QFinder Pro
A product by QNAP that displays a list of NAS devices captured in the network.
CONTEXT
During my internship at QNAP, my manager tasked me to redesign Qfinder Pro, a software that displays the users’ NAS devices. I conducted in-depth research to identify user pain points with QNAP's Qfinder Pro, and make recommendations on how to enhance its functionality and user experience.
Understanding Current Information Architecture
Before getting into user research, I want to first understand the product. I want to understand its current information architecture and its main features. I interviewed the Product Manager to gain a better understanding of the product, and identified main features, secondary features, and other details
Identifying main features
Identifying other features and details
Then, I wanted to understand how people might categorize these informations, so I conducted 3 card sortings and found three main types of uses:
1. To view NAS information
2. To perform an action on NAS through Qfinder
3. To check on basic Qfinder pro settings
Card Sorting Results
Understanding USER & USE CASES
I want to gain a better understanding of how users might use this product and some of their painpoints. So, I conducted 3 user interviews internally to gain a better understanding of their own usage and their customers' usage. Here is a quick breakdown of the users:
User Interviews
I also looked at customer reviews online and customer reports through an internal portal. Here are some key points I discovered:
Key Findings
Through these interviews, I found that
Key Finding Summary
Areas of Improvement
After understanding some user pain points and reasons why they don't use the product, I want to identify some key areas of improvements for this redesign.
How might we make the process of finding the necessary information easier?
Based on my research, I identified 3 main areas of improvements of this redesign and provided some solutions:
Areas of Improvments
Area #1
How might we capture external network devices to provide users with more options?
Use QID login to capture external network devices
User Login Flow (Before; Using QID)
Use VPN to capture external network devices
Area #2
How might we capture external network devices to provide users with more options?
Let users choose the information they want to see
One login rather than multiple
Only show items that are in use
Area #3
How might we better organize information so users won't need to login multiple times?
Organizing Information Hierachy
REFLECTION
Working on this project expanded my understanding of various user research methodologies and their appropriate applications. I engaged in multiple user interviews, conducted card sorting exercises, and conducted thorough desk research. I learned the importance of using research to inform my design, and think about how to differentiate our product from competitors. These research supported me when I presented my insights and solutions for the redesign of Qfinder Pro to my team.
