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About the Client
Sidekick: Find an Expert is a platform that connects users with vetted experts across a wide range of topics through video and chat-based sessions. With a focus on accessibility, trust, and quality, Sidekick empowers individuals to get personalized guidance and expert support anytime, anywhere.
(Click the logo above to learn more about Sidekick’s offerings)
Research Summary
Product-Market Fit
To better understand the specifics of our target audience, we developed surveys and conducted user interviews to gain better understanding of the needs, pain points and behaviors of both learners and mentors. We summarized our key findings as personas illustrated below.
User Personas
Analogous Models
As survey results and interviews take a while to gather and collect data, I guided the team in simultaneously researching and compiling a competitive analysis via analogous models. This is helpful in identifying existing key features of similar services and products that could be adapted and become innovative solutions by integrating it into the client’s product offering. We combined this with a traditional SWOT Analysis of the client’s current strategic positioning.
Client Product Analysis
Beyond a typical SWOT Analysis, to analyze the current state user journey and service offerings, we created a vertical service blueprint that captures the experience of the two core user bases - Learners and Experts.
Along the center line is the core product functions and offerings in the backend, so as to more easily identify the different features the developers and engineers may need to focus on.
The stars highlight the key aspects of which our project focuses on to elevate, based on the key insights uncovered during our user interviews and mixed methods research.
Key Insights
Inexperienced learners need guidance on how to maintain and continue building relations with experts
Experts tend to be quite busy and benefit from meeting summary notes that are automatically documented and accessible for any future meetings with the learner
Matchmaking success is key for both learners and experts.
Service Blueprint
How might we design a scalable start-up strategy with unique value propositions that effectively balances and grows both sides of a two-sided marketplace?
Based on the Key Insights above, we redefined the scope of this project and hypothesized that the client would find success in the Higher Education Institution market, with a focus on fostering alumni-student relations.
At the time of this project, we identified how learners had access to communities that they may or may not be prepared to access. In the age of growing technology dependence and individualized services, we observed the need for extra guidance in finding and building lasting relationships and mentorships.
Therefore, we illustrated this new ecosystem within which the client’s product would live and highlighted key partnerships and value exchanges between the different entities.
Prototyping & Conversational Design
With this narrowed focus, we then began to test our hypothesis with students and conducted conversation prototypes which helped us test the current journey that the product has to offer. There was a lot of confusion with repetitive data entry, which resulted in distrust with the service’s competency.
We used various techniques including using a storyboard which helped us to observe reactions beyond the verbal statements users made during interviews. Our testing sessions focused on how one might establish a stronger sense of trust and mutual understanding before a first meeting.
Design and Development
Prototyping the AI Chatbot Experience
From physical conversations and interviews, we also observed that many individuals feel more comfortable practicing or being guided by a robot rather than another individual whom they may feel ashamed to show a lack of competence in front of. However, robots can be too
cold and technical, making the chat experience stale and difficult to learn from. Thus, we iterated and tested variations of conversations and defined a balance between the human and AI chatbot experience for a seamless and empowering experience for both learners and experts.
Future-State Journey Map
What I learned…
Prototyping as a Tool for Alignment
Prototyping proved to be an essential step in aligning team members and stakeholders. It helped bridge gaps between initial ideas and actionable solutions, ensuring that all parties were on the same page.Value of Analogous Models
Exploring analogous models provided a deeper understanding of competitors and users' mental models. This approach offered clarity on existing benchmarks and informed the design of innovative solutions.Challenges of Innovating in the Wild
The pivot from targeting "Life Coaches" to focusing on alumni relations highlighted both the excitement and challenges of entering niche markets. While this niche showed promise, it also revealed significant hurdles, such as competing with existing players and navigating institutional collaboration without an established enterprise.Critical Role of Pitching and Sales
Pitching and sales emerged as a critical aspect of the project, often underemphasized during the initial research and ideation phases. I learned the importance of dedicating time and effort to crafting a compelling pitch early on, as it directly impacts the project's success in gaining traction.
This experience reinforced the importance of balancing research, strategy, and execution while remaining adaptable to unforeseen challenges.
Appreciation :)
Special thanks to Jungwon Yang, Andrew Barrow, & Scott Barrow, founders of the Sidekick: Find an Expert app, for trusting us with your vision and allowing us to be part of your journey in connecting communities with experts.