Palo Alto Networks
Building a Research Toolkit for Designer-Led Discovery and PM Collaboration
UX Research
Interaction Design
Prototyping
ROLE
UX Research Intern
TEAM
PAIR Team
DURATION
12 weeks
TOOLS
Figma
FigJam
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
Addressing Limited User Insights
The UX design process at NetSec currently lacks sufficient and timely user insights due to limited availability and accessibility of research resources. Additionally, there is a need for a streamlined process to onboard Product Managers (PMs) into research activities to garner their support and enhance collaboration. To address these issues, a comprehensive UX Research Toolkit is needed to enable designers to conduct effective research.
Curious about the solution? Contact me.
For security reasons the final deliverable is not available on my website (password protection is not always secure), but if you’re interested in learning more about my work please contact me!
See design process & learnings below
EMPATHIZE:
UNDERSTANDING DESIGNERS & THEIR RESEARCH CHALLENGES
I started by conducting a thorough literature review, examining existing templates and frameworks to see what tools were already out there and how they could inspire my approach.
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH:
I RAN 9 QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
To tailor the toolkit to their specific needs, I embarked on a series of nine in-depth user interviews with designers across various teams. I focused on evaluating three key personas:
1. Experienced Researchers – Designers comfortable with conducting their own research.
2. Inexperienced Researchers – Those who had little to no experience with user research.
3. Intermediate Researchers – Designers who had some experience but lacked confidence or needed more structured support.
FigJam Board of My Notes
SYNTHESIS:
THREE ROUNDS OF AFFINITY MAPPING & WORKSHOPPING TO GET KEY INSIGHTS
WHAT WERE THE MAIN CHALLENGES DESIGNERS FACE WHEN CONDUCTING RESEARCH?
TOP 3 CHALLENGES
DESIGNERS FACE
7
out of
9
designers interviewed said that they struggle to allocate sufficient time for conducting thorough research amidst their quick timelines
5
out of
9
designers interviewed said that finding and recruiting suitable participants for research studies is a significant challenge
6
out of
9
designers interviewed said that formulating effective and unbiased questions for interviews is difficult impacting insights gathered
IDEATION:
BUILDING RESEARCH TOOLKIT VERSION 1 IN FIGJAM
With a clearer understanding of user needs, I began developing the first iteration of the toolkit in **FigJam**. This platform was chosen initially for its collaborative nature and because it would easily integrate with a variety of pre-existing templates I had designed.
PIVOT!!!!
TESTING RESEARCH TOOLKIT VERSION 1
During the first usability testing session, I watched as designers struggled to navigate the toolkit. What was meant to be a seamless experience turned into a cumbersome process. The interaction felt tedious, and users had difficulty managing the templates and steps.
The feedback was loud and clear: FigJam wasn’t the right platform for this solution.
IDEATION + PROTOTYPING:
BUILDING RESEARCH TOOLKIT VERSION 2 IN FIGJAM
I pivoted to **Figma**, a tool that offered more robust prototyping capabilities.
This move was a turning point.
With Figma, I could create a more cohesive experience, embedding interactive step-by-step guides that made the process feel intuitive. I rebuilt the toolkit, focusing on simplifying navigation and ensuring each component was logically laid out.
USABILITY TESTING:
I CONDUCTED 6 USABILITY TEST FOR ROUND 2 OF TESTING TO
OBSERVE HOW DESIGNERS INTERACTED WITH THE TOOLKIT
RESULTS: Designers could easily navigate the toolkit, follow the step-by-step guides, and understand the research processes laid out before them. The feedback highlighted that the toolkit was effective, user-friendly, and met their needs.
6
out of
6
designers tested encountered no key pain points when interacting with the toolkit!
REFLECTION:
KEY LEARNINGS
Building this toolkit taught me that understanding user needs through direct engagement is essential for meaningful solutions.
The transition from FigJam to Figma was a reminder that adaptability is key. Every decision and iteration was informed by the voices of the people who would use the toolkit, ensuring that the final product was truly user-centric.
The importance in asking non leading questions. I truly struggled in the beginning asking unbiased questions but through the help of my mentors I gained a lot of knowledge in asking effective research questions.
Curious about the solution? Contact me.
For security reasons the final deliverable is not available on my website (password protection is not always secure), but if you’re interested in learning more about my work please contact me!