Reimagining the Client Experience
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Guided by Patrick Chia and IBM iX
Designed with Heather Ong and Emily Kim
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In collaboration with IBM Studios Singapore
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2017
Increasing client engagement through personalized content.
Reimagined: An IBM Feedback and Follow-up System
A product-service system that enables IBM Client Representatives to understand their clients' interests and needs better in addition to streamlinining the follow-up process.
IBM Studios Singapore
IBM Studios Singapore help clients reinvent their business for the digital age. The studio consists of various teams of designers, researchers, digital strategists, analytics and cognitive solution experts that work side-by-side with clients to co-create new business offerings.
The Problem
IBM Studios Singapore has been undergoing a period of rapid growth. Since unveiling the new studio in Marina Bay in mid-2016, the studio has been taking on multiple client tours every day. However, clients seldom reached out to IBM Studios again after the tour.
“…they come for the tour, but after they leave, we never hear from them again…”
Stefan Hirsch, Asia Pacific Lead
Moreover, there was no fixed feedback system in place. Clients who visit the space are typically C-suite executives who aren't too enthusiastic about filling up a feedback form.
“… we want feedback. But how do you get feedback without handing CEOs a feedback form?…”
Tan Chork Thiam, Client Centre
Role
I led a team of 3 designers, with support and feedback from real users and stakeholders at IBM Studios Singapore. I coordinated all facets of the design including user research, ideation, interaction design, product design, relentless prototyping and testing.
At the end of each activity, I found it extremely useful to run playback sessions for each team member to make their point-of-view heard and to reveal misalignment within a team.
This project — from conception to user research, prototyping, user testing, and final concept pitching was completed in 11 weeks.
Design Thinking Tools
We began our research using fly-on-the-wall for discrete and unbiased observation. Thereafter, we conducted interviews with the various teams and stakeholders in the studio to empathise with the users’ experience and their environment.
It was also vital for to have a running list of assumptions to test and questions to ask our users at every stage of the process.
Below are some of the tools and activities that were used in helping us understand our users' problems and motivations, explore new concepts, prototype designs and evaluate with stakeholders
15 minute sprints in a team
Identifying low-hanging-fruit and opportunities
Communicating Ideas
Product Backlog, To-do, WIP, Done
Things that worked, Things to change, Questions we still have, New Ideas to try
Approaching the Problem
Meet Chris. Chris is a client rep. His job is to facilitate a relationship between the client and IBM
Today, he is bringing clients into the IBM Studio space
Chris introduces the clients to an iX designer who gives them a general presentation on iX and their capabilities.
During the discussion, Chris does not want to miss any important points so he furiously scribbles down notes at the cost of being fully engaged in the conversation.
After the tour, Chris hands the clients a feedback form but they do not fill it out.
After the clients leave, Chris does not hear from them again. Does he follow-up or does the iX designer going to follow-up since he was leading the discussion?
Product Service System Design Proposal
Augmenting Human Intelligence
We wanted to preserve the human interaction within the client -- client rep relationship. With this system purposefully integrated into the tour process, client reps ability is enhanced and extended, allowing them to focus on asking clients the right questions and staying fully engaged in the discussion. This assistive intelligence increases productivity, processing information overload, summarising key points to create actionable conversation starters with the client.