Project Overview

Redesigning the Deployment Experience for Mission-Critical Software

Role: Lead UX Researcher

Timeline: 6 months

Team: Interns, Data Scientist, Senior/Manager-Level UXRs, VP of Command Center Software

Users: Command Center Software Customers & MSI Deployment Staff

Initiated By: Office of the CTO

Goals & Objectives

  • Map the full user journey from contract to deployment.

  • Identify pain points, gaps, and unmet needs.

  • Align product features with user expectations.

  • Improve satisfaction and reduce churn.

Problem Statement

The company lacked a full understanding of the end-to-end deployment journey, leading to misaligned product decisions, unresolved pain points, and inefficiencies across the software lifecycle.

Research Methods

Quantitative Data Analysis: Supply chain and sales data to pinpoint delays.

  1. User Interviews (15): Deep exploration of deployment challenges.

  2. Focus Groups (3): Captured group dynamics and shared pain points.

  3. Surveys (N=60+): Validated qualitative insights and surfaced trends.

  4. Affinity Mapping + Grounded Theory: Thematic synthesis in Dovetail.

The Process

Planning

  • Defined research objectives with stakeholders from the CTO’s office

  • Built a mixed-methods plan across quantitative and qualitative workstreams

  • Created detailed interview guides, survey instruments, and protocols

Recruitment

  • Screened and selected diverse participants from customer and internal datasets

  • Targeted users with recent deployments across multiple regions and roles

Execution

  • Conducted remote interviews and moderated focus groups

  • Launched surveys to deployment leads and software users

  • Collaborated cross-functionally with the data science team to integrate sales insights

Analysis

  • Transcribed and coded interviews using open → axial → selective coding

  • Ran affinity mapping workshops to identify experience themes

  • Used survey data to triangulate and prioritize high-impact issues

  • Mapped full deployment journey by user mindset, actions, and tools

Synthesis & Delivery

  • Created 5-phase customer journey map with pain points and opportunities

  • Delivered executive summary, full insight report, and design-ready artifacts

  • Presented findings to VP and cross-functional stakeholders in strategic workshops

Findings & Insights

Example Quotes & Key Findings

"I love the software's features, but navigating between them feels like a maze." - User 27, Interview

"The onboarding process was overwhelming. I felt lost and didn't know where to start." - Participant 3, Focus Group

Insights

  • Navigation confusion was a top recurring theme post-deployment

  • Product handoffs lacked clarity, especially between deployment and customer success

  • Users relied on tribal knowledge and internal workarounds, indicating usability gaps

  • Support documentation was outdated or inconsistent with real software workflows

Business Impact

  • 25+ UX recommendations delivered across onboarding, navigation, and documentation

  • 3 strategic focus areas identified for product roadmap alignment

  • Internal deployment resources optimized, reducing average time-to-deploy

  • Increased cross-functional visibility into post-sales UX and its impact on retention

Learning & Reflection

What I’d do differently:

  • Set clearer scoping boundaries upfront (e.g., prioritize "duration" metric early)

  • Redesign group activities with lighter facilitation load

  • Integrate quantitative and qualitative workstreams earlier to avoid rework