Zoom Case Study

Problem: In 2020, the number of Zoom calls happening each day increased significantly. However, there was no easy way to obtain contact information to better connect with one another after the call is over.

Goal: To elevate the overall user experience of Zoom by adding a user profile so that users can obtain the contact and personal information of others, including name, title, email, gender pronouns, etc., to form better connections both during and beyond the call.

Competitive Analysis: I compared the top four video conferencing tools and actively looked for a profile feature and any other unique features they may have.

Survey Results: I collected user data from 38 people spanning various age groups, work professions, and backgrounds. My main goal was to determine whether or not users would utilize a profile in general and specifically be interested in it containing contact information and identification of gender pronouns.

The results of my survey confirmed my hypothesis that these profile features hold an opportunity to improve the user experience, by offering information that will allow users to better connect with others both on and off the call.

User Profiles: I created three different primary user personas that interact with Zoom on a regular basis. Each user has a different case in which a user profile would enhance their overall Zoom experience.

User Flow: This user flow highlights the typical path a Zoom user would take to complete accessing and completing a user profile.

Wireframes: I created wireframes to define and plan the information architecture of the new Zoom features. I wanted the user to be able to clearly process the path of creating and utilizing a profile based on the research I collected.

Style Guide: I utilized Zoom’s already-existing brand elements in order to elevate the brand aesthetic and modernize the overall look.

Final Designs: I created 10 screens (as shown below) that highlight the new profile features and the implementation of the new modern and clean aesthetic.

Prototype:

User Testing: For my user testing, I sent my prototype out to 10 participants ranging from 20 to 50 in age. Participants also included multiple gender preferences and fields of interest. It did not receive any feedback for immediate fixes. However, one important takeaway from the participants was to add a feature to easily export the contact information of Zoom call participants to the user’s Outlook contacts. I plan to integrate this into the next roadmap for the project.

After Thoughts: One personal goal I had for this project was to create and improve my own design process and put it into action with a real-world product. I was nervous about testing out an idea I felt so passionately about: Would users like it? Would they even utilize it? Would they easily understand it? However, it turned out to be an amazing opportunity to understand the user and experience the real-life work of getting to create designs that benefit their needs.

A couple of challenges I ran into was sticking to the current brand look while modernizing it in a way that elevated it, and getting all of the assets to comfortably fit in the screen. I was so glad to see that adding a profile feature to Zoom as well as making small changes to the program’s overall “look” was able to yield big impacts in the overall experience of the user. It taught me that creating the best user experience sometimes means pivoting your ideas to match their needs. It also taught me the importance of validating your hypothesis through testing.