About Threesides Navi
Threesides Navi is designed for people who want to become skilled in Judo and Acupuncture. It helps students prepare for exams by using techniques like spaced repetition, practice exams, and past questions. But it's not just for exams; it also helps with finding jobs, provides industry advice through seminars and reviews, and makes job applications easier.
Debuting in 2020 and quickly became popular, with 3500 downloads each year and capturing 45% of the japanese market. Recognizing the need for Osteopaths and Judo practitioners, the app added a feature to help users find jobs, making it even more useful.
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
July, 2022 - March, 2023
Team
1 PM, 2 Designers, 5 Developers
Platform
Android, IOS & Web
My Roles
UI Design
UX Research
Low/High Fidelity Wireframes
Prototyping
Design rebranding
Design system
Usability Testing
Development design review & support
Design Quality Assurance
Prototyped design presentation to team
Supportive graphic content
Continuous Design improvement Iterations
Target Audience
Job Seekers
Candidates Preparing for National Qualification Exams.
Fresh Graduates Seeking Opportunities in Osteopathy or JudoFresh 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
We chose the Double Diamond design thinking process for this project because it's known for its innovation and user-centered design. This structured approach combines systematic problem-solving with creative flexibility.
We began with a deep understanding of the students aspiring to become judo practitioners and acupuncturists in the 'Discover' phase. This helped us identify their needs and challenges. The following phases, 'Define,' 'Develop,' and 'Deliver,' helped us define the problems, brainstorm solutions, create prototypes, and refine them based on user feedback.
The Double Diamond approach allowed us to explore a wide range of ideas and ultimately develop effective and user-friendly 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 dive deep 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 Personas
The research led to the creation of user personas, enabling us to deeply empathize with our users.
User Stories
User stories were created to captures user's perspective by outlining their needs, what they want to accomplish, and why.
Information Architecture
Information architectures were crafted with logical and user-friendly content structures. By organizing information in a clear hierarchy, IAs provides effortless navigation, enabling developers to understand product structure and navigation quickly.
Wireframes
We went through multiple versions of the wireframes to find the best solution that matched our project goals.
UI
Following the wireframing phase, we put a lot of care into creating the visual design of the user interface (UI). I was responsible for creating UI to make sure it met our goals. We didn't just show the designs; we discussed them thoughtfully with the people involved in the project. We carefully looked at all the feedback we received and based on that made changes in the design regularly. This back-and-forth process helped us make the final product better and more user-friendly.
Design Guidelines
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. Based on the decision, we organized a collaborative brand identity designing workshop with stakeholders to collectively shape the app's new identity.
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.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the journey of crafting Threesides Navi's user experience has been one of continuous learning, adaptation, and innovation. From identifying user needs to refining features based on usability testing, the case study reflects our dedication to creating a seamless platform for aspiring judoka practitioners and acupuncturists. The integration of user-centered design principles, iterative development, and collaborative efforts with stakeholders has resulted in an app that not only empowers users in their educational and career pursuits but also serves as a testament to the power of user-focused design. As we move forward, we remain committed to evolving Threesides Navi to meet the changing needs of its users and to continue making a positive impact in their professional journeys.