Case Study for Group Project - Assessment Tool for Dorothy Website
Background
My team was brought in by Dorothy via Prime Digital Academy in order to design a tool for their existing website in order to improve lead generation. We did a research deep dive, a competitive audit, a user experience map, and an annotated prototype of how the tool could look, as well as several rounds of testing for both the prototype and the questions within. Additionally, we provided an explanation of chosen questions, a vectorized version of the rainbow logo, and a presentation deck with notes.
Generative Research and Competitive Audit
First, a teammate and I did the initial secondary research necessary for the team to find their footing in the problem space. This process helped us find our problem space and theorize possible solutions.
Next, I did an analysis of competitors. We found the following comparable organizations.
Out & Equal:
Nonprofit working towards workplace equality for LGBTQ+ people worldwide
Has several programs including DEI Education/training for orgs
Offers courses both online and in-person designed for executives, HR professionals,Employee/Business Resource Groups, senior management, and individual employees.
Many options and unclear which one is right for which situation - may prove a barrier to entry.
Has the advantage of being nationally recognized
OutFront MN:
A nonprofit local to Minnesota that looks to build power within Minnesota’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and address inequities through intersectional organizing, advocacy, education, and direct support services.
Has a helpline and events as well as educational training courses
Provides education and training statewide—both virtual and in person-professional staff offers robust interactive sessions in various settings covering an array of topics related to LGBTQ+ equity
Has a training request form in the shape of a google form
QUEERSPACE Collective:
A nonprofit that is mostly focused on mentorship of LGBTQ+ youth, but does also provide DEI training
Supports organizations, corporations and educational institutions in their journey to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ folks in their communities.
The team brings a deep understanding of gender-based inequities and provides tips and tools to create safer spaces and be better allies. Trainings are provided in English and Spanish.
Each training session is 60-90 minutes in length and can be facilitated in-person or remotely. Training sessions can be procured individually or consolidated into a broader LGBTQ+ Inclusivity training series and will be tailored to meet the needs of each organization.
Has a training request form in the shape of a google form
Woke Coach:
An organization (not nonprofit) that provides training courses educating their clients about the realities of racial injustice and creating a more equitable and just society.
Mostly focused on racial injustice, not LGBTQ+ injustice, though very similar in format.
These programs are specifically designed for leaders who are committed to authentic personal and professional cultural competency, leadership development, and creating inclusive workplaces - this org is a strategic partner for diversity, equity and inclusion, and structures sessions based on the team's needs and progress
Has a separate, branded inquiry form
Mossier:
A business consultant that works on a membership model - organization memberships focus on fostering the healthy workplace culture needed to attract LGBTQ talent, and connect workplaces with a qualified pool of candidates for their current job openings.
Mossier’s 4W assessment grounds everyone in a clear understanding of what things look like in the client’s office, and grounds personal and collective growth with a practical & tactical vibe.
No intake form, only after membership can you really look at the classes and such available.
User Experience Map
Next, a teammate put together a user experience map that shows the process, actions, responses and moods throughout the Inclusivity Assessment that we had planned.
Prototyping
With the initial planning done, I started prototyping the wireframes in Figma. I did the majority of the Figma work for this project, and iterated the work several times based on feedback from users, the client, mentors, and my team. Below are key screens from the final prototype, and the entire final file can be explored here.
Additional Research and Testing
Next we did several rounds of testing with the questions and then the prototype in order to assess both usability and general response to the questions. We narrowed down the questions into 8 yes/no/not sure choices and 2 open-ended questions. The raw research document can be downloaded as a .pdf here, and the questions that we chose and their explanations are below.
Has your job ever asked for your pronouns or to self identify as LGBTQ?
This example question is so Dorothy knows if the company is actively making a point to learn their employee’s pronouns and status.
Does your organization support LGBTQ organizations, charities, and nonprofits? For example, Pride events.
This question would be important for gauging how active the organization is in the community outside of the work space.
Does your company support LGBTQ inclusivity in the daily setting? For example: gender neutral bathrooms, dress code, etc.
This question is a very important inclusivity marker, yet a basic step many organizations haven’t taken.
Does your company have protocols for how to respond to crises specifically around LGBTQ related topics?
This question provides insight on how a company might handle a crisis specific to the LGBTQ community.
Does your workplace explicitly have written rules that protect LGBTQ people?
This is important not only for legal reasons, but to make sure that LGBTQ employees feel their needs are being met.
Have you had LGBTQ centered training through your organization?
This question focuses on whether or not the org’s existing DE&I training covers any of these topics.
Do you feel included by other employees and management?
This one is important so that Dorothy knows how the employees feel - there’s no point in saying that the org is inclusive if the employee doesn’t feel included.
Do you feel comfortable sharing your identity at work?
This one assesses the employee’s comfort level as a whole - people will generally not come out in an unsafe or unfit environment.
Do you feel like your workplace is a psychologically safe environment?
This first open-ended question may seem complicated, but it is important to know whether the employee would say that they think it’s safe, not just in a physical sense, but an emotional one.
How do you imagine your work environment being more inclusive?
This last question provides the opportunity for the employee to add any extra info about what they’d like changed in their workplace specifically.
Presentation
Finally, we were tasked with presenting all of this information to the client and the Prime community. The following video is a recording of this presentation as a whole.
Next Steps
Finally, we figured out some next steps that the client could additionally take after our time together. This included a mobile view of the new tool’s design, further differentiation of the manager and executive views of the form, live and A/B testing the product on new users to further refine the questions and see how they feel, and working with the client to further align the tone and feel of the tool with that of the existing website.