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Finally, a tool that gets it right. This dashboard is the answer to our vetting dreams!
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The goal
To develop a tool that simplifies school vetting and automates the Single Central Record, ensuring stellar compliance for schools and Multi-Academy Trusts.
Project duration
July – October 2023
My role
UX Researcher/UX Designer/UI Designer
Responsibilities
User research/Competitive analysis/Wireframing/Prototyping
The challenge
The main challenge was creating something entirely new. Currently, schools manage their Single Central Record on old-fashioned spreadsheets, updating them manually. Extensive research was key to creating a dependable solution that not only meets schools’ needs but aligns perfectly with OFSTED requirements.
So how might we revolutionise Single Central Record maintenance for school reps through an innovative SaaS solution?
Understanding the user: pain points
I interviewed more than 20 school and MAT representatives for my user research. They shared common difficulties with keeping the Single Central Record up to date. I used these insights to make sure my designs met users’ needs and expectations.
Manual data entry
Heavy reliance on manual data entry increases the risk of errors, potentially impacting the accuracy of the Single Central Record. The manual process increases the likelihood of inconsistencies and oversights, posing challenges in maintaining data integrity.
Compliance challenges
Without a centralised system, maintaining a consistent and organised approach to KCSIE updates becomes challenging, leading to potential compliance issues. Implementing a streamlined system would not only enhance efficiency but also ensure a more proactive and reliable response to evolving KCSIE standards.
Time-consuming process
The current manual methods are time-consuming and inefficient. The absence of automation and centralisation slows down the workflow for school reps, impeding overall productivity. A streamlined, automated approach is essential to save time and resources, ensuring a more efficient process.
Competitive audit
I analysed five market players, noting both strengths and weaknesses in their offerings. Identifying gaps in functionality, I also acknowledged areas where competitors demonstrated effectiveness. This understanding guided the development of our platform, allowing us to build upon their successes while addressing industry shortcomings with ingenuity.
The biggest takeaways:
- Existing options offer fragmented features, requiring schools to use multiple tools/platforms for various vetting and record-keeping aspects
- Some competitors cater to a wide range of industries, potentially diluting their focus on the unique needs of educational institutions
Most platforms don’t incorporate automated checks, requiring additional manual effort and potentially increasing the likelihood of oversights
- Most of the available solutions offer an extremely simple and straightforward approach to updates and maintenance, perhaps leaning towards being overly simplistic and lacking features
Information Architecture
Core functionality
Based on research into KCSIE requirements and vetting steps for various school roles, I created a foundational framework for the platform. Considering different roles like teachers, teaching assistants, governors, support staff, contractors, visitors, and volunteers, I identified essential vetting steps for each. This ensures the platform aligns with standards and caters to unique vetting needs.
Customisation
Following user research and team discussions, we decided to give school reps control over their vetting process by allowing them to customise not only the vetting steps for each role type but also individual fields within those steps. This high level of flexibility, aligned with legal requirements, ensures a tailored approach that suits the unique needs of each school.
Communicating progress through status labels
To simplify the understanding of each step’s status for our users, we introduced a label system. Our labels combine clear copy with widely used traffic light colour palette. This approach instantly communicates the status of each step, ensuring a straightforward understanding of progress..
Single Central Record - the heart of the platform 💙
Single Central Record stands at the very core of the product, so my main goal was to enable full automation, ensuring that every completed vetting step is instantly reflected in the SCR for real-time compliance.
Usability study findings & insights
The first round of usability studies focused on the vetting steps and their reflection in the Single Central Record
- Users like the simplest solutions with as little text as possible
- The traffic light colour scheme received unanimous approval for its clarity and utility
- All users want to be able to print and download the SCR
- All users found the idea of accessing individual vetting steps via SCR very useful
Refining the design
After sharing my SCR concepts with potential users and gathering feedback, as well as brainstorming with the team on simplifying the process, I came up with a solution that allows users to access any vetting step from within the SCR, print and download it, and see who and when approved the documents. Each step is trackable and reflected in the compliance log.
Dashboard
To provide an instant overview of the school’s vetting status, I used charts as a bold visual solution for the dashboard. These charts, drawing data from Trevor reports, provide clarity and enable users to quickly identify any areas that require attention or action.
I went through many iterations aiming to find an efficient and user-friendly solution.
More mockups
Prototyping
I created this prototype specifically for presentations during our school visits and sales & feedback calls. Continuously evolving with new features, it played a crucial role in our product’s success.
Not only did it secure the anticipated sign-ups for the Early Adopter Programme, but it also helped the Sales team surpass their target by over 250%. Additionally, it generated overwhelming interest from numerous other schools eager to participate.
Final thoughts
Working on a project of this scale has been an incredible journey, full of both challenges and rewards. Collaborating with a truly great team has made it even more enjoyable.
Even though we were venturing into new territory for Zen Educate, I adhered to the Zen design system. This approach ensured every UX/UI decision was practical and consistent, which not only maintained uniformity but also significantly reduced the development effort. It’s been a mix of excitement, learning, and great teamwork, making this project truly fulfilling.
Finally, a tool that gets it right. This dashboard is the answer to our vetting dreams!
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