Surround
Redesign

Project Details

(11 month Contract)

Team

FedEx Stakeholders (Director)
FedEx Product Owners (3)
FedEx Business (Marketing)
FedEx Development Team
Microsoft Development Team

My Role

UX Strategist
UX Design
UI Design
User Research
Agile/Sprints

Tools

Figma
Adobe Suite
Jira
Microsoft Teams
Zoom Meeting

Platform

Enterprise Application
Power BI
Angular

Redesign Solution

What is Surround?

B2B/SaaS/AI Tool/IoT
Surround is an enterprise SaaS application with IoT enhancements that leverages Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and analytics to monitor package-related risks along delivery routes.
Problem
Surround had low sales and poor feedback
Following its launch in 2020, the Surround enterprise SaaS application encountered significant challenges in user satisfaction. Feedback highlighted difficulties in comprehending the application's narrow-width display, hindering ease of data interpretation. Additionally, users found the filters, columns, and views non-intuitive, hampering navigation. Several clients expressed concerns that the application appeared developer-driven rather than designed with user experience in mind, leading to confusion in navigating Surround's features.
Legacy Design
Non-Intuitive UI/Poor Feedback/Low Subs

Usability Issues

Users complained that Surround was difficult to navigate, understand, and customize. The application lacked clear instructions and feedback.

Functionality Issues

Users reported that Surround was slow, buggy, and inaccurate at times. The app had issues with the filters, because the user needed to add columns to see the filters they chose.

Aesthetic Issues

Users disliked the look and feel of Surround. The application had the same look and feel of the current free application called Advance Tracking.

Business Objectives

FedEx wants to gain a deeper understanding of shippers' desires, goals, and pain points to create the best possible Surround experience, and to position the product strategically and competitively to generate digital revenue growth.

Grow Subscribers

Strategic UX design enhancements, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for sustainable growth.

Ease of Use

Simplify the shipping experience with a user-friendly and intuitive app that adapts to your needs and preferences.

Retain Subscribers

Keep your customers loyal and satisfied with a reliable and responsive app that provides personalized support and feedback.

My UX Process

This is a general overview of my UX process, with further details provided below. My process comprises of three phases: understand, discover, and design. In the understanding-phase, I conduct walkthroughs, interview Product Owners and develop user flows. Transitioning to the discover-phase, I review analytics, conduct client interviews, and create personas and journey maps to prioritize design elements. Finally, in the design phase, I conduct competitive analysis, gather design inspiration, create wireframes and high-fidelity mockups, build fully interactive prototypes, then user-test them before handing off to development.

Phase One

Understanding the Surround Application
Understanding the application commences with walkthrough requests from Product Owners (POs), initiating a crucial phase in my UX process. As I engage in these walkthroughs, I diligently compile a list of details notes, laying the groundwork for deeper exploration during subsequent interviews with the POs.
1

Walkthrough Request

Taking details notes - using them for further questions with the Product Owners.

Product Owner’s Interviews

I engage with the product owner to gain deeper insights into the product’s challenges.

2

User Flows

It helps to organize and clarify the path that users will take, making it easier to identify and address any potential friction points.

Phase Two

Discovery/Research/Analyze Data
During the Discovery Phase, I'll analyze the data from adobe analytics, past research, and customer feedback, pinpointing trends and opportunities. Organize client interviews, which produce persona creation, journey maps that deepen my understanding of users needs and behaviors, while affinity mapping sessions will help distill key insights and prioritize design directions for the team. By creating a prioritization spreadsheet, I establish a roadmap for design, ensuring that my efforts are focused on delivering impactful solutions aligned with both user expectations and business objectives.
1

Adobe Analytics

I review the analytics looking for bounce rate, most visited pages, time on pages, etc.

Past Research

I ask for any past research, which can give me insights, an overview on past issues, and see if the designs were updated correctly to solve the problems.

2

Client Interviews

Our team decided to conduct interviews to better understand user behavior and aim for informed design decisions that enhance usability satisfaction.

Affinity Mapping

Taking detailed notes, categorizing them - using them for further questions with the team and Product Owners and producing personas, journey maps, and gathering key insights gave clear direction.

Key Insights

Key insights gleaned from interviews indicated that shippers favored a straightforward system characterized by proactive problem solving.

Personas

The primary pain points revolved around their reluctance to engage with the complex systems, as they desired assurance that their packages would arrive on time.

3

Journey Maps

The journey map revealed critical touchpoints and pain points experienced by users throughout the areas for improvement in service delivery.

Design prioritization

I organized the list of redesigns with the team and product owners. I created a design prioritization sheet of work to be done.

Phase Three

Design / User Testing / Development Handoff
In the Design-phase, the focus shifts towards creating, refining, and polishing the design. This involves conducting a competitive analysis to understand market trends and gather design inspirations. Ideas are then sketched out and translated into high-fidelity designs using FedEx's Digital Design System (DDS), bypassing wireframing. These designs are subjected to rigorous user testing, involving both the internal team and specific clients, to gather feedback for iterative improvements. Once refined, the designs are organized and prepared for seamless handoff to the development team, ensuring a smooth transition from design to implementation.
1

Competitive Analysis

I analyze competitors' strategies, strengths, weaknesses, and designs to glean insights into market trends and user expectations.

Design Inspirations

I draw inspiration from various sources, including industry trends and innovative solutions, to fuel my creative process and inform the design direction.

2

Sketching Ideas

I express my concepts and ideas by sketching them out with pen and paper, allowing for rapid exploration and iteration of design possibilities.

High-Fidelity (DDS)

By leveraging FedEx's Design System, I save time and bypass wireframing, ensuring that my conceptual designs adhere to brand guidelines. This facilitates user testing while maintaining UI consistency.

3

User Testing / Iterations

I conduct comprehensive user testing sessions, gathering feedback from both internal team members and targeted clients, to refine the design through iterative improvements.

Development Handoff

Upon finalizing the design, I organize and prepare the assets for seamless handoff to the development team, ensuring clear communication and smooth implementation of the design vision.

Challenges
Surround had low sales and poor feedback
Navigating through several challenges, I encountered initial disconnect from the UX Team within FedEx, as the current design was outside the Design System, primarily handled by third-party designers for the Surround collaboration with FedEx and Microsoft. Additionally, I juggled addressing the legacy backlog designs while integrating new features based on past UX research. Complicating matters further, I found myself assigned to other teams comprised solely of developers within FedEx, requested by my UX Director. Moreover, the looming timeline pressure to complete the redesign before FedEx's annual code freeze, occurring from November to January due to holiday shipping surge, added another layer of complexity to the project. Despite these obstacles, proactive communication with stakeholders and strategic prioritization enabled me to navigate these challenges effectively and meet the project's deadlines.

Design Silo

FedEx's UX management informed me that her team couldn't assist with the Surround design due to its disconnection from the internal design system, complicating the design process with an initial separation from inhouse resources.

Legacy Backlog

Managing the integration of new features into the existing legacy backlog designs presented a significant challenge, requiring careful coordination and prioritization.

Additional Teams

Being tasked with collaborating with other teams consisting of only developers within FedEx posed a unique challenge, requiring adaptability, time management and effective communication to ensure alignment with their design objectives and timelines.

Looming Code Freeze

The imminent annual code freeze at FedEx, coinciding with the holiday shipping surge from November to January, intensified the pressure to complete the redesign within a tight timeline, necessitating efficient project management and decision making.

Outcome Conclusion and Lessons Learned

In conclusion, the UX design overhaul for FedEx Surround represents a significant leap forward in enterprise application design. The redesign process was meticulous and user-centric, focusing on enhancing the user experience and streamlining the workflow. As the application enters its development phase, the anticipation from management is palpable, with predictions indicating a substantial increase in subscribers—from 62 to over 400—by the end of the first quarter.

Lessons Learned:

  • 1.

    User-Centered Design is Key: Prioritizing the needs and feedback of the end-users led to a more intuitive and efficient interface.

  • 2.

    Iterative Process: The redesign was an iterative process, allowing for continuous improvements and refinements based on user testing and feedback.

  • 3.

    Collaboration: Working closely with developers, stakeholders, and users ensured that the design met both technical and business requirements.

  • 4.

    Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing data and analytics helped in making informed design choices that align with user behavior and preferences.

  • 5.

    Scalability: Designing with scalability in mind allows for future growth and the addition of new features without compromising the user experience.

The projected subscriber growth is a testament to the effectiveness of the redesign and the value it brings to the users. It's a clear indicator that investing in UX design can lead to tangible business benefits and enhanced customer satisfaction.