Public Safety Network (PSN) Volunteer Onboarding Experience
OVERVIEW:
Spark NZ aimed to provide Public Safety Network (PSN) volunteers with access to prioritised data and roaming capabilities between Spark NZ and One NZ networks.
GOAL:
Create a digital onboarding experience that enables volunteers to access exclusive features at Spark NZ, supporting communities during emergency situations.
COMPANY:
Spark NZ - Leading telecommunications and digital services provider in New Zealand.
ROLE:
Lead UX/UI designer - User research, visual design, prototyping, user testing and cross-functional collaboration.
Note: Due to the confidentiality of this project, specific details will not be disclosed.
Background:
The Public Safety Network (PSN), initially launched in July 2023, to enable seamless communication for New Zealand’s emergency responders across Spark NZ and One NZ networks. Developed by Next Generation Critical Communications (NGCC) and delivered by Hourua (a joint venture between Spark and One NZ), the PSN currently serves four agencies: Fire and Emergency, NZ Police, St John, and Wellington Free Ambulance.
Public Safety Network (PSN) Features to Deliver:
PSN Cellular Roaming: The ability to roam between Spark NZ and One NZ networks, providing mobile phones with expanded coverage and the ability to connect to stronger, more reliable signals.
PSN Cellular Priority: Prioritised connection during network congestion, ensuring volunteers maintain reliable access even in high-traffic areas.
Defining the Purpose and Understanding Use Cases:
During the Discovery phase, I collaborated with the End-to-End (E2E) specialist to lead a workshop, gathering key insights to define the project’s core purpose. Alongside stakeholders like the Product Manager, Product Owner, and Tester, we addressed critical questions like:
• What are the business objectives?
• What do users need and want?
• What are the technological constraints?
• What are the business opportunities?
• What is the definition of success for this project?
Design Brainstorm:
Following the initial workshop, I planned and facilitated a design brainstorming session to further explore the services required for a successful onboarding experience. During this workshop, the team collaboratively ideated and conceptualised solutions, with a focus on user-centricity, business alignment, technical feasibility, and overall customer experience. As a result, a high-level flow was defined, paving the way for the design ideation phase.
Iteration and Mockups:
The design brainstorm laid the groundwork for iterating on ideas and shaping the high-level flow. I led the phase, translating insights from previous sessions into tangible designs. The process was iterative, with close collaboration with internal stakeholders to align values and objectives, while ensuring the user experience was enhanced based on user research and prior insights.
During this phase, I worked closely with the AEM developer to identify technical constraints, the Product Manager to ensure the specificity of the service, and legal requirements were met, the Product Owner to streamline the designs with business objectives and timeline and the E2E specialist to go through all use cases.
User Testing:
Following the design phase, I then created discussion guides to recruit and user test with Volunteers to assess the intuitiveness, usability, and overall satisfaction of the designs. The feedback gathered provided valuable insights that helped refine the designs, ensuring they met user expectations while aligning with business and technical goals.
A total of three formal user tests were run, with an additional 10+ informal conversations throughout the project to iterate and refine on designs.
User Acceptance Test:
To ensure compliance with external vendors, I planned and executed a user test with a representative of Hourua to evaluate the onboarding experience, verifying that the process functioned effectively both on the front end and back end. Collaborating with Spark's Service Desk team, the user tester, and the product owner, the test was successful, demonstrating to vendors the effectiveness of the PSN services for New Zealand Emergency volunteers with Spark NZ.
This outcome gave the confidence to proceed to deliver to market, allowing all Volunteers to gain access to the features available.
Conclusion:
This project focused on designing journeys for a new segment of users at Spark NZ. Comprehensive research was conducted throughout the project to understand their specific needs and preferences, which informed the solutions that were developed. As a result, these users can now access the offered services seamlessly and intuitively, enhancing their overall experience. The entire journey is fully accessible through digital platforms, ensuring that users can engage with services anytime, anywhere.
Shoutouts:
"Michelle is part of the core PSN Phase 2 IT squad in her role as an UX/UI Designer. She has been instrumental in leading the PSN Volunteers onboarding, offboarding journeys and UI design. The Volunteers journey is somewhat complex with many stakeholders and external dependencies. Michelle's knowledge and tenacity has meant that the Volunteers development work is progressing smoothly. She is a good team player working closely with both internal and external stakeholders. She is a valued member of the team and I would like to thank her for her contributions to the PSN project."
- Product Owner/Programme Manager
Skills gained:
- UX/UI Design
- Copywriting
- Facilitating workshops
- User interviews
- User research
- Cross-collaboration
- Ideating & Conceptualising
- User testing
