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U-M Economic Growth Institute - Web Tool

Web Consultant - Palantir.net

Duration: April -  Nov 2018

Type: Group and Individual (later)

My Role: UX Researcher and Designer

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Overview

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) selected the University of Michigan’s Economic Growth Institute to study successful collaborations between public research universities and private technology developers as well as federal research laboratories (FRLs). 

The full description of the project can be found here.

Goal

A final deliverable of this project will include a prototype of a web-based, interactive “Practitioner Best Practice Evaluation Tool”. The proposed prototype will provide tailored feedback and guidance for technology developers seeking to collaborate regionally or nationally on accelerating technology commercialization.  The website will provide background information on major technology-development sectors and clusters, as well as identify major players both within and outside of universities and federal research labs. 

UX Team

  1. Elizabeth Austic, Senior Research Project Manager

  2. Nalin Bhatia, UX Graduate Research Associate

  3. David Williams , UX and Web Intern

Overview

Stakeholder

Interviews

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Proposal Submission to NIST for further funding

Usability

Tests

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Development and launch

Interactive Prortype

Wireframes

User Journey

Map

Affinity Diagramming

Process

Personas

Process

Stakeholder Interviews

Since very sparse literature existed online relevant to our scope, we conducted a total of 10 user experience interviews with stakeholders across different areas to better understand their practices, and the challenges the experience in the process of technology development.

Duration: Sept 2017 -  Dec 2017

Stakeholder Interviews

Industry

Universities

FRLs*

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+

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4

CEOs or founders of startups in the midwest

1

person who has developed technology as part of a university spin-off

2

professors at IEPUs* who commercialized a technology they developed

1

head of the technology transfer office of a non-IEP university. 

1

investigator conducting another NIST study examining technology transfer in federal labs

1

head of a federal technology transfer office

*IEPUs = nnovation & Economic Prosperity Universities, FRLs = Federal Research Labs

Key Takeaways

Through these interviews, the UX and Web Design Team has gained a deeper understanding of what potential users of the website will be hoping to get from using it and how information may be presented in a helpful and constructive way. Following were the three key takeaways:

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The Importance of Collaboration and Networking

Good collaborations are integral to successfully commercializing a product or technology

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Differences in Technology Transfer Approaches

As might be expected, the approach to technology transfer and creating spin-off companies is different for almost every individual or organization 

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Sector and Cross-sector collaboration

Industry collaboration more geared towards cross-sector and FRLs + academia more towards within their sector

Affinity Diagram

After consolidating notes from each interview, we gathered 300 data points and organized them with the Affinity Diagramming method to obtain our key research findings. The images below gives an overview of what our version of affinity wall looked like.

Duration: Sept 2017 -  Dec 2017

Affintiy Diagram
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Key Findings

The affinity diagram exercise enabled us to define the pressing requirements of the users, and across which themes they lie. This ultimately helped us to define the journey of our user, and the architecture of the tool.

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Duration: Sept 2017 -  Dec 2017

Personas

Based on the findings from the Affinity Diagramming Exercise, the users' needs and pain-points were clear and we were able to create 4 different user personas who will be the primary users of our web-tool. 

Personas

User Journey Mapping

To define our key features for the web-tool, we needed to first create a user journey map for the end to end technology commercialization process, and based on the issues identified at the different stages of the user journey, we come up with features that would address those issues. Following is the customer journey map across the different stages of the technology development process.

Duration: Sept 2017 -  Dec 2017

User Journey Map
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Brainstorming and Design Synthesis

Based on our research, we brainstormed several ideas and further proposed our design to function like a website and encompassing:  1) an interactive tool for more personalized recommendations including an interactive map to locate technology clusters, and 2) More generalized information for less tech-savvy users. 

Design Synthesis
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Users

Users

Federal Researchers

Inventors

Univ. Profs.

Post-Docs, Researchers

Industry Professionals

Industry Professionals

Features

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Simple clear design that resonates with majority of the users' familiarity

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Interactive tool for guided personalized recommendations

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General resource information applicable to all 

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Interactive map to locate tech. clusters to collaborate based on preferences 

Guided user journey flow

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Architecture Mapping

Based on the customer journeys and findings before, a site architecture map was created to help inform the design of wireframes 

Architecture Mapping
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Wireframes

The next step was creation of wireframes based on the ideas extracted from the User Journey Map. There were further shared with our external web consultants - Palantir

Below are a few initial wireframes. 

Duration: Sept 2017 -  Dec 2017

Wireframes
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Low-fi prototype

A low-fi prototype is currently in progress to be submitted to Palantir to communicate a better understanding of the design ans flow

Iterations

Iteration 1

Based on the user testing session, I received the following feedback, and made the respective iterations:

Feedback: 'Pathways to Innovation' and 'Cross-sector collaboration' are meant to be used by Researchers/Inventors and Industry Leader        specifically, hence the flows need to be tailored accordingly

Revision: An interactive tool which specifically caters to comprises of cross-sector collaboration and pathways to innovation

Feedback: The user flow is currently more 'exploratory' and needs to be more 'directional'

Revision:  1)  More simplified and streamlined user journey.

                  2)  A landing homepage which directs to the user to the specific part of the tool based on their role.

Feedback: 'Thought Leaders' are mostly concerned with general information related to their sector.

Revision: Thought leaders would be led to a separate section which covers general information about the sector and best practices.

Feedback: Maps should be accessible by all as a reference

Revision: A separate tool called 'Resource Maps' accessible from the home page and independent of the interactive tool.

Iterations
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Final Iteration

Based on the final usability assessment, I received the following feedback, and made the respective iterations:

Feedback: "No way to know what my responses are, and if I need to revise them"     

Revision: Appropriate feedback and ability to revise responses.

Feedback: Support required when entering responses.

Revision:  A collaborative learning center feature.

Hi-fi Prototype

Hi-fi Prototype

The above design was handed over to EGI after approval and will be in development on securing additional funding from NIST.

Conclusion

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