Feature Gap Analysis

Role: User Experience Designer

Skills: Market research, Competitive analysis, User research

Timeline: October - December 2022

Research and Approach

Gaining insights, and identifying opportunities for maintaining a competitive edge for Played in the market

  1. Created two different use cases based on user interviews conducted, which were focused on understanding user’s daily tasks, goals and motivations.

  2. Created a competitive analysis to identify and compare competitor features with Played’s product by testing the platforms. Utilised market research data by sales team, supplemented by user reviews from existing research conducted by established platforms like ProductHunt or TechCrunch.

  3. Documented observations to map pain points, likes and ideas. Utilized findings to inform UX design and development strategy, focusing on addressing current customer pain points - improving scheduling, customer and booking management, and enhancing the mobile app experience.

Identifying use cases

Two different personas were identified for Played based on interviews conducted with 5 key customers. Understanding their motivations and frustrations helped in identifying pain points and opportunities for improvement. Their key goals are focusing on increasing participation and saving time on manual tasks like managing bookings & schedules, and customer communication.

  1. Customers with multiple venues and activities

2. Customers with single venue and activities.

Drawing from comprehensive user interviews, a range of favorable attributes emerged as cornerstones of user satisfaction within the Played ecosystem. Played users value seamless payment processing, prompt customer service, and the platform's digitized booking approach for enhanced reach and efficiency. Automation streamlines processes, saving time and improving workflows.

Users have also highlighted areas of improvement, including the need for more user-friendly schedule management features such as simplified booking processes, improvements in the user interface for better navigation, addressing challenges in payment and multiple bookings management, and expanding customization options for storefronts to better align with individual brand identities. These insights present opportunities for refining the platform and enhancing the overall user experience.

Research and observations

Once the competitors are identified based on the research conducted by the sales team, a comprehensive analysis is conducted to compare their features with Played's product. Direct competitors included sports management platforms with similar offerings, whereas indirect competitors included other booking management platforms in different domains.

The team created demo accounts on these platforms to explore their functionalities and study features and their user flows similar to Played. Data from the sales team was utilized to identify pain points, while secondary data sources were employed to gather user reviews and best practices in UX.

It was observed that most platforms excel in payment options and booking management, while areas for improvement include customisation, third-party integrations, enhanced analytics for data-driven decisions, marketing tools, and customer management.

The different patterns identified in both the audits were mapped into three sections - Likes, Wants and Ideas which were then used to to inform Played's product development strategy.

In the realm dominated by booking platforms, notable trends among competitors emerged. The appeal of a seamless booking process supported with different payment getaways resonated with users for effortless facility reservations. Booking management offered ease in creation, monitoring, and administration of reservations. Calendar and scheduling flexibility accommodated diverse booking needs. Customer management efforts centralized data for efficient updates, communications, and order tracking. Users also appreciated the mobile experience and messaging or calendar integrations for a better workflow.

The analysis of competitor product offerings revealed several notable gaps. These included a need for simpler methods of transferring tickets between attendees and implementing smoother refund processes. In terms of data, there was a demand for in-depth insights and customizable reporting functionalities, along with the ability to easily export data for further analysis. Enhancing accessibility for all attendees with improved screen reader support and navigation was also important. User interface refinement for better usability and additional customization to align with organizational branding was also identified as essential for a better experience.

Additional opportunities for exploration encompass exploring tailored recommendations via saved preferences and wishlists, with streamlined booking and waitlist improvements. Emphasizing effective resource management can also prove to be useful. Enhancing customer loyalty was suggested through loyalty elevation by offering discounts and exclusives. Bolstering user support with responsive service, comprehensive documentation, and community engagement. Lastly, optimizing messaging with read receipts, search, and notifications for enhanced communication.

How can Played be improved?

To achieve the main goal of both the use cases - increasing participation and automating tasks, following recommendations were done for Played based on the observations. The features were categorized into two groups based on their priority and significance: those requiring immediate integration in the current stage, and those that could be integrated at a later point.

High priority features:

Improved Customer Management:
Optimize the customer management system for smoother refunds, cancellations, automated reminders, boosting provider efficiency and customer service.

Customization Options: Provide enhanced storefront customization for unique branding and offerings, differentiating users competitively as indicated in the analysis.

Mobile App Experience: Introduce mobile interface for intuitive on-the-go activity booking and management, considering customer demand for a mobile version alongside the existing web product.

Improved Schedule Management: Streamline schedule management, enabling providers to easily add, modify, and update activities. This enhancement is crucial, given the frequent nature of this user task.

Third-Party Integrations: Integrate effortlessly with popular calendars and payment providers for users to sync schedules and payments effortlessly—crucial for streamlined booking management.

Low priority features:

Enhanced Analytics: Upgrade analytics tools for actionable insights, enabling data-driven decisions. Enhance data visualization with interactive charts, graphs, and additional filters for flexible analysis.

User Education with FAQ and Video Tutorials: Implement a dedicated section for FAQs and video tutorials to educate users about the platform's features and ensure a smooth onboarding experience.

Looking ahead, there are strategic recommendations that can substantially enhance the end user experience for providers, ultimately driving increased attendance and catalyzing business growth:

User Reviews and Ratings: Allow users to leave reviews and ratings for sessions they have attended, creating a transparent and reliable feedback mechanism for providers and encouraging trust among potential customers.

User Rewards and Loyalty Programs: Introduce rewards or loyalty programs to incentivize frequent attendees, encouraging repeat business and fostering a sense of appreciation among loyal customers.

Wayforward

Currently, the project scope primarily encompassed key feature enhancements - addressing scheduling, customer and booking management, and refining the mobile app experience. These decisions were rooted in addressing existing customer pain points and navigating technical restrictions, including limitations imposed by external services and API requisites. The team opted for an AGILE UX approach to foster seamless cross-functional collaboration, ensuring alignment in creating a unified product. Given the intricacies of the product's multifaceted flows and numerous features, the method of tackling one feature at a time with successive iterations and integrating testing rounds proved effective in managing incremental changes.

(The product is still in development stage)