Will Linczer | GlyphX Project

GlyphX

Data Analysis, Visualization, & Insight Communication

Description

The venture support team was tasked with a brand, product, and technical overhaul of a data visualization tool called SynGlyphX.

My Task

My task was to identify a target audience in need of data visualization and design a new user experience and feature set tailored to their needs.

Problem Statement

Manufacturing companies gather more internal data than ever before, attempting to discover inefficiencies before they become issues.

If non-technical employees and executives are unable to participate in data analysis, critical trendlines and flaws are missed.

Project

User Research
Concept to MVP
Tool Redesign

Team

Project Manager
Product Designer
Brand Designer
Engineer Team

Role

UX Researcher
Product Designer

Timeline

July - December 2022

Screenshot 1 of 2 of the original SynglyphX tool

Screenshot 2 of 2 of the original SynglyphX tool

Original SynglyphX data visualization tool

Research & Discovery

Activities

Low-Fidelity Concept Wireframes
Research Interviews

60 | Target-User Triangulation
15 | Value Proposition Testing

Finding #1: Outdated Reporting

By the time an analyst’s report gets seen by the non-technical decision makers, the data is outdated by weeks.

A non-technical executive frustrated by outdated reports and limited visibility into her company’s data.

Finding #2: Time-wasting Search

Analysts spend their time searching through tables and dashboards, trying to find the source of their client's issue.

A lead business analyst walks through an average project timeline for his team.

Finding #3: Channel Confusion

Analysts waste time trying to find the proper channels to receive and understand their reports.

An analyst struggles to inform his client’s relevant employees about recurring issues and new insights.

Synthesis & Ideation

Activities

Component & Icon Library
High Fidelity Prototype Mockups
Usability Interviews

45 | Prototype Testing

Insight #1: Limited Visibility

Non-technical clients/managers need better visibility into their company’s latest data.

Insight #2: Clunky Exploration

Current data manipulation tools are poorly optimized for exploring large data tables and dashboards.

Insight #3: Sharing Bottleneck

Sharing insights and the associated data between analyst and the relevant stakeholder takes far too long.

An early ideation of the model dashboard used to gauge interest in consultant/client communication tools and shared digital spaces.

An early ideation of the model dashboard the team used to gauge interest in a shared digital space for consultant/client communication.

A model editor concept used to test the balance between the rigor and flexibility required by analysts, and the approachability needed for non-technical users.

A model editor concept the team used to test the balance between the rigor and flexibility required by analysts, and the approachability needed for non-technical users.

Features

Activities

UI Guidelines
Developer Specifications

Feature #1: Plug & Play Templates

Templates & the Template Library allow non-technical users to automatically build and update useful models without assistance.

Feature #2: Synced Interactions

The File & Model viewers allow any user to identify anomalous glyphs in a model and locate the associated data immediately.

Feature #3: Internal Comms Tools

The States, Alerts, & Threads tools allow consultants to highlight data, email a client’s relevant employees automatically, and chat right away.

A product spec version of the GlyphX template library, showing various templates the glyphx tool can automatically build if filled in witht he correct data

[Left] Templates Library displays model templates attached to prescreened data by analysts and then highlighted as ready to be build for users.

[Down] Template Details overlay displays data sources, model example, similar templates, engagement metrics, and a 'Build' CTA to inform non-technical users.

A product spec version of the Template details page, which allows a user to see an example of the template,a description, related templated, and the option to build the template

In the model editor, side-by-side file and model viewers display synchronized select-state interactions for users to rapidly explore data and identify problems visually.

A product spec version of the redesigned GlyphX modeling tool with a sidebar of tools for filtering and exploration.the data table grid and 3D model visualizer are highlighted

A product spec version of the glyphx tool with the Threads tool highlighted. Threads allow uses to discuss shared versions of the model called states

Threads tab in the toolbar displays the main model thread by default, but users can also make threads for specific model states, individual glyphs, or threshold alerts.

Detailed permissions structures ensure the proper analysts or employees are notified immediately.

A screenshot of a glyphx email template, highlighting the users ability to share a model or thread through email.

Conclusion

Results

Within 6 months the venture support team successfully reimagined the SynglyphX tool into GlyphX, a startup with a clear use case, interested development partners (initial users), and a viable product roadmap.

The venture board provided additional funding for GlyphX, and approved a MVP development cycle with continued design support for developer handoffs and feature expansion.

Quotes

“I see this as the tool the next generation of consultants will use.”
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- Procurement, Management Consulting Lead

“GlyphX is software that I would have killed for when I was an analyst. Other tools take weeks to build models. GlyphX takes minutes.”

- Principal, Implementation Practices Lead

“When you can identify a trend for the last three months and pick out anomalies, that’s a lot more valuable.”
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- Director of IT

Lessons

The GlyphX redesign process demonstrated a product's success relies as much on how it is framed to potential users and stakeholders as on its ability to meet a user's needs.

At its simplest, a product must look and feel the part to potential customers. Because of its archaic aesthetics and inscrutable features, the original tool fits the description of an obtuse data visualizer. Anyone capable of using it would aptly be titled a tech-wiz, casting powerful technomancy and summoning arcane glyphs to explain the future. This barrier is where the old tool fails, as a it scares off non-technical users.

In order to attract both technical and non-technical users, I provided GlyphX with simple and familiar UX layouts that inspire confidence, and then framed it with technical UI aesthetics to evoke a sense of power. When combined the user, technical or not, is able to visualize, analyze, and share their data in so few steps it still feels like magic.