Aynsley Longridge

Overview

First of all, let me introduce VML Technology's MVP Studio Builder. It’s a studio that the design team uses internally to build up all the components that make our dynamic videos. This is the front-end UI for our JSON code that builds a VML video.

The builder is still in the it’s early stage of life, and in fact, it currently acts as stage 1 of our creation process of a VML video. While it provides a solid foundation for visually building the storyboard, there are a lot of features that are yet to be developed. As a designer, I will often be jumping in and out of the code editor to manually write the JSON code.

Overview

First of all, let me introduce VML Technology's MVP Studio Builder. It’s a studio that the design team uses internally to build up all the components that make our dynamic videos. This is the front-end UI for our JSON code that builds a VML video.

The builder is still in the it’s early stage of life, and in fact, it currently acts as stage 1 of our creation process of a VML video. While it provides a solid foundation for visually building the storyboard, there are a lot of features that are yet to be developed. As a designer, I will often be jumping in and out of the code editor to manually write the JSON code.

Overview

First of all, let me introduce VML Technology's MVP Studio Builder. It’s a studio that the design team uses internally to build up all the components that make our dynamic videos. This is the front-end UI for our JSON code that builds a VML video.

The builder is still in the it’s early stage of life, and in fact, it currently acts as stage 1 of our creation process of a VML video. While it provides a solid foundation for visually building the storyboard, there are a lot of features that are yet to be developed. As a designer, I will often be jumping in and out of the code editor to manually write the JSON code.

The Challenge

As we work towards an R1 release, we need to remove the mindset that the design team is the primary studio user. We want to create a product that has a simplified user experience, making it intuitive and accessible for all levels of expertise to create a VML Video. The challenge lies in redefining the builder to cater to a broader audience while still meeting the needs of advanced users who require more technical features.

The Challenge

As we work towards an R1 release, we need to remove the mindset that the design team is the primary studio user. We want to create a product that has a simplified user experience, making it intuitive and accessible for all levels of expertise to create a VML Video. The challenge lies in redefining the builder to cater to a broader audience while still meeting the needs of advanced users who require more technical features.

The Challenge

As we work towards an R1 release, we need to remove the mindset that the design team is the primary studio user. We want to create a product that has a simplified user experience, making it intuitive and accessible for all levels of expertise to create a VML Video. The challenge lies in redefining the builder to cater to a broader audience while still meeting the needs of advanced users who require more technical features.

My Role

My role was to collaborate closely with my colleague, Jaume, over a two-week sprint to conduct in-depth research. Our goal was to uncover pain points, identify opportunities, understand the users' needs, and finally, create a solution.

We explored various research approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem. Using our findings as a foundation, we brainstormed, sketched, and prototyped ideas. We then shared these concepts with the team for feedback, iterated based on their input, and then presented the refined concepts to higher management.

My Role

My role was to collaborate closely with my colleague, Jaume, over a two-week sprint to conduct in-depth research. Our goal was to uncover pain points, identify opportunities, understand the users' needs, and finally, create a solution.

We explored various research approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem. Using our findings as a foundation, we brainstormed, sketched, and prototyped ideas. We then shared these concepts with the team for feedback, iterated based on their input, and then presented the refined concepts to higher management.

My Role

My role was to collaborate closely with my colleague, Jaume, over a two-week sprint to conduct in-depth research. Our goal was to uncover pain points, identify opportunities, understand the users' needs, and finally, create a solution.

We explored various research approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem. Using our findings as a foundation, we brainstormed, sketched, and prototyped ideas. We then shared these concepts with the team for feedback, iterated based on their input, and then presented the refined concepts to higher management.

Competitor Review

Overview

First of all, let me introduce VML Technology's MVP Studio Builder. It’s a studio that the design team uses internally to build up all the components that make our dynamic videos. This is the front-end UI for our JSON code that builds a VML video.

The builder is still in the it’s early stage of life, and in fact, it currently acts as stage 1 of our creation process of a VML video. While it provides a solid foundation for visually building the storyboard, there are a lot of features that are yet to be developed. As a designer, I will often be jumping in and out of the code editor to manually write the JSON code.

The Challenge

As we work towards an R1 release, we need to remove the mindset that the design team is the primary studio user. We want to create a product that has a simplified user experience, making it intuitive and accessible for all levels of expertise to create a VML Video. The challenge lies in redefining the builder to cater to a broader audience while still meeting the needs of advanced users who require more technical features.

My Role

My role was to collaborate closely with my colleague, Jaume, over a two-week sprint to conduct in-depth research. Our goal was to uncover pain points, identify opportunities, understand the users' needs, and finally, create a solution.

We explored various research approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the problem. Using our findings as a foundation, we brainstormed, sketched, and prototyped ideas. We then shared these concepts with the team for feedback, iterated based on their input, and then presented the refined concepts to higher management.

Competitor Review

Understand

The understanding phase was crucial to this piece. Since Jaume and I were experienced studio users, we spent a lot of time defining who our users were and discovering what they needed instead of what we needed. We used a variety of different research methods and used those findings to make informed design decisions going forward.

Understand

The understanding phase was crucial to this piece. Since Jaume and I were experienced studio users, we spent a lot of time defining who our users were and discovering what they needed instead of what we needed. We used a variety of different research methods and used those findings to make informed design decisions going forward.

Understand

The understanding phase was crucial to this piece. Since Jaume and I were experienced studio users, we spent a lot of time defining who our users were and discovering what they needed instead of what we needed. We used a variety of different research methods and used those findings to make informed design decisions going forward.

Understand

The understanding phase was crucial to this piece. Since Jaume and I were experienced studio users, we spent a lot of time defining who our users were and discovering what they needed instead of what we needed. We used a variety of different research methods and used those findings to make informed design decisions going forward.

The user interview stages were particularly beneficial. We spent 30 minutes with 7 different participants. During this time we asked a mix of open-ended questions that got the participants talking and sharing their experiences with the studio. It was the final section that enlightened us the most. We gave the interviewee’s a task to complete and walk us through their steps to completion.

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

What we found as each participant shared their screen and began to complete the task, the was a profound result of everyone not knowing where exactly to begin. The current studio only allows a user to add 3 simple elements: Text, Shape & Image. It is then up to the user to build and create buttons/polls etc from these building blocks. It is clear we need to have more intuitive ‘quick add’ options that are pre-made and can be customisable.

This is just an example of one thing that came out of the research stages, some other things that we will touch on during the define period included terminology, overall layout, video templates and brand kits.

The user interview stages were particularly beneficial. We spent 30 minutes with 7 different participants. During this time we asked a mix of open-ended questions that got the participants talking and sharing their experiences with the studio. It was the final section that enlightened us the most. We gave the interviewee’s a task to complete and walk us through their steps to completion.

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

What we found as each participant shared their screen and began to complete the task, the was a profound result of everyone not knowing where exactly to begin. The current studio only allows a user to add 3 simple elements: Text, Shape & Image. It is then up to the user to build and create buttons/polls etc from these building blocks. It is clear we need to have more intuitive ‘quick add’ options that are pre-made and can be customisable.

This is just an example of one thing that came out of the research stages, some other things that we will touch on during the define period included terminology, overall layout, video templates and brand kits.

The user interview stages were particularly beneficial. We spent 30 minutes with 7 different participants. During this time we asked a mix of open-ended questions that got the participants talking and sharing their experiences with the studio. It was the final section that enlightened us the most. We gave the interviewee’s a task to complete and walk us through their steps to completion.

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

What we found as each participant shared their screen and began to complete the task, the was a profound result of everyone not knowing where exactly to begin. The current studio only allows a user to add 3 simple elements: Text, Shape & Image. It is then up to the user to build and create buttons/polls etc from these building blocks. It is clear we need to have more intuitive ‘quick add’ options that are pre-made and can be customisable.

This is just an example of one thing that came out of the research stages, some other things that we will touch on during the define period included terminology, overall layout, video templates and brand kits.

The user interview stages were particularly beneficial. We spent 30 minutes with 7 different participants. During this time we asked a mix of open-ended questions that got the participants talking and sharing their experiences with the studio. It was the final section that enlightened us the most. We gave the interviewee’s a task to complete and walk us through their steps to completion.

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

What we found as each participant shared their screen and began to complete the task, the was a profound result of everyone not knowing where exactly to begin. The current studio only allows a user to add 3 simple elements: Text, Shape & Image. It is then up to the user to build and create buttons/polls etc from these building blocks. It is clear we need to have more intuitive ‘quick add’ options that are pre-made and can be customisable.

This is just an example of one thing that came out of the research stages, some other things that we will touch on during the define period included terminology, overall layout, video templates and brand kits.

Define

During the defining stage, our primary focus was to apply the insights gathered and initiate the process of finding solutions. We kicked off with a brainstorming session, jotting down ideas on post-it notes and clustering them to identify common themes.

Moving on to the conceptualisation phase, we organised our ideas into separate art boards and collaboratively fleshed them out with sketches, wireframes, and graphics.

Define

During the defining stage, our primary focus was to apply the insights gathered and initiate the process of finding solutions. We kicked off with a brainstorming session, jotting down ideas on post-it notes and clustering them to identify common themes.

Moving on to the conceptualisation phase, we organised our ideas into separate art boards and collaboratively fleshed them out with sketches, wireframes, and graphics.

Define

During the defining stage, our primary focus was to apply the insights gathered and initiate the process of finding solutions. We kicked off with a brainstorming session, jotting down ideas on post-it notes and clustering them to identify common themes.

Moving on to the conceptualisation phase, we organised our ideas into separate art boards and collaboratively fleshed them out with sketches, wireframes, and graphics.

Define

During the defining stage, our primary focus was to apply the insights gathered and initiate the process of finding solutions. We kicked off with a brainstorming session, jotting down ideas on post-it notes and clustering them to identify common themes.

Moving on to the conceptualisation phase, we organised our ideas into separate art boards and collaboratively fleshed them out with sketches, wireframes, and graphics.

We presented our progress on three separate occasions, tailoring each presentation to suit the audience and their specific interests:

1.

Design Review: During a call with developers, we showcased our design concepts and sought feedback on feasibility within the given timeframe.

2.

Sales Team Meeting: We highlighted key insights from user interviews and condensed ideas, considering inputs from developers to inform our decisions.

3.

End of Sprint Demo Call: In a company-wide call, we provided a comprehensive summary of our progress, presenting the refined concepts in a visually appealing format.

We presented our progress on three separate occasions, tailoring each presentation to suit the audience and their specific interests:

1.

Design Review: During a call with developers, we showcased our design concepts and sought feedback on feasibility within the given timeframe.

2.

Sales Team Meeting: We highlighted key insights from user interviews and condensed ideas, considering inputs from developers to inform our decisions.

3.

End of Sprint Demo Call: In a company-wide call, we provided a comprehensive summary of our progress, presenting the refined concepts in a visually appealing format.

We presented our progress on three separate occasions, tailoring each presentation to suit the audience and their specific interests:

1.

Design Review: During a call with developers, we showcased our design concepts and sought feedback on feasibility within the given timeframe.

2.

Sales Team Meeting: We highlighted key insights from user interviews and condensed ideas, considering inputs from developers to inform our decisions.

3.

End of Sprint Demo Call: In a company-wide call, we provided a comprehensive summary of our progress, presenting the refined concepts in a visually appealing format.

We presented our progress on three separate occasions, tailoring each presentation to suit the audience and their specific interests:

1.

Design Review: During a call with developers, we showcased our design concepts and sought feedback on feasibility within the given timeframe.

2.

Sales Team Meeting: We highlighted key insights from user interviews and condensed ideas, considering inputs from developers to inform our decisions.

3.

End of Sprint Demo Call: In a company-wide call, we provided a comprehensive summary of our progress, presenting the refined concepts in a visually appealing format.

Conclusion

To conclude we believed we had enough research and ideas to dramatically enrich the VML Studio experience so any users could jump straight in and experience the power of VML without the need to understand what is going on in the background.

Outcome

Despite the valuable insights gathered during this extensive research, the implementation of certain findings had to be deferred due to resource constraints within the company.

Even though it was disappointing that we couldn’t immediately get to work on implementing our findings, they remain invaluable for future iterations and enhancements.

We understood that it is crucial to focus on the business’s immediate needs so we we had to alter the initially agreed-upon solution to ensure the product's delivery in a working state to showcase to investors.

We had extensive discussions to identify trade-offs for features, ultimately deciding to phase out implementation in two steps: ‘R1 Alpha’ followed by the full ‘R1’ product.

The design team began working on two versions of the final designs simultaneously: a blue-sky feature-rich version reflecting our original findings and a stripped-back version aligned with the immediate needs. This approach enabled developers to understand the long-term vision while ensuring that the product was functional and aligned with investor expectations in the short term.

Conclusion

To conclude we believed we had enough research and ideas to dramatically enrich the VML Studio experience so any users could jump straight in and experience the power of VML without the need to understand what is going on in the background.

Outcome

Despite the valuable insights gathered during this extensive research, the implementation of certain findings had to be deferred due to resource constraints within the company.

Even though it was disappointing that we couldn’t immediately get to work on implementing our findings, they remain invaluable for future iterations and enhancements.

We understood that it is crucial to focus on the business’s immediate needs so we we had to alter the initially agreed-upon solution to ensure the product's delivery in a working state to showcase to investors.

We had extensive discussions to identify trade-offs for features, ultimately deciding to phase out implementation in two steps: ‘R1 Alpha’ followed by the full ‘R1’ product.

The design team began working on two versions of the final designs simultaneously: a blue-sky feature-rich version reflecting our original findings and a stripped-back version aligned with the immediate needs. This approach enabled developers to understand the long-term vision while ensuring that the product was functional and aligned with investor expectations in the short term.

Conclusion

To conclude we believed we had enough research and ideas to dramatically enrich the VML Studio experience so any users could jump straight in and experience the power of VML without the need to understand what is going on in the background.

Outcome

Despite the valuable insights gathered during this extensive research, the implementation of certain findings had to be deferred due to resource constraints within the company.

Even though it was disappointing that we couldn’t immediately get to work on implementing our findings, they remain invaluable for future iterations and enhancements.

We understood that it is crucial to focus on the business’s immediate needs so we we had to alter the initially agreed-upon solution to ensure the product's delivery in a working state to showcase to investors.

We had extensive discussions to identify trade-offs for features, ultimately deciding to phase out implementation in two steps: ‘R1 Alpha’ followed by the full ‘R1’ product.

The design team began working on two versions of the final designs simultaneously: a blue-sky feature-rich version reflecting our original findings and a stripped-back version aligned with the immediate needs. This approach enabled developers to understand the long-term vision while ensuring that the product was functional and aligned with investor expectations in the short term.

Conclusion

To conclude we believed we had enough research and ideas to dramatically enrich the VML Studio experience so any users could jump straight in and experience the power of VML without the need to understand what is going on in the background.

Outcome

Despite the valuable insights gathered during this extensive research, the implementation of certain findings had to be deferred due to resource constraints within the company.

Even though it was disappointing that we couldn’t immediately get to work on implementing our findings, they remain invaluable for future iterations and enhancements.

We understood that it is crucial to focus on the business’s immediate needs so we we had to alter the initially agreed-upon solution to ensure the product's delivery in a working state to showcase to investors.

We had extensive discussions to identify trade-offs for features, ultimately deciding to phase out implementation in two steps: ‘R1 Alpha’ followed by the full ‘R1’ product.

The design team began working on two versions of the final designs simultaneously: a blue-sky feature-rich version reflecting our original findings and a stripped-back version aligned with the immediate needs. This approach enabled developers to understand the long-term vision while ensuring that the product was functional and aligned with investor expectations in the short term.

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aynsley longridge

aynsley

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UX RESEARCH

UX RESEARCH

UX RESEARCH

UX RESEARCH

Enhancing Accessibility and Intuitiveness: VML Studio Builder

COMPANY

The Team

COMPANY

The Team

COMPANY

The Team

COMPANY

The Team

Overview

Overview

Overview

The Challenge

The Challenge

The Challenge

My Role

My Role

My Role

Overview

The Challenge

My Role

Understand

Understand

Understand

Understand

Methods we used:

01

02

03

04

05

Methods we used:

01

02

03

04

05

Methods we used:

01

02

03

04

05

Methods we used:

01

02

03

04

05

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

“I feel pretty lost when I land here, where do I start?”

Define

Define

Define

Define

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

Conclusion

Outcome

Conclusion