Purpose and System Functions

The primary task of this system will be to award employees for their educational and organizational achievements. Each academic staff member will have the opportunity to apply for awards, bonuses, and points for publications and notable achievements. To review the applications, two committees will operate: the academic committee and the verification committee. Both committees will utilize reports and rankings generated by the system.

The client’s requirement was for full system flexibility and the ability to make changes independently. This includes creating process flows along with their associated committees, which may vary for each student or project.

Context of Education and Higher Education

The project is particularly significant in the context of education and higher education, where evaluating and rewarding employees’ achievements are key elements that motivate the improvement of academic and organizational work.

Work Phases

1. Analysis of the Brief and User Requirements

Working with the brief took the most time during the project. The received brief turned out to be a loose, multi-page record of the needs of previous system users. This made the brief unclear, imprecise, and included many mutually exclusive pieces of information. I treated the words “group,” “role,” and “permissions” as synonyms, which further complicated the informational chaos.

2. Workshops with the Client

Together with the client, I conducted workshops to precisely define how the system should function and what features were needed. During these workshops, the key project goals were identified.

3. User, Process, and Dependency Modeling

Based on the collected information, I created a model of users (persona), processes, and system functionalities. The dependencies between these elements were precisely defined.

Persona (Structure)

The initial research identified three different personas based on their goals: the Admin, the academic employee, and the committee.

These personas will use the system in different ways and will perform different tasks, but their roles may overlap, meaning that a single user can simultaneously take on all persona roles.

Persona — Academic Employee (Structure)

The academic employee is the group that can perform the most functions, both within the university structure and within the system structure.

In the most complex scenario, such an employee can simultaneously perform three different roles: administrator, committee member, and academic employee.

As an administrator, they can create flow for applications or set up committees. As a committee member, they can evaluate the achievements of other employees, while at the same time, as an academic employee, they may be subject to evaluation and oversight by a different, separate committee, for example, for the verification of their own achievements.

Persona — Committee (Structure)

Committees are appointed once for each project or achievement. Their task is to verify applications, evaluate achievements, and award points and grants for them.

Persona — Admin (struktura)

Administrators are responsible for conducting system and database updates. This role will be performed by employees with varying levels of qualifications, which will impact the system design.

Persona — Academic Employee

Persona — Committee

The committee is an academic employee + permissions related to the role they hold during the duration of the appointed committee.

Persona — Admin

4. Compatibility with Other Systems

One of the key assumptions of the project was to ensure full compatibility with other systems used at the university, such as the HR and payroll system and the Polon database. All necessary interfaces were carefully designed.

5. Main Functionalities

The various user groups of the system were precisely defined, and their impact on the system state was taken into account when designing the interface.

6. Grouping Functionalities into Modules

The various user groups of the system were precisely defined, and their impact on the system state was taken into account when designing the interface.

Due to the role the system plays in the university environment, the most important modules of the system are the achievements module, along with the supporting application and evaluation modules. The key dependencies and processes occur between these modules and all system users.

7. Semantic Workshops

Due to the diversity of the team working on the system, both in terms of knowledge and communication styles, it became necessary to standardize the understanding of the system’s nature and structure. Additionally, semantic and somatic differences among team members hindered effective communication and collaboration.

8. Defining the Design Problem

During the system design, I focused on solving the design problem related to the system’s flexibility. I provided users with a multitude of functionalities while simultaneously minimizing the risk of errors and confusion.

9. Solutions — System Construction

In this process, special attention was given to key aspects such as intuitive navigation, clear information architecture, and other solutions applicable to all user groups.

Login — Differentiation of Roles and Functions

The diversity of roles that a user can perform in the system is so vast that it became necessary to clearly distinguish them from one another, as all these roles use the same modules, which directly affects the permissions the user has.

The procedure established by the university, which forced users to log out and log in repeatedly to change roles or functions, seemed impractical and uncomfortable. This solution created additional difficulties, particularly related to remembering multiple passwords and logins. Even when the logins were similar, frequent re-logging in to perform subsequent tasks was cumbersome and risky, violating security protocols.

Login — Solution 1

Proposal 1 is based on a switch form. It is a compromise, although better solutions, such as 2, are possible. It is worth noting that this proposal has the advantage of always displaying the user’s role. However, the drawbacks include the duplication of the same system three times and the lack of the ability to create a single place for messages and a task list.

Login — Solution 2

This proposal solves the problem of the need to switch between the contexts in which the user works. This was achieved by creating the “Dean’s Office” section, which gathers functionalities related to the role of the Committee.

As a result, Proposal 2 not only eliminates the need for multiple logins to the system to perform different tasks, but also facilitates users in managing all aspects of their work in one place. It is a step towards improving the user interface and enhancing the user experience in the system.

Mapping Reality — Group

The user holds a role in the university structure, and an analogous role is also held in the system, meaning the system must reflect reality in its structure. This will be retrieved from a separate database.

Workshops conducted with the client revealed the need to introduce the concept of a “group” into the system. A group is a collection of users whose composition is determined by their position in the university’s structure.

Mapping Reality — Group

The user holds a role in the university structure, and an analogous role is also held in the system, meaning the system must reflect reality in its structure. This will be retrieved from a separate database.

Workshops conducted with the client revealed the need to introduce the concept of a “group” into the system. A group is a collection of users whose composition is determined by their position in the university’s structure.

Mapping Reality — Process

Changes in the system are made, among other things, by triggering processes. These include, for example, the employee evaluation process or the process of adding and verifying the achievements of academic staff. Processes are assigned by the administrator. They can also create new ones using the process builder.

Mapping Reality — Representative

The system was designed with the goal of maximum usefulness and reflection of reality at the university. We wanted to develop a practical solution that not only seems ideal in theory but also functions effectively in practice.

In the university environment, many tasks are delegated to other individuals who perform their assigned roles at a specific level. Therefore, the system introduced the Representative feature, allowing a user to perform tasks assigned to another user at a particular stage in a given process.

Navigation

As part of the UX project, a comprehensive navigation system was proposed, organized into three key segments to effectively manage the system’s functionalities.

The global navigation, traditionally located on the left side of the interface, the local navigation, situated above the data area in the form of a tab switcher, and the contextual menus, primarily in the form of a “hamburger menu,” known from many mobile applications.

Global Navigation

The global navigation is traditionally placed on the left side of the interface to accommodate user habits and provide easy access to the main system modules. This placement allows users to quickly navigate between different sections of the application, enhancing the convenience of using the system.

Navigation through the menu is facilitated by icons, and there is also an option to hide the menu, which enables expanding the available workspace on the desktop. This flexible approach to navigation gives users the ability to tailor the interface to their individual preferences and needs.

Local Navigation

The local menu facilitates navigation within the selected module and is placed on tabs above the corresponding tables, making it easier for users to navigate between different databases within the given module.

Navigation — Contextual Menu

The contextual menu allows users to perform actions on a set of elements or a single object, and both are placed on the right side of the screen, in line with the principle that users expect actions in this area.

The menu responsible for operations on a single object (record) has been designed in the form of a popular hamburger menu, known from many applications. Its functions have been carefully grouped by theme, making it easier for users to quickly find and perform the appropriate operations.

Navigation — Information Architecture

Deep nesting opens new windows, darkening the content underneath. This allows the user to intuitively track their location without the use of breadcrumbs. Closing the window is located in the top right corner, in a contrasting style, making it easy for the user to find and minimizing confusion.

The last nesting/active window is highlighted in white, allowing the user to easily determine their current location. Furthermore, each previous nesting does not completely cover the previous one, enabling the user to quickly navigate between different levels of the hierarchy without losing context. Additionally, the close button from the previous window disappears to avoid confusing the user.

Navigation — Screen Division

The application window is divided into two main areas: the information area, where key data and tables are located, and the action area, intended for user interaction with the system. This solution takes into account the fact that users typically focus on the left side of the screen, while expecting actions to be in the lower right corner, which aligns with intuitive user expectations.

Navigation — Scrolling

On scrolling pages, tabs are located on the right side, allowing us to precisely determine where we are and how much content is left to scroll through. Additionally, by clicking directly on the selected tabs, we can instantly jump to the sections of interest, similar to tabs in a book.

Navigation — Accessibility Features

In windows containing alphabetically ordered databases, we can quickly scroll through the content thanks to a quick preview that informs us of our current location in alphabetical order.

Search in such databases is always supported by the search bar placed at the top.

10. Custom Solutions — Academic Staff and Committee

At this stage, solutions were designed to address the specific needs of each group and their frustrations in order to minimize feelings of dissatisfaction and difficulties in using the system, while also making the work of its users easier at every stage.

Frustration — Information Chaos

One process can have several flow variants simultaneously due to changing regulations from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, as well as internal changes at universities, such as new resolutions and statuses.

Even after the introduction of a new document flow, those whose processes were initiated before the changes will remain in circulation, and their complete expiration occurs after the time allowed for appeals, which also undergoes changes.

In order to reduce information chaos in the applications, information about the validity period of the application template, the deadline for submitting appeals (v.2), and the name of the regulation with the option to display its content have been added.

For maximum elimination of information chaos, each document is equipped with dynamic suggestions. Among them are excerpts from cited documents and information about changes compared to previous regulations.

Documents such as regulations, laws, and guidelines are now available to all users in the repository. The system is equipped with a search engine that allows users to search the disk, the current folder, and the contents of the documents within it.

Frustrations — Complex Administrative Model

In modules where it is necessary to add people, such as to an achievement or application, you can use the search function. Now, you don’t need to know exact names; just type their role, for example, “Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry.” This significantly simplifies navigating the complex university structure.

This feature is also applicable while writing documents and messages. It can be triggered by starting to type with @ followed by the name or role of a person.

Alternatively, you can use the displayed context menu to insert variables such as achievements, applications, documents, or calendar events.

Frustrations — Reliability of IT Systems

Due to technical limitations, the system does not operate in “live” mode, and its synchronization occurs every few minutes or through manual or automatic triggering. Statuses in the form of “toast” notifications have been introduced, which inform users about the progress of processes or their completion status. Additionally, information about the time and method of database updates has been added. A progress bar is also included.

In order to minimize user frustration in case of errors, a pop-up window with information and the option to report an error or retry has been introduced. The process can also be retried directly in the table view using the same button, located right next to the record’s name. All records now have their status, and records containing errors or requiring attention have been further highlighted.

Needs — Clear Project Management

A significant improvement in project management is the ability to add all participants. After adding individuals to a project or achievement, each one receives a request for acceptance, along with information about the person inviting them.

Facilitating project and achievement management is the visualization of participants using avatars. An optional menu with icons at the bottom of the screen (floating button) speeds up work and shortens the user flow.

Frustrations — Overload of Tasks

In order to reduce frustration related to the overload of tasks on the desktop, an informational panel was introduced containing details about upcoming deadlines, tasks, and the number of cases in progress. The panel provides information about both the user’s primary tasks as well as those related to committee matters.

The panel uses a standardized color code, which is also applied, for example, in sorting messages.

The dashboard has been equipped with a calendar containing important dates, with the ability to integrate with Google Calendar. This makes it the central hub for managing academic matters, and its organized and well-thought-out space ensures comfortable usage.

11. Custom Solutions — Admin

Needs — System to Prevent Errors

Given that the admin role will be performed by individuals with varying qualifications, several enhancements have been introduced to prevent unexpected changes. These include “toast” notifications with a timer and an option to undo changes, as well as the requirement for high-level admin authorization for certain changes.

Frustrations — Constant Time Pressures

All errors reported to the admin are categorized from urgent to moderate, and tasks that were previously planned, such as updates, are given the status of scheduled work. This allows for better time management for the admin by assigning an appropriate amount of time to resolve each issue.

Basic users also benefit from this solution as they receive updates on the status of work and the estimated time for its completion.

Needs — System to Prevent Errors

The administrator’s dashboard has two views. The first one is available to all users, while the second, which includes more complex functions and the console with the ability to update databases and software, is accessible only to users with high qualifications after switching.

Needs — Easy System Monitoring

To assist administrators in monitoring system performance, an additional data view was added, providing a visual representation of the information. Dynamic charts facilitate comparative analysis.