Cy-Shift App
A mobile app concept to make requesting shift coverage and shift swapping more efficient.
Problem
How might we streamline the process of shift exchange to enhance workplace efficiency and convenience?
During my initial semester in grad school, while employed at ISU Dining services, I appreciated the flexibility of selecting my work shifts. However, it wasn't long before I encountered a prevalent challenge faced by numerous colleagues. Unlike full-time staff, student employees at ISU Dining didn't have access to work phones, limiting our ability to utilize certain essential programs such as work emails solely on registered devices. Consequently, accessing our work email became sporadic, compelling colleagues in need of time off to resort to texting our personal phones for shift coverage.
Idea
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After experiencing the inefficiencies and tedium of the existing shift swapping system firsthand, I recognized a shared desire among student employees and full-time staff for a more effective solution. Motivated by this insight, I embarked on creating Cy-Shift, an innovative platform tailored to the needs of ISU Dining student employees. Cy-Shift aims to streamline our scheduling processes, freeing up valuable time for us to make the most of our university experience and seize opportunities beyond our work commitments.
Role
UX Researcher
UI Designer
Tools
Figma
Timeline
August 2023 - December 2023
Goals
Explore ways to improve the process of swapping work shifts for ISU Dining student employees.
Identify pain points and inefficiencies in the current shift exchange process.
Revolutionize efficiency and convenience in the workplace through innovative solutions.
Enhance overall workplace satisfaction and productivity by optimizing shift scheduling procedures.
Design Process
Research / Analysis
I started with surveys and interviews to get a better understanding of what workers need and struggle with when it comes to shift swapping. The data I gathered showed a desire for flexibility and a desire for a smooth system that makes it easy for coworkers to swap shifts.
Through personal conversations, employees talked about how they wanted to improve their work-life balance, gain control over their schedules, and reduce the stress of sudden shift changes.
With these insights, I moved forward, ready to make their dreams a reality. The platform I had in mind would empower employees, make shift swapping easier, and forever change the way we schedule in the workplace.
Personas
Drawing from 5 informal interviews conducted with my colleagues at work, I crafted two personas grounded in shared user objectives and challenges.
Userflow
My objective was to enhance user efficiency by reducing the number of interactions needed to accomplish the primary objectives.
To achieve this, I created two user flow diagrams—one for accepting shift coverage requests and another for requesting coverage—to pinpoint the key screens required to fulfill each goal.
Ideation
As I embarked on sketching, my main aim was to cultivate ideas that would result in an interface designed with intuitiveness in mind.
My goal was for users to quickly understand the app's functionality without needing to invest significant time in exploration. Drawing inspiration from well-known mobile calendar applications, I fashioned the shift acceptance feature on Diem to mirror the process of adding events to a mobile calendar—an interface pattern familiar to many users.
Wireframe
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An essential usability aspect that stood out to me upon reviewing the low-fidelity wireframe was the necessity of devising a method for users to effortlessly access and explore shifts scheduled in the distant future.
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In an effort to encapsulate the essence of seizing the day, I developed a visually dynamic and invigorating design.
Recognizing that accepting shifts is the primary user objective, I implemented mechanisms to enable users to seamlessly accomplish this task from multiple sections of the app: the home screen, shifts page, and direct messages section.
Furthermore, I introduced a calendar view within the shifts tab, empowering users with a visual depiction of available shifts and those already accepted. This addition addresses the previously identified usability gap in my design, facilitating users in exploring and securing future shifts.
