As the only UX architect on the scrum team, I was responsible for research, design, and documentation. I also helped the team write user stories and otherwise ensure everything is ready for development. 

Because I was unable speak to actual end users to understand their needs and context of use,  I had to find an appropriate substitute. We recruited 10 employees we found in the cafeteria at lunch to a focus group later that day. In it, we discussed participants’ experience with dentists and tested the notion that customers would take a recommendation from my client on which dentist to choose.

Responsive websites can sometimes triple the amount of design work required to document how the site looks and behaves. It is more than producing three versions of the same page for mobile, desktop, and some breakpoint in between. I needed to document how the parts of the page adapt as part of an overall responsive layout. I found that color-coded wireframes helped developers track how the layout will change having to know all the details, which meant they could start on development sooner.

Supporting an agile development teams means producing just enough documentation to clarify requirements and provide a shared understanding of how the app will work. For instance, workflow diagrams helped developers see how a feature or components contributes to the overall experience of using the app.  

Based on what was said during the focus group, we learned that trust and convenience were the top two considerations – and loaded ones at that – in choosing a dentist. Therefore, the main job-to-be-done for the site was to help the visitor evaluate whether a dentist fit these criteria.

When selecting a dentist, participants trust the recommendations of friends, family, and other customers who write reviews. They do NOT trust the advice of their life insurance provider, which some viewed as a conflict of interest at best and a back-channel way to raise their premiums at worst.

Convenience – as defined by participants – was a complex need to address. Hours of operation and location were the usual suspects. In addition, participants sought additional information about whether the dentist spoke their native language or performed a particular service – all of which needed to be represented and easy to find on the website.