arpit pandey

SAPedia
Evaluate and enhance the search experience of
SAPedia (SAP’s internal encyclopedia)

Overview
When I joined the team, SAPedia was already live
on SAP portal. It had relatively low traffic and high
bounce rate. The team wanted to redesign and
rebrand it. Their plan was to encourage more SAP
employees to find their information and
contribute to SAPedia by creating more articles.
My role was to apply design process and research
to find out how SAP employees look for
information and how they use SAPedia. I
conducted user research to extract their pain
points and expectations. Insights and product
requirements were devloped which helped to
create the vision and goal for my project. I also
conducted continous design reviews sessions with
my team members to get their feedback. Product
testing was done to validate the proposed design
and get users feedback for design improvements.

My role
Interaction design and strategy, User Research,
UI Design, Prototyping and Branding

Duration
6 months

Problem
 SAP employees work with lot of data and it is still
arpit pandey challenging for them to get and understand
relevant information within the organisation. It is
quite cumbersome for them to find the desired
result in SAPedia. Editing and creating new
articles are indeed a difficult task for them.

Brief
1. Conduct user research on how SAP employees
look for information and how they use SAPedia.
2. Design a simplified and powerful user interface
for SAPedia (for desktop and mobile platforms
based on user research).
3. Simplify complex user interactions and
empowering end users to gain meaningful
insights from SAPedia.
4. Create branding and marketing campaigns for
SAPedia (posters, stickers, promotional video ...)

Research
A: User Interviews - Inquiring users for insights

The product team noticed that SAPedia users

were having problems publishing new articles and
finding the information they were looking for. In-
depth user research conversations were set up
with 20 SAPedia users to learn more about their
thoughts, pain spots, and expectations in order to
better grasp the issue.
arpit pandey

Research analysis and

ideation
To explore the information we had acquired from
the user interviews, I organised a brainstorming
and ideation session with stakeholders. We wrote
user insights on post-its and grouped them with
other comparable post-its. We identified the most
important problems with search and content
creation.

Findings
 Users found it difficult to get the exact
arpit pandey information when they do search.

The search results page has too much textual

information.

Lack of relevant alternatives or search

recommendation systems that assist
consumers in finding more of what they like

Some users requested a mobile version of

SAPedia because they don't work desk jobs
and spend the majority of their time
travelling, attending events, and attending
seminars.

A native offline app will come in handy when

there is no or restricted network connectivity
and will be a practical aid during meetings or
client site visits.

It's difficult to create and update content, which

is a huge issue for anyone attempting to add
things. It can be difficult, especially for new
users, to adjust things and make them look
great. New users may find it challenging to
participate and contribute their work as a
result.
arpit pandey

Users desire a central location where they can

look up and access all of the organization's
information.

Because information is currently spread over

several locations, people find it incredibly
challenging to get it.

When collaborating with others, the inability

to simultaneously edit articles or participate in
real-time discussions can cause delays and
misunderstandings because users frequently
need to take turns editing, which may disrupt
the effective exchange of ideas and
information.

Competitor analysis
After focusing the research results, I started
studying some well-known encyclopaedias to
comprehend how their search and article creation
framework works and how they encourage users
to interact with the content.

1. Wikipedia's editing of articles

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2. Britannica search results page

Wikipedia has a good system for modifying

articles. The edit source button is readily located
in the upper right corner and makes editing an
article simple. Remarkably, MediaWiki, the
technology behind Wikipedia and SAPedia, is the
same.

When compared to Wikipedia, Encyclopedia

Britannica presents search results in a different
way. Encyclopedia Britannica displays all relevant
search results for a particular search term. The
end user may become overwhelmed as a result of
information overload. Wikipedia, in contrast,
offers a disambiguation for search results,
allowing the user to quickly describe the type of
material he is seeking.

Identifying users
 Personas were developed based on primary
arpit pandey research to determine the characteristics of the
vast majority of SAPedia users and comprehend
their needs.

Ideation
Ideation and concept exploration were carried out
to explain the context of SAPedia after gathering
user input through primary research and
competitive analysis. After a brief discussion
about their opinions and ideas with SAPedia end
users, we took note of their feedback and
suggestions.
arpit pandey

Based on our investigation and analysis, we

came to the following conclusion on the
process of streamlining the flows for SAPedia:

1. Improve the search experience by

making it more user-friendly.

2. Encourage user-generated content

production.

3. Make it easier for individuals to modify

articles.

(1) For a better search experience, we

outlined the following major points from the
study and findings:

(A) A/B Testing: A web page's performance is

compared between two different versions
(Grid View and List View).

Grid View: The content in a grid view is

presented in two or more columns with
images. With less text, the photos occupy the
 majority of the space. Users use visuals to
arpit pandey guide their decision-making.

List View: A single column list of the content

is shown in list view. There aren't any pictures
and it's mostly text. Users make decisions
based on reading the content.

Conclusion: As a consequence of the

overwhelming support from end users, the
both display of search results were chosen as
the representational method.

(B) Bookmarks, sharing and commenting

on articles, search history and search
suggestions:

Users will be able to recollect and discover new

content by seeing their search history and
trending articles.

Features like bookmarking, sharing, and

commenting on articles will increase user
involvement and motivate people to cooperate
and participate by creating articles on SAPedia.

(C) Encourage users to use and improve

SAPedia as a resource.

My colleagues and I held a session to discuss

and share ideas about how to inspire users to
use and improve SAPedia as a resource. We
made the decision to launch with a simple
implementation of rewarding SAPedia's top
contributors and displaying their profiles on
the homepage.

We also talked about developing branding

and marketing strategies to promote SAPedia
at various office locations (posters, emailers,
promotional video).
arpit pandey

User Flow
User flows were created to visualise how users
might engage with search and content creation.

Based on our research findings, we took the

following factors into account when designing a
system that is scalable, entertaining, and
encourages the creation of user-generated
content.

1. Currently, there are very few graphics and a lot

of text in SAPedia. With the change, priority would
be given to loading text, followed by gradually
loading photos and other media. After the text
has been seen, the page loads.

2. Provide users with the ability to explicitly load

large media files, such as high resolution images
or vidoes, when necessary.

3. Even if there is no network, SAPedia mobile

users should be able to create articles. They
should have an offline mode capability that, when
there is a network, immediately syncs the data
with the server.

4. The user should have the option to modify the

application to suit their needs. It would be more
user-friendly and accessible if there were an
option to change the layout, fonts, theme (light vs.
dark mode), and language.
 Wireframes
arpit pandey
During the wireframing process, I concentrated
on a robust search-based content creation
experience that would enable SAP employees to
easily generate content and get the information
they were looking for on SAPedia.

In addition to the problem with the general

search experience, I also wanted to investigate
how to build a platform that is scalable so that we
can simply add more features in the future.

Improved navigation and scalable UI

We've added a robust navigation menu that

allows users to swiftly switch between SAPedia
functionalities. Whether it's reading and looking
up articles, writing new articles, or keeping your
favourites. The search results and layout can
always be customised by users based on their
needs and specifications.

Menu for quick access​

Instead of having to go all the way down to the

bottom to discover the specific information, there
is a quick access table on the left side of the page.
arpit pandey

Federated and faceted search

patterns

We suggested a few interaction patterns,

including federated and faceted search, which
enables users to simultaneously search
numerous data sources and helps them focus
their search possibilities to locate precisely what
they're looking for.

Better readability and personalised

recommendations

In order to lessen eye strain and tiredness, we

reduced the text area's width by 45%. To boost
user engagement, we also added
recommendations for related articles.

UI for both web and mobile

devices
arpit pandey
1.
Search driven content

An intuitive and scalable user interface. A

powerful search-driven content creation process
that allows you to effortlessly create content and
swiftly locate the information you seek on
SAPedia

2.
Customize your search results to find exactly
what you want

Tailor your search for precise results. SAPedia's

customisation options empower you to refine
your search and pinpoint the exact information
you need. Say goodbye to irrelevant results and
hello to a more targeted search experience,
ensuring you find exactly what you're looking for
arpit pandey
3.
Personalised suggestions designed to boost
user engagement

Introducing a fresh perspective on article viewing

and creation, enhancing readability and providing
personalized suggestions. Experience a novel
approach to both consuming and authoring
content that not only improves article clarity but
also tailors recommendations to your
preferences.

4.
Easy and intuitive article creation

Simplified and user-friendly article generation.

SAPedia ensures the process of crafting content is
straightforward and intuitive, offering a seamless
experience for creators. An effortless article
creation, where you can easily and intuitively
produce your content
arpit pandey 5.
Contribute, Share Information, and Expand
Your Network

Participate in SAPedia to share your expertise,

expand the collective knowledge, and connect
with others who share your interests. Your
contributions not only enrich the platform but
also help you establish valuable connections
within the community. Join the collaborative effort
of building a vast repository of information while
fostering relationships with like-minded
individuals

6.
Discover more with search

Unlock greater insights through search. SAPedia’s

powerful search functionality opens the door to a
world of knowledge, enabling users to explore,
learn, and uncover more information than ever
before. Dive into a wealth of resources and tap
into the vast realm of possibilities that await with
enhanced search capabilities
arpit pandey 7.
keep your favourite articles saved

Preserve your cherished articles. Save and

safeguard your favorite content for easy access
and future reference. With this feature, you can
maintain a curated collection of articles that hold
value and significance to you

User testing and

findings
We conducted user testing with a varied set of
volunteers, including both expert and
inexperienced users, over the course of two
weeks. Participants were given specific tasks
related to creating and searching for articles. We
watched how they interacted, took notes on what
they said, and examined the outcomes.
arpit pandey

Final design implementation was carried out to

visualise screen layouts and visuals after the
development of wireframes and task flows. To
examine the workflow of the interaction, an
interactive prototype was created and tested with
SAPedia users.

Key findings and insights

Logo
The inspiration for the SAPedia logo's design
came from the beehive, which serves as a
metaphor for contributions and an infinite store
of information.

The worker bee in a logo represents a SAP

employee who is continuously adding honey, or
SAP data, to the hive (acronyms, abbreviations
and terms of SAP).
The information or data represented by the gold
hexagons has been filled with honey, and
 honeybees must fill up the empty ones. The
arpit pandey absence of filler in the logo indicates that SAPedia
is a knowledge base that depends on employee
input to expand. The logo artfully illustrates the
use of solely hexagons in the design.

Poster Campaign
The SAPedia was promoted among SAP
employees through a poster campaign. It was
decided to create these posters in three parts and
convey information about SAPedia gradually. To
keep SAP employees' interest, we decided to
gradually add a set of information to these
posters.
arpit pandey
Learning and
future steps
With some of our most frequent users, I tested
our prototype. Users appreciated the concept of
seeing content with graphics, and the feedback
we received was overwhelmingly positive. Users
of SAPedia could easily create new articles, which
increased the number of clicks, likes, and
comments on articles. 86% of SAPedia users were
effective in producing new content.

A few significant takeaways from this project

are:

1. Make a business plan before releasing an MVP.

This helps manage demands that are outside of
the project's scope and expedites the delivery of a
high-quality end result.

2. User comments: Design is an ongoing process

of refining the user experience. Always look for
ways to gather and pay attention to user
feedback.

3. Include engineering early. This minimizes the

need for any further rework because knowing the
technological constraints up front will help to
guide your design strategy.

Our future steps include:

1. Improving filters to improve search

customization.
2. Enabling voice search interactions to increase
search flexibility.
3. Including videos in articles to boost user
engagement
4. Provide high-quality material in several
languages to appeal to a global audience.
5. Developing more design strategies to motivate
users to contribute to and use SAPedia as a
resource.
6. Allow multiple users to collaborate, create and
edit articles.

Thanks for your engagement! :)

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arpit pandey find interesting

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