Desire to make a useful and easy to use service
I took part in mainly 2 large projects in 2018. One is the release of QuipperCampus and the other is Global Android Project, which is about renewing Android applications.
QuipperCampus is a recommending service for further and higher education, such as colleges and universities. We also provide other Android applications, QuipperVideo, which is an online video lectures, and QuipperSchool, with which users can download exercises and homework.
As a Product Designer, I have been putting my efforts on maintaining services of Quipper to be easy to use and useful for students.
I was the only one Product Designer on the QuipperCampus project, and it was a very difficult challenge for me. I felt particularly challenging at the early stage of the project, but my Manager, Takeshi Ugajin, was always helpful and taught me in detail about the designing guideline. I think my previous experiences also helped me go over the challenge.
At Quipper, we give advice to each other and help one and another when someone is having a trouble. I would like to help someone just like I have been helped by my colleagues.
Happiness of users is my fulfillment
As a result of these projects in 2018, I was selected as one of MVPs for my fact-based approach and the user first goals.
I was responsible for designing the site and the aptitude test of QuipperCampus. Before the release of QuipperCampus, students in Indonesia used to gather information of the universities through searching on the internet. However, it was very difficult for them to get enough information to decide which university or college they want to go. That was because each university and college had different frequency of updating its website, and only little information was available there. As a result, a majority of the students decided the university they wanted to go based on its popularity and by asking opinions to brothers, sisters and friends, etc.
That drove us to aim at providing a service which allows users to search the universities easily and find clear information. What QuipperCampus can do is not only searching universities they can go, but also recommending universities according to the user’s profile just like recommended products on a shopping site. We have prepared various ways to get to know the suitable university for the users.
After the release, QuipperCampus has become a service used by many students. I am happy to think about the services of Quipper are used by and helping teachers and students. Making users happy is my fulfillment.
On the other hand, though the Android application had been provided for some time, the application before the renewal led many students to comment they could not use the product intuitively. Therefore, the Global Android Project made a prototype and asked students to use and give us feedback. By asking them what they thought about our services, what they would like us to do, and if they felt that the product was easy to use, we tried to find points to be improved.
As a result of improving the service to make it more intuitional, the new version of the Android application receives feedback such as ‘great design and easy to use’, ‘easy to understand’ and so on.
We sometimes receive the users’ feedbacks though our website. Though I, of course, am grateful with positive feedbacks. On the other hand, I find complaints and negative opinions are useful. Opinions such as ‘a user could not do a particular thing’, and ‘the reason why it was inconvenient’ are really valuable to let us improve the service.
Every opinion has its values
Another reason why I was chosen as an MVP was because I had built up a good relationship with the team members. My approach when communicating with Product Managers and Developers has been appreciated.
The hardest part to keep good relationships with both Product Managers and Developers is the fact that people from different positions need to understand each other. Everyone has a different background and difficulty. They have something they cannot do because there is a reason. We need to understand the reason and respect other people’s opinion. That is because I believe every opinion has its value and we are all on the same ship heading for the same destiny.
I tried to be sociable when I was playing a role of a bridge between Product Managers and Developers. Even when I don’t agree with someone’s opinion, I think I should be polite when communicating with my colleagues.
I thought it was good for the service, users and myself if a Product Designer like myself understood the requests of users and people related to the service. The reason why I played that role, instead of letting anyone else do, was because I was a UX Designer. The tasks of UX Designers are to identify problems and think up the solution for them. I believe the tasks of UX Designers apply to building a good relationship as well as conducting researches and tests repeatedly. I am proud of my very important role.
I am grateful for working with people who aim for better education
I used to work for a Fintech related company as a Product Designer before I joined Quipper. I had never had any experiences in the educational fields, so working at Quipper as what I am doing is a totally new challenge.
When I found about Quipper, I thought this company was providing useful services for students. I think the services will make students in Indonesia smarter, and lead them to better future. As a member of the ‘Distributors of Wisdom’, I am glad that I am using my knowledge of design for schools and students, and more than anything, I am happy I am working with people who have the same desire of providing better education to students.
Since I joined Quipper in October 2017, I think I began to understand the demands of students through my job. I think I have even better understanding of what and how students would like to study. This understanding of mine is very useful for thinking about for whom we are improving the product, and designing the service.
There are currently 5 members in the design team in Indonesia, and there are 10 members globally. I learn a lot from other designers, especially the ones in Japan, and I have learnt how to design effectively. Our team members exchange opinions openly. I think that listening to others’ opinions is very important to understand other people’s perspectives, and also to understand others’ requests is effective for making a good product. I believe what I have learnt at Quipper will surely be useful for my future.
The environment at Quipper is really supportive and diverse. I have learnt about many people from various backgrounds and their cultures here. I would like to make good products for the students in Indonesia by becoming more knowledgeable about how they are using the services of Quipper.
The brand new educational style which Quipper is pioneering
In Indonesia, the main method of education is an old-fashioned way of face to face lectures given directly by teachers. When I was a student, things we did for our learning after school to do homework at home or to go to a cram school if we could.
I am not saying the traditional methods are not good, but Quipper is offering a brand new way. You can access this mobile application anytime you want, you can study anywhere you like, you can revise straight away if you do not get the correct answer by watching the explanatory lecture, and try the same questions again. It is very much like trying quizzes and you will never get bored. I think Quipper is a short-cut to achieve the good result.
I would like many students to use our services so that we will become No.1 of the online educational services. My dream is to see students saying “I know it!” and “I am using it!!” when they hear Quipper.
2019/4/23
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