life instituteSaAs system
about
LIFE Institute is a Non Profit who promotes the engagement of the business sector to improve sustainability management focusing on the maintenance of biodiversity.
Responsible for the development and management of LIFE Methodology, LIFE Institute is recognized and supported by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and it is in line with the Aichi Goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With the creation of the LIFE methodology, the Institute later created the Life Key software, which is a management tool that improves the efficiency of environmental data management and reporting. The use of the software also allows evaluation of conservation actions implemented by the organization. The software generates detailed and executive reports supporting the decision-making process regarding the maintenance of biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystem services.
This software is a very important tool for many companies in South America because even though the companies want to sell their image as a sustainable company, there is a deeper objective to conquer banks and fund-raising for loans or investments since the great majority of this banks asks for a sustainable report or certification to give or borrow this funds.
The software was initially developed in 2006 in a very ancient technology using Microsoft Access and it is not scalable, because every company who buys a license, Life institute needs to setup a new virtual machine and give access for this company. Every setup takes around 2 weeks and the system is very slow, with major usability problems.
With a expansion abroad (USA, Mexico and Europe), the Life Institute invited us to redesign the platform, rethinking the entire flow and usability of the system and bringing it to 2021 with a modern system in SaaS (software as a service) format that will be highly scalable and also possible to be implemented in dozens of countries to which Life is starting operations.
The work took around 12 months (For the MVP) with a team of 7. Two designers, one Project manager and four developers. For this project I was the Lead Ux and Ui Designer and manage all the develop team with the project manager supporting with all technical development issues.The project is still in developing for the final stage and it is planned to be launched in February 2022.
Responsible for the development and management of LIFE Methodology, LIFE Institute is recognized and supported by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and it is in line with the Aichi Goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With the creation of the LIFE methodology, the Institute later created the Life Key software, which is a management tool that improves the efficiency of environmental data management and reporting. The use of the software also allows evaluation of conservation actions implemented by the organization. The software generates detailed and executive reports supporting the decision-making process regarding the maintenance of biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystem services.
This software is a very important tool for many companies in South America because even though the companies want to sell their image as a sustainable company, there is a deeper objective to conquer banks and fund-raising for loans or investments since the great majority of this banks asks for a sustainable report or certification to give or borrow this funds.
The software was initially developed in 2006 in a very ancient technology using Microsoft Access and it is not scalable, because every company who buys a license, Life institute needs to setup a new virtual machine and give access for this company. Every setup takes around 2 weeks and the system is very slow, with major usability problems.
With a expansion abroad (USA, Mexico and Europe), the Life Institute invited us to redesign the platform, rethinking the entire flow and usability of the system and bringing it to 2021 with a modern system in SaaS (software as a service) format that will be highly scalable and also possible to be implemented in dozens of countries to which Life is starting operations.
The work took around 12 months (For the MVP) with a team of 7. Two designers, one Project manager and four developers. For this project I was the Lead Ux and Ui Designer and manage all the develop team with the project manager supporting with all technical development issues.The project is still in developing for the final stage and it is planned to be launched in February 2022.
what i did
- Stakeholders workshop as facilitator
- UX Research (User Flows, Mapping and interviews)
- UX Wireframes
- UI Design
- Project Management
- UX Research (User Flows, Mapping and interviews)
- UX Wireframes
- UI Design
- Project Management
Workshop
During 12 hours divided in 3 meetings, with 8 stakeholders in total, we did an online workshop to address all the pain points of the actual software, understand the needs for this new redesign and with the stakeholders think in solutions to resolve all this matters.
In the first meeting, we established all the personas who uses the software (Final User, Auditor and System Admin), Pain points for each persona, gone over 3 software pillars (Evaluation, Reports, Audit) and established all pain points for this pillars.
On the second day, we studied together solutions for the final users, reports and how to simplify the interface and resolve UX issues based on the new system structure.
On the last day, we draw and propose the desirable system structure for the final user, auditor and for the system admin, finalizing the workshop with a good outcome understanding all pain points to be addressed with this new redesign and new features to fulfill all system admin needs and desires.
In the first meeting, we established all the personas who uses the software (Final User, Auditor and System Admin), Pain points for each persona, gone over 3 software pillars (Evaluation, Reports, Audit) and established all pain points for this pillars.
On the second day, we studied together solutions for the final users, reports and how to simplify the interface and resolve UX issues based on the new system structure.
On the last day, we draw and propose the desirable system structure for the final user, auditor and for the system admin, finalizing the workshop with a good outcome understanding all pain points to be addressed with this new redesign and new features to fulfill all system admin needs and desires.
Cards from the Workshop made by all the stakeholders with my facilitation
UX Research
After the workshop, I started the UX study, first raising all the existing structures in the current system (Around 150 screens) understanding all the interaction flow and the system's particularities. It was necessary understand all the methodology and calculations behind Life’s method, studying all documentation.
After that, it was necessary interviews with the current final users and auditors to understand the real problems with the current system as user perspective. It took 15 interviews with different companies with a 10 questions questionnaire asking about the functionalities, users permissions, problems with usability, system’s stability, how to improve the system as this company perspective and general sugestions. All this meetings took around 15 minutes each.
With this structure, methodology and flow study + workshop with stakeholders + final users interviews, was possible to understand all the problems that we need to resolve with this new SaaS software, going from a new and more stable technology, a better usability, increase permissions and functionalities, create a new admin space to give more freedom for the System’s admin to change calculations and some data and so on.
After that, it was necessary interviews with the current final users and auditors to understand the real problems with the current system as user perspective. It took 15 interviews with different companies with a 10 questions questionnaire asking about the functionalities, users permissions, problems with usability, system’s stability, how to improve the system as this company perspective and general sugestions. All this meetings took around 15 minutes each.
With this structure, methodology and flow study + workshop with stakeholders + final users interviews, was possible to understand all the problems that we need to resolve with this new SaaS software, going from a new and more stable technology, a better usability, increase permissions and functionalities, create a new admin space to give more freedom for the System’s admin to change calculations and some data and so on.
Screenshot with all old existing software screens and their flow.
UX wireframes
After the new flow creation, I drew high fidelity wireframes considering all 92 screens with all the content, inputs and interactions to review with Life’s team. All the wireframes was made using Google Material Design System, to speed up the develop schedule, since every reviewed and approved screen the develop team could initiate to program, and later, when the final design system is created, only a component personalization is needed.
This process was the biggest part of the project and it took around 4 months, 500 billable hours and around 12 meetings and alignments with the client to finally approve all contents, flows, inputs, and so on.
This process was the biggest part of the project and it took around 4 months, 500 billable hours and around 12 meetings and alignments with the client to finally approve all contents, flows, inputs, and so on.
Some wireframes examples
user test
With some pillars of the system was being created using high fidelity wireframes, we conducted some user testing with stakeholders and some clients in order to receive feedback over the flow, functionalities and the main system usability and we could rapidly improve and achieve good results. The tests was applied 4 times to around 8 stakeholders and 8 clients using the tool Lookback.com and we tested using Figma prototypes at first and later with some parts of the system already developed.
UI Design
After all wireframes were approved and all tests applied, we started to create a proprietary design system for Life's SaaS, studying colors, typography, iconography and creating new layouts and components.
As all structures have already been designed in high-fidelity wireframes, only the main screens were drawn with the new layout and through componentization the entire new structure was applied directly in development.
As all structures have already been designed in high-fidelity wireframes, only the main screens were drawn with the new layout and through componentization the entire new structure was applied directly in development.
results
The project was launched in September 2022, and the results by March 2023 are:
- In 6 Months, LifeKey grew from 16 companies using the software to 232
- Was accepted by regulators in Europe, Mexico and the USA to operate since the system became SaaS and improved their usability and operated in multi-language (Portuguese, Spanish and English)
- The server cost per company dropped 80%
- In 6 Months, LifeKey grew from 16 companies using the software to 232
- Was accepted by regulators in Europe, Mexico and the USA to operate since the system became SaaS and improved their usability and operated in multi-language (Portuguese, Spanish and English)
- The server cost per company dropped 80%
