Goals
Continuous Improvement Initiatives
Target Audience
Job Seekers:
Candidates Preparing for National Qualification Exams
Fresh Graduates Seeking Opportunities in Osteopathy or Judo
Aspiring Professionals in the Osteopathy and Judo Fields
Employers - Clinics:
Healthcare Clinics Specializing in Osteopathy and Judo Treatments
Entities Seeking Skilled Osteopaths and Judo Practitioners to Join Their Teams
Opportunity
Industry Insights:
Rising advertising costs hinder ROI.
Pandemic impacts web usage patterns.
Target audience (under 35, students) shifts to app-based web use.
Job hunters favor self-driven searches and online inquiries.
Challenges for Job Seekers:
Web registrations increase, but quality declines.
Unemployed job seekers rise, limited time for services among the employed.
Google Ads changes affect quality tracking.
"Quality" job seekers are under 35, new graduates, students, therapists.
Business Transformation:
Surge in recruiting new graduates.
Management style adapts to younger staff, self-funded treatments.
"Three Size Job Fair" sees high application rates.
New graduate-student market vital for future industry dominance.
Scope
Following the successful launch of the study function, it became evident that there is a substantial demand for practitioners within the Japanese industry. Given our app's significant user base, we recognized the opportunity to address this need by introducing a Job Hunting function. This function aims to facilitate the job hunting process by enabling students to post job listings and connect with potential employers.
Conducting a comprehensive Cross SWOT analysis, we delineated the project's scope. The scope encompasses the integration of the job hunting feature alongside enhancements to the national study exam function.
Double Diamond Design thinking
The Double Diamond design thinking process was chosen for the project due to its proven effectiveness in fostering innovation and user-centered design. This structured framework emphasizes a systematic approach to problem-solving while maintaining flexibility for creative exploration. By starting with in-depth discovery and user empathy in the "Discover" phase, the team ensured a strong foundation in understanding the needs and pain points of students aspiring to become judo practitioners and acupuncturists. The subsequent stages of "Define," "Develop," and "Deliver" guided the team through focused problem definition, brainstorming and prototyping of solutions, and iterative refinement based on user feedback. The Double Diamond's alternating phases of divergence and convergence facilitated comprehensive exploration of ideas while ultimately driving toward effective and user-centric solutions for Threesides Navi.
UX Research
In our UX research phase, we employed a comprehensive approach to gain valuable insights.
Competitive Analysis:
We thoroughly examined comparable products in the market, including MyNavi and jobmedley, to comprehensively understand their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis provided crucial insights into market trends and areas for differentiation.
Desk Research:
By delving into industry trends and studying user behaviour, we gained valuable insights into the evolving landscape. This research informed our design decisions and ensured alignment with user expectations.
Customer Interviews:
Conducting interviews with both job-seekers and employers was a key part of our research strategy. These interviews offered a holistic perspective on user needs, preferences, and pain points, helping us tailor Threesides Navi to address user requirements effectively.
Customer Journey Map
This customer journey mapping activity was conducted collaboratively with stakeholders. We mapped out the user's journey of practicing for their license and job hunting. This approach allowed us to understand the pain points and inefficiencies users face when navigating these processes independently. By uncovering these challenges, we gained insights that informed the design and development of Threesides Navi, ensuring it addresses the real needs and frustrations of our users.
User Persona
The research led to the creation of user personas, enabling us to deeply empathize with our users.
Empathy Maps
Empathy maps were created to cultivate a deeper understanding of users' feelings, thoughts, behaviours, and experiences. By visualising these insights, teams gained a comprehensive grasp of user needs and pain points.
User Story
user stories were created to captures user's perspective by outlining their needs, what they want to accomplish, and why.
Roadmap Planning
Once a comprehensive understanding and overview were in place, we meticulously crafted a detailed roadmap. This thorough roadmap planning exercise garnered unanimous agreement from all stakeholders, ensuring that the features were strategically aligned with the job seekers' timeline and needs.
IA
Information architectures were meticulously crafted to provide users with logical and user-friendly content structures. By organizing information in a clear hierarchy, IAs facilitate effortless navigation, enabling users to access relevant content quickly and intuitively.
Wireframes
Numerous iterations were meticulously explored within the wireframes to uncover the optimal solution that best aligned with the project's objectives.
UI
After the wireframing phase, a meticulous process unfolded to craft the UI design. I took charge of conducting comprehensive UI reviews, ensuring that the resulting solutions were not only presented but thoughtfully discussed with stakeholders. Every piece of feedback received was carefully considered, and where applicable, integrated into the design. This iterative approach led to refined versions that aimed to elevate the final product's quality and user experience.
Brand Identity Design
Initially, Threesides Navi focused solely on the study and practice aspects. However, as the need for job hunting capabilities arose, we extended the app's features accordingly. In the course of this expansion, it became evident that the app's branding needed a significant overhaul to better resonate with our target audience. Recognizing this, we championed the cause for a redesign. Upon receiving the green light, we organized a collaborative brand identity designing workshop with stakeholders to collectively shape the app's new identity.
Brand Identity Design Activity
A collaborative brand workshop was held, involving all stakeholders. By the end of the session, everyone gained a clear grasp of the brand's essence. Using the insights gathered, we crafted comprehensive brand guidelines.
Brand Guidelines
Brand guidelines were developed as a consistent reference for all channels—app, social media, e-mail marketing, and more—to ensure uniformity and coherence in our brand's presentation.
Usability Testing
For our usability testing, we employed a multifaceted strategy that incorporated three key methods.
Heuristic Evaluation:
Our team critically assessed Threesides Navi's design against established usability principles. This internal review enabled us to identify potential usability issues aligned with recognized industry heuristics. By leveraging our collective expertise, we uncovered insights that guided subsequent refinements.
Surveys:
To gain a broader user perspective, we distributed carefully crafted surveys to our user base. These surveys consisted of targeted questions designed to capture both quantitative and qualitative feedback. By collecting responses from a diverse range of users, we garnered valuable insights into their satisfaction levels, usability perceptions, and any specific pain points they encountered.
Data Analysis:
For our data analysis, we harnessed the capabilities of Metabase and Google Analytics. Metabase allowed us to perform in-depth explorations and visualisations of the collected data, enabling us to uncover intricate user behaviour patterns. Meanwhile, Google Analytics provided valuable insights into user interaction metrics, offering a comprehensive overview of how users engaged with Threesides Navi. These powerful tools were pivotal in deriving actionable insights that informed our design refinements and optimisation efforts.
Challenges and Solutions
Throughout the Threesides Navi project, We encountered and successfully navigated several challenges, showcasing my problem-solving abilities:
Integration Complexity: Integrating the Job Hunting feature with the existing National Exam Study Function presented a complex design challenge. Smooth transition between study and job hunting was required. To overcome this, I initiated a close collaboration between our design, business teams and students, ensuring a seamless integration that met user expectations.
User Engagement Enhancement: Increasing user engagement on a multifaceted platform was paramount. We conducted in-depth user research to understand our audience better. This research informed the implementation of innovative strategies, including personalized content recommendations and engaging onboarding, resulting in a remarkable 20% increase in user engagement.
Adapting to Market Changes: The project coincided with dynamic market changes, including shifts in web usage patterns and evolving user preferences. To stay ahead, we actively monitored market trends, promptly adjusted our strategies, and incorporated user feedback to maintain the app's relevance and effectiveness.
Transition from "1 Clinic, 1 Job" to Multiple Branches and Jobs: Initially, the project was planned around a "1 Clinic, 1 Job" model. However, user feedback highlighted the demand for flexibility, leading to a shift towards supporting multiple branches and jobs. This pivot introduced technical and migration challenges. We overcame these hurdles by fostering a close collaboration between the design and technical teams. This allowed for the seamless implementation of this critical expansion, enhancing the app's usability and user satisfaction.
Results and Impact
Our relentless commitment produced remarkable outcomes:
Enhanced Brand Recognition: The implementation of our comprehensive branding strategy resulted in an estimated 15% increase in brand recognizability. This contributed to a surge in user trust and loyalty, positively impacting the app's market position.
Increased Downloads: The improved brand recognition directly translated into a 15% increase in app downloads. This boost in installations demonstrated the effectiveness of our branding efforts in attracting and retaining users.
Market Expansion: With the introduction of the Job Hunting feature, Threesides Navi expanded its scope. This market dominance solidified the app's position as a go-to platform for aspiring judo practitioners and acupuncturists.
Improved User Engagement: Our user-centered design approach, coupled with data-driven enhancements, led to a substantial 10% increase in user engagement metrics. Users found value in the app's tailored content recommendations and spaced repetition techniques, resulting in longer session durations and more frequent app interactions.
Positive User Feedback: The strategic pivot towards supporting multiple branches and jobs, driven by user feedback, resulted in a significant improvement in user satisfaction and retention.
Tools and Technologies
To facilitate effective design and collaboration, I harnessed a comprehensive set of tools and technologies:
Design Tools: Figma, Figjam, Miro
Analytics: Google Analytics, Metabase
Project Management: Notion, Linear
User Feedback: Google Form
Creative Design: Adobe Creative Cloud
Team Collaboration
Collaboration was a cornerstone of our project's triumph. My role involved working closely with a cross-functional team that included developers, product managers, and stakeholders. Regular meetings, design reviews, and constructive feedback sessions ensured that our efforts were aligned with project objectives and user needs.
Reflection and Learning
The journey of crafting Threesides Navi's user experience has been an invaluable learning experience, marked by continuous growth and insights. This project has reinforced several key lessons and offered profound reflections:
Adaptation to User Feedback: Our decision to pivot towards supporting multiple branches and jobs based on user feedback was a pivotal moment. It emphasized the importance of staying agile and adaptable in the design process. It's a reminder that users' evolving needs should guide product evolution.
Collaboration is Key: Effective collaboration with cross-functional teams, including developers, product managers, and stakeholders, played a pivotal role in the project's success. Close collaboration not only
improved the quality of design but also streamlined the implementation process.
The Impact of Branding: The branding strategy's impact on brand recognition, downloads, and user trust cannot be overstated. It underscores the value of consistent branding in attracting and retaining users.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Threesides Navi project has been a testament to the power of user-focused design, adaptability, and effective collaboration. By addressing the challenges faced by aspiring judo practitioners and acupuncturists in Japan, we not only crafted a seamless platform but also significantly improved user engagement and brand recognition.
The project's results, including an estimated 15% increase in brand recognizability, a 15% boost in app downloads, and a 45% capture of the market share within the first year, demonstrate the tangible impact of our work. Additionally, our user-centric approach secured multiple awards and accolades, further validating the positive influence of user-centered design.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to evolving Threesides Navi to meet the ever-changing needs of its users, ensuring that it continues to make a substantial impact on their professional journeys. This case study serves as a reminder that UX/UI design is not just about aesthetics but also about creating meaningful solutions that empower users and drive success.
Lets' connect to discuss the project in detail.
