Replacing manual systems with a self-service digital experience.
Character Lab faced significant challenges in managing collaboration with hundreds of academic researchers. The manual processes involved in communication, information sharing, and project management were time-consuming, inefficient, and often led to misunderstandings and delays. To address these issues, a service design project was initiated to create a more streamlined and effective platform for researcher collaboration.
Challenges
• Time-Consuming Processes: Researchers were expected to read through a 40-page PDF and then go through a tedious back and forth process to run their research. The Character Lab Research Partnerships team spent a significant amount of time on manual tasks such as email communication, addressing routine inquiries, and fixing mistakes.
• Communication Challenges: The back-and-forth nature of email communication often led to misunderstandings and delays.
• Lack of Autonomy: Researchers felt limited autonomy in managing their own projects and often required extensive support from the research partnerships team. The amount of time dedicated to researcher support prevented team members from doing more forward thinking and higher-level thinking for their team.
• Impact on Team Morale: The burden of supporting researchers was negatively impacting team morale and leading to employee turnover.
Solution
To address these challenges, a new researcher website was developed. The platform provided researchers with a centralized hub for accessing information, managing projects, and communicating with Character Lab. Key features included:
• Self-Service Portal: Researchers could access project information, submit requests, and track progress independently.
• Online Collaboration Tools: The platform integrated tools for document sharing, file management, and real-time collaboration.
• Knowledge Base: A centralized repository of frequently asked questions and resources was available to researchers.
Study Application
Outcomes
• Increased Efficiency: Researchers were able to manage their projects more efficiently, reducing the need for constant communication and support from Character Lab.
• Improved Satisfaction: Researchers reported higher levels of satisfaction with the new platform, citing increased autonomy and ease of use.
• Time Savings: The website freed up substantial time for the research team, allowing them to focus on more strategic and innovative initiatives.
• Cost Savings: The reduced need for manual support resulted in cost savings for Character Lab.
• Scalability: The platform was designed to scale easily, accommodating a growing number of researchers with minimal additional resources.
The improved team member portion of the application allowed us to capture more data on our researchers, helping us to track our goal of helping researchers of under-represented backgrounds.
Lessons Learned
• Researcher Autonomy: Researchers are willing to take on more responsibility if provided with a clear and user-friendly platform.
• Leveraging External Expertise: Partnering with an external vendor can be an effective way to expand the team's capabilities and deliver innovative solutions.
• Thorough Content Review: Allocating sufficient time for editing, reviewing, and proofreading content is essential to ensure a high-quality user experience.
The successful implementation of the researcher website demonstrates the value of service design in addressing complex organizational challenges. By focusing on user needs and providing a streamlined platform, Character Lab was able to improve efficiency, enhance user satisfaction, and achieve significant long-term benefits.