Creating a SaaS platform to teach human-centered design
PROJECTS
LUMA Institute • 2018–2020
I created resources and systems to support rapid business growth as a training company and content platform at LUMA Institute.
The challenge
LUMA Institute had one of the best problems a business can have—clients saw the value and clamored for more. The business struggled to keep up with the demand efficiently without losing the personal touch LUMA is known for.
LUMA Workplace® started as the digitization of print content. But it grew into a SaaS platform for learning, planning, and facilitating human-centered design methods in daily work.
My role
As Senior Experience Designer I created the digital platform and content to support learners in applying their new skills to daily applications.
I drew from a range of disciplines to ensure learners’ needs were met throughout their journey with LUMA. A day for me included mapping user flows and information architectures, usability testing and ethnographic research, defining service blueprints for business efficiency, or creating original content demonstrating design methods and techniques.
The results
Supported learners to apply new skills with real-time micro-learning
After listening to our clients tell stories of feeling amped up after the in-person training, but lost when they got back to their normal context, we envisioned transitional, on-demand supports they could use to become confident in applying human-centered design to their work.
PROJECT: AGENDA-BASED LEARNING
LUMA Workplace® is a SaaS application that assists learners in applying design thinking methods to their own work. Learners can become skilled in the LUMA System of Innovation with a combination of learning resources and planning tools.
In 2018, we revisited the Session Planner feature, building out additional functionality and adding the Facilitation Guide as a companion tool.
The Facilitation Guide features micro-learning with guidance and expert tips generated from the unique work sessions a user is planning.
The features were launched in autumn 2018, followed by subsequent testing to prioritize additional functionality and improve navigability. The feature brought glowing reviews from users and we saw frequent usage in the data.
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1. Preliminary sketches for micro-learning
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2. Identifying concept and models
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3. Jobs to be done and prioritization
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4. Exploring navigation schema
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5. Exploring content layouts
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6. Final screens
Transformed lagging platform engagement
As part of the strategic roadmap, LUMA Workplace® needed to generate much more engagement and subscriptions to diversify revenue streams. Users reported high NPS scores, but we saw low overall engagement and return use.
We concluded there were a small audience of enthusiastic users, but the majority of people did not see value in using the platform.
PROJECT: REVEALING THE VALUE OF WORKPLACE
LUMA Workplace® began as an add-on product complementing the in-person training events that formed the core business model for LUMA Institute. As demand grew and LUMA began pursuing larger enterprise clients, it became more critical for Workplace to engage more users. We needed to better support learners in enterprise innovation training programs.
That meant setting a better context for first time users who hadn’t yet attended an in-person training session.
New features included:
Revamped log-in screen with content to set expectations
Welcome screens
Guided product tour and welcome banner on landing page
New help and predictive search functions
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1. Provide context on log-in page
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2. New intro screens
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3. Guided tour and welcome banner
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4. New Help and Search functions
ABOUT LUMA Institute
LUMA Institute provides global training in human-centered design, using the LUMA System of Innovation. They translate design thinking for non-designers. We worked to spread human-centered design as a response to wicked problems, including keeping a human-centered approach in a remote, distributed environment.