No Access Contacts
This case study dives into BuildBook's crafty new feature, 'No Access Contacts.' It's like giving service professionals a magic wand to include contacts in projects without letting them touch anything—perfect for keeping things under control and confidential. Discover how we added a dash of invisibility cloak to project management, enhancing both control and secrecy.
Results
70% Adoption rate within the first 3 months
30% increase in project efficiency
30% increase in project efficiency
My Role
Shaping,
User Research,
Product Design
User Research,
Product Design
Team
Product Manager,
Tech Lead,
2 Developers
Tech Lead,
2 Developers
Timeline
6 Weeks
March 25, 2024
March 25, 2024
Talking with Customers
Project managers often expressed frustration with the difficulty of managing subcontractors and other external collaborators who did not interact directly with the project management tools. Data analysis showed that these non-participating contacts were involved in over 30% of all projects, but their tasks were often tracked outside the system, leading to inefficiencies and discrepancies.
What problem are we solving for?
In project management, not all collaborators actively engage with management software, yet their involvement and contributions are critical to the project's success. Professionals need a flexible system that accommodates both non-participating contacts and anticipatory task assignments to ensure comprehensive project tracking and timely collaboration.
My Methodology
Solution Overview
We introduced the "No Access" feature to address the need for more flexible task assignment and planning. This feature allows pros to assign tasks to any contact in their list, regardless of whether the contact has access to the project. Contacts designated as "No Access" are marked accordingly and do not receive notifications or have task visibility until they are formally invited and accept the project invitation.
Design
In just six weeks, we rolled out BuildBook's 'No Access Contacts' feature, a streamlined solution crafted during a focused development sprint. This MVP approach concentrated solely on the crucial need for more flexible task assignment, allowing service professionals to quietly include contacts in projects without granting them active engagement. Marked clearly as 'No Access,' these contacts remain in the loop—unseen and unheard—until they're formally brought into the fold. Designed with an eye on rapid deployment and minimal complexity, we've set the stage for ongoing enhancements to refine and expand this feature in subsequent cycles.
Invite process: Once you're ready to invite (if you so wish) a contact to the project, you can do so by going to the settings page. You will see the contact under "people on this project" and their access level will show "no access". Clicking on "no access" will open a modal where you have the ability to invite them. The default modal will indicate their no access permission level and with a simple click you can open the "has access" option where you can fine tune their permissions. Shown below are two different modal versions, the first is when a contact already has an email address on file and the second is when there is no email present. In order to invite someone to the project they need to have an email associated with their account.
Learnings
Throughout the development and implementation of the 'No Access Contacts' feature, we uncovered several critical insights that shaped our approach to future enhancements:
The Power of Language
One major revelation was the significant role language plays in shaping user and developer understanding. Initially, we referred to the feature as dealing with "uninvited users," which unintentionally suggested these were active users who simply hadn't been invited. This terminology led to considerable confusion among developers, marketing teams, and even within the product team itself, as it blurred the lines between "users" and "contacts." This confusion prompted a pivotal shift in our naming conventions, transitioning to "No Access Contacts" to more accurately reflect their role and access level within the system.
User Interface Clarity
We learned that users were not immediately aware of their ability to search for contacts within the task assignee dropdown, a crucial component of the feature. This oversight highlighted a need for clearer interface cues. In response, we updated our dropdown components within the design system to enhance visibility and intuitiveness. The revised component now explicitly indicates the functionality for searching additional contacts, making the feature more discoverable and user-friendly.
These learnings not only led to immediate improvements in the feature's usability but also underscored the importance of clear communication and user interface design in supporting effective project management. As we continue to refine the feature, these insights will guide our efforts to ensure that both new and existing functionalities are accessible and straightforward for all users.
The Power of Language
One major revelation was the significant role language plays in shaping user and developer understanding. Initially, we referred to the feature as dealing with "uninvited users," which unintentionally suggested these were active users who simply hadn't been invited. This terminology led to considerable confusion among developers, marketing teams, and even within the product team itself, as it blurred the lines between "users" and "contacts." This confusion prompted a pivotal shift in our naming conventions, transitioning to "No Access Contacts" to more accurately reflect their role and access level within the system.
User Interface Clarity
We learned that users were not immediately aware of their ability to search for contacts within the task assignee dropdown, a crucial component of the feature. This oversight highlighted a need for clearer interface cues. In response, we updated our dropdown components within the design system to enhance visibility and intuitiveness. The revised component now explicitly indicates the functionality for searching additional contacts, making the feature more discoverable and user-friendly.
These learnings not only led to immediate improvements in the feature's usability but also underscored the importance of clear communication and user interface design in supporting effective project management. As we continue to refine the feature, these insights will guide our efforts to ensure that both new and existing functionalities are accessible and straightforward for all users.
Results
Since the introduction of the "No Access Contacts" feature, there has been a 30% increase in efficiency in managing external collaborators. Adoption rates were high, with over 70% of project managers utilizing the feature within the first three months of launch. User feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with particular praise for how the feature simplifies workflow.
Don’t just take my word...
Michael is a great product designer to work with. He is very humble – but don't let that fool you! He does great work, and works hard at improving and building his skill set and craft. Michael was responsible for designing and helping ship many new features across the BuildBook platform. His passion for design and commitment to creating a great experience for customers was contagious, and he's a great guy to work with.
Kris Niles
Principal Designer at Readwise – previously at InVision, Basecamp, BuildBook, and Citrix
I had the pleasure of working closely with Michael, an incredible product designer who always nailed understanding the technical side of our products. He worked seamlessly with developers and product managers, making sure our designs hit the mark for our users. Michael’s thoroughness and eye for detail really set him apart. He consistently offered invaluable feedback, tactfully suggested necessary tweaks, and explained the reasoning behind them. His insights and dedication played a huge part in the success of our projects at BuildBook.
Jayson Lewis
Software Engineer II at Housecall Pro
Michael is an incredible product designer and teammate. As a Product team lead at BuildBook, I got to see just how his talents and dedication positively impacted growth and engagement.
Michael has a real knack for turning complex ideas into beautiful, user-friendly designs. Through numerous feature overhauls and additions, he made my job easy by coming up with design solutions to increase engagement and make customers happier. His attention to detail and understanding of user experience really shined through. What really sets Michael apart is how well he works with everyone. He always made sure to get feedback from product managers, engineers, and marketing folks, relentlessly iterating on designs that met both user needs and business goals. Plus, he explains his design choices clearly, making it easy for everyone to get on board.
I have no doubt that Michael will be a fantastic addition to any team. I highly recommend him and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next.
Michael has a real knack for turning complex ideas into beautiful, user-friendly designs. Through numerous feature overhauls and additions, he made my job easy by coming up with design solutions to increase engagement and make customers happier. His attention to detail and understanding of user experience really shined through. What really sets Michael apart is how well he works with everyone. He always made sure to get feedback from product managers, engineers, and marketing folks, relentlessly iterating on designs that met both user needs and business goals. Plus, he explains his design choices clearly, making it easy for everyone to get on board.
I have no doubt that Michael will be a fantastic addition to any team. I highly recommend him and can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next.
John Shum
Senior Product Manager II at BuildBook
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