KPILY

Gamified Performance Management

What is KPILY?


KPILY is a web application performance management tool by Valourline Technologies, an early-stage start-up. The purpose of this application is to provide real-time feedback which allows employees to take control of their performance with daily consistent efforts for improvement. Performance can be improved quickly, rather than after the annual performance reviews.

Gamification is added to the web application to entice employees and managers to use it consistently and add an element of fun.

My Role

KPILY was a 4-week internship (40 hours total) in which I worked with 2 other UX Designers. Our team worked together to:

  • Define the scope/timeline of project

  • Define the MVP

  • Define user flows

  • Create low-fidelity prototype

  • Conduct usability testing

  • Iterate low-fidelity prototype

Additionally, I led the visual design portion which included:

  • Define brand personality

  • Create brand guide

  • Create logo

Week 1
The Scope

Provided Information

Valourline Technologies had provided us with their project document, information architecture, and user research. My team was tasked to move the project forward with designing and branding.

Defining the MVP

Based on our first team meeting and documentation from Valourline Technologies, the host had many aspirations for the design of KPILY. Although we would have loved to work on all of them, it was essential to narrow down the most important features to include in the first version of this design. Because of time constraints, we wanted to ensure that we would be able to provide quality work with our deliverables.

To organize all of the features, we created a chart which listed the main goals of KPILY at the top. Under each goal was a column of features related to the goal, highest priority being closest to the top.

KPILY

The section in red is what we defined as the MVP. We would also add gamification into the designs.

KPILY

Defining the Deliverables

We provided the host with 2 options for deliverables that could be completed within our allotted time period. The host chose Option 2.

KPILY
Week 2
Ideation

User Flows

KPILY
KPILY

Gathering Inspiration

We took a look at other performance management web applications to draw inspiration.

KPILY

Sketches

KPILY

Employee Dashboard Overview

KPILY

Manager Dashboard Overview

Week 3
Initial Low-Fidelity Design

You can write here as much as you want, this text will always look nice, whether you write longer paragraphs or just a few words. Click here and try it out. After presenting the sketches to the host, we implemented a few changes to the low-fidelity designs.

Employee Dashboard

KPILY

Manager Dashboard

KPILY
Week 4
Usability Testing & Final Design

Usability Testing

Opinion on Gamification

The main innovative factor of KPILY is that it is a gamified performance management tool. We thought that it would be imperative to ask users for their opinions on the gamification aspect.

Overall, our employee and manager participants felt that points and ranking individual people would have a negative effect on team morale. Employees preferred to be trusted and have human 1-1 conversations with their managers for feedback. Managers felt that supervising direct reports on every little task was excessive.

KPILY

Test Results

Participants mentioned 3 critical issues and 1 major issue during testing, which were corrected in the final low-fidelity designs (prototype in the next section).

KPILY

Final Design Prototype

After sharing the test results with the host, we implemented the changes. We also discussed our findings about gamification. Due to business circumstances, the host wanted us to carry on with gamification.

VISUAL DESIGN

Since the host chose the low-fidelity designs option, I wanted to provide them with a simple brand guide to give them some visual direction as they venture into their high-fidelity designs.

KPILY
Reflections

Working with Clients

Regular communication is essential to building and maintaining a good relationship with clients. Clients should be notified of major findings; however, it is ultimately up to the client whether they would like to make changes according to the findings or continue with their plans.

KPILY's Future Features

If I had the opportunity to continue working on KPILY, I would love to create a high-fidelity mock-up using the branding. I would also like to design the user interface of other users, such as HR/administrator.