Requirement Gathering
I interviewed clients and colleagues about needed functionality and points of confusion. I diagrammed the current work flow, exposing data silos that were causing our clients to make setup mistakes. When I compared our structure to other volunteer programs in a competitive analysis, I found that while the components we offered were common, they were not connected well, requiring the same information to be entered in multiple places.
Taskflows
With this in mind, I proposed rearranging the data structure into simpler task flows that would still support migration of our current clients' data. I combined data types that most clients had already assumed were connected and I created pragmatic work flows for tasks done by CRM administrators and their volunteers. Administrators could now post positions that volunteers could then apply for, then either party could record hours spent on the project.
Wireframes
Once I had the new tasks and workflows decided, I used Balsamiq to sketch out wireframes for the new workflows, making sure to account for all of the new functionality.
Paper Prototyping
I tested iterations of the wireframes by making paper prototypes and asking my colleagues to perform common tasks. Anything that caused confusion went back to the drawing board until it was clear.
