Extending a branch

Branch is a workplace scheduling and shift swapping software specifically made for hourly workers and managers. Branch helps hourly workers by allowing them to post their work schedules and to contact each other directly if they need to swap shifts. Managers of hourly employees also use the Branch app to upload schedules and approve shifts that employees trade while using the app. Recently, Branch launched a new pay feature where branch users are offered payday loans against hours they work.

The stakeholders at Branch approached our team looking for ways to further engage the users of their product. My team was tasked with exploring ideas for possible new features or processes within the application and within Branch’s budgetary and time constraints.

A blossoming idea

Branch has been around for several years and has established a core base of users. My team was asked to come up with ideas that could be added into the existing branch application that would not require a need for major redesigns of the existing software. To start researching into the space, I jumped into researching competitors of Branch. I did a competitive analysis of 5 existing Branch competitors, looking at what they did well and comparing features they offered to Branch. Then, I dove into the Branch app itself. I spent a few hours playing with Branch. It is a fun tool. I can see why managers and employees are excited about using it, because Branch is a tool that works to improve communication between managers and employees.

Getting my hands dirty

Now that we had a little background into the company, it was time to meet with one of the stakeholders from Branch. Our team met with David Tran, a project manager at Branch. David further filled us in on Branch and their background. David was very helpful in painting a picture for us of who the Branch user is. After our meeting, I went to work on a journey map that I could use to help me better understand this customer. My journey map helped guide my design decisions for the remainder of the project. I thought I had some good ideas for features that could add to the user experience that Branch affords it’s customers. I compared those ideas to the journey map I created. Considering the customers thoughts and feelings helped me to determine which of my ideas were the strongest to bring forward into prototyping.

Sprouting seeds

I drew up some quick wireframes of some of my stronger ideas. Other members of my team did as well. We presented all of these ideas to the team at Branch. David from Branch met with our team to discuss the projects time and budgetary constraints. He also helped us choose the ideas that he thought Branch users would most like to see. David liked one of my wireframed ideas asked that it be further explored.

Next, it was time for us to ask some actual Branch users what they thought of our ideas. Our team determined that a Kano analysis was the best method for conducting user research in this particular case. We compiled a small number of our best ideas and submitted them to Branch users for Kano analysis. We received the results of our Kano analysis the next day. Users appeared enthusiastic about our ideas.

One of my ideas seemed to generate excitement with both managers and employees. It was exciting that one of my ideas connected with Branch users! Now it was time to build out that idea out a little further.

I turned to the program Axure RX to build my design prototypes for Branch. Since Branch is an operating company, and some of the ideas that we have been working on could affect their business in the future, I am not able to say much more about this project than I have already said. I was able to build working prototypes of my design idea to present to David from Branch. I wrote a detailed report outlining my teams design proposals as a whole. Working with the team at Branch made for an exciting week. My team was rapid in our research, design, prototyping and testing efforts this week. Rapid work, done with care, is exactly what the team at Branch was looking for. And, that is what I believe they got.

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