Enhancing the help and support experience for customers
Responsibilities: UX Design, Prototyping
Tools: XD, Photoshop, Illustrator
Duration: 5 months
Background
Hermes provides a service which help users with tracking, sending, and receiving parcels. However, their Help and Support section of their website has been a major issue when it come to navigation difficulties, inefficient search functionality, and a lack of clear solutions.
Challenge
Customers have been finding it difficult to navigate the help and support section of the Hermes’ website, leading to increased customer service requests and frustration. The section lacked a clear and concise structure and relevant search functionality.
User research
I approached the help and support transformation from the customer’s perspective, using research and discovery methodologies to identify critical tasks. Working collaboratively with the research we undertook research tasks such as developing user personas and reconsidered the brand proposition to expand customers interactions across all breakpoints. We summarised the research results into precise key user pain points.
Poor navigation causing information is buried under multiple layers.
Ineffective search causing users to struggle finding relevant content.
Lack of personalisation caused FAQs too not cater to user queries.
Guiding principles
As lead UX Designer, when creating solutions to the problem at hand, I approached the design iteration phase with three design principles. Therefore, providing a basis rationale and strategy behind my design decisions.
Clear & Simple
Create a clean interface that minimises steps and reduces cognitive load for users.Inclusive
Ensured the platform is accessible to all users, incorporating features like responsive layouts.Scalable
Test and iterate on cross-functional and components using atomic design principles.
Wireframing and prototyping
The UX stage went through iteration phases to ensure ideas had considered business requirements and user needs. Prototyping concepts allowed the client to see progression. Low-fidelity wireframes were created to outline the new structure.
I aimed to modernise Hermes, by providing inclusivity and accessibility. Ensuring flexibility across various touch points was crucial. My goal for the visual design was to create a clean interface that is easy to navigate for customers. Each element was thoughtfully considered to ensure that every decision served a clear purpose for the user.
Design choices
Improved navigation by implementing a clear categorization system.
Search functionality with useful autocomplete suggestions.
Filters implementation to allow for narrowing down search results.
A FAQ section with collapsible answers providing users with a self-service option.
Outcome
The project was successful, achieving key goals and objectives for Hermes. The redesigned help and support section significantly improved user experience, reduced customer service workload, and increased overall satisfaction. The iterative UX process ensured that real user needs were addressed, resulting in a more intuitive and efficient support experience. By prioritizing intuitive navigation, the redesign helped streamline support.
Improved navigation, filter implementation and better search functionality improved the overal user experience therefore ensuring high engagement.
Key results
Reduction in support inquiries via improved self-service.
Increased engagement with FAQs and help articles.
Higher customer satisfaction scores from surveys.
Key learnings
Personalisation is crucial as users responded better to contextual support.
Live support isn’t vital as enhanced self-service reduces stress on customer service.
A significant portion of users access support via mobile.