Lead UX Designer — 3 months

Elevate

Creating an AI-enabled coaching platform for managers

Product designAI DesignDiscovery research
ClientBest Companies
My roleLead UX Designer
Timeframe3 months
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Opportunity

The existing manager engagement platform faced challenges with static scoring and a lack of actionable insights, which left users and clients uncertain how to drive real improvement. This risked stagnant engagement and potential churn. We were given the mandate to create a next-gen version that addressed these gaps by delivering personalised guidance and deeper organisational insight.

Outcomes

  • Provide a single, unified view of manager effectiveness

  • Create a hyper-personalised and contextually rich experience for users

  • Improve platform engagement through effective use of AI technologies

Key metrics

  • Commitment completion rate %

  • Active user engagement (WAU/MAU)

  • Average engagement time per session

  • Check-ins frequency per commitment

Discovery research

We interviewed 12 participants, HR Directors, HR Project Managers, People Managers across different sectors and industries to understand how they are using the products.

We tested the new scores journey with internal participants, using scenario based testing to see if they successfully undertook the task given.

Whilst measuring task success, we also asked them various questions around expectations, likes and dislikes of the platform.

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Research participants
Research artifacts (affinity maps, etc.)
Interviews conducted12
Findings shared350+
Opportunities identified100

Insights

Little reason to return between surveys→
Managers say they have a lack of time→
Users want the ability to dig deeper into data→
Lack of overall visibility for PMs→
Managers want more guidance on what to work on→

Opportunities

Lack of time is my biggest challenge as a managerLittle reason to return between surveysDesire to dig deeper into dataLack of visibility for PMsIncorporate mentoring within app

Research insights

Overall the testing showed that users were successful with task completion. Opportunities to improve onboarding flow was highlighted as overly long and complicated, meaning there were usability barriers to entry.

Users found the platform informative as a measurement of their management engagement. However, they felt there was little reason to return to the platform after initial login.

Users expressed a desire for greater contextual information and examples to help them define the actions to improve and develop — which the platform was missing.

The problem space

MC³ was our longstanding manager engagement platform, tracking how well managers motivated and supported their teams. Over time, we found that managers struggled with what to do next.

The platform lacked insights into team performance and organisational clarity, leaving managers unsure how to improve or lead effectively.

Observed challenges

  • Client feedback frequently raised challenges with the scoring methodology

  • Engagement levels remained modest despite ongoing efforts

  • Content and interface were lacking personalisation and context

  • Generic content increased cognitive load, forcing managers to interpret relevance themselves

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Flow diagrams / IA maps

Exploration

Working cross functionally with engineering, product and data research teams. We worked through the information architecture for the app to support the improved scoring methodology across three new factors.

We explored different approaches for the core journey, highlight development opportunities and action planning, to see which approach would be viable. Feasibility of how to best integrate generative AI to help users create their development goal and give greater context was also key early in the design process.

Wireframe grid / mid-fi screens

Ideation & low-fi exploration

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Hi-fi explorations

Impact

Since launching Elevate, weekly active manager engagement increased 27% vs original platform. Additionally, session lengths have increased 15%, indicating deeper and more meaningful interactions with the product. Qualitative feedback from managers emphasised the "coach-like" guidance and helpful actionable next steps.

Goal completion rate↑ 9%
Active user retention (WAU/MAU)↑ 37%
Average engagement time per session↑ 15%

Key learnings & next steps

We've gained valuable insights into how managers engage with the platform, highlighting opportunities to refine and enhance their experience, particularly on mobile devices. Moving forward, our focus is on deepening the AI-driven coaching capabilities to deliver even more personalised guidance, and integrating Elevate seamlessly with other products in the suite to provide a unified and seamless user journey.