Microsoft GroupMe

Building a feature rich eco-system within the application, with key partnerships tp address lifestyle needs of student communities

Role

Designer

Timeline

1 week (Client project)

Team

2 Designers, 1 Engineer, 1 Product strategist

Deliverables

Ideation, wire-framing, prototyping, rapid iterative testing

Microsoft

2023

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Overview

About

Microsoft GroupMe

GroupMe is Microsoft's messaging application that makes it easy for members to form groups and create private chat rooms. Their largest user base had historically been campus communities!

About

Microsoft GroupMe

GroupMe is Microsoft's messaging application that makes it easy for members to form groups and create private chat rooms. Their largest user base had historically been campus communities!

About

Microsoft GroupMe

GroupMe is Microsoft's messaging application that makes it easy for members to form groups and create private chat rooms. Their largest user base had historically been campus communities!

A short sprint

as a contract to help Microsoft gain deeper insights into campus communities

Goal: Gather a large amount of insights in a short time

Microsoft reached out to Berkeley's Design and Business communities to brainstorm ideas to increase adoption and retention of their largest user base i.e campus communities that could lead to potential virality among the latter.

A short sprint

as a contract to help Microsoft gain deeper insights into campus communities

Goal: Gather a large amount of insights in a short time

A short sprint

as a contract to help Microsoft gain deeper insights into campus communities

The problem

Low adoption and retention rates

Revive the product to retain key users (students)

Compedititon from giants like Whatsapp and Instagram resulted in a sharp decline in the user base. Microsoft wanted to reconnect with their largest user base.

The problem

Low adoption and retention rates

Revive the product to retain key users (students)

Compedititon from giants like Whatsapp and Instagram resulted in a sharp decline in the user base. Microsoft wanted to reconnect with their largest user base.

The problem

Low adoption and retention rates

Posts couldn’t be repurposed across channels

Due to the differences in creation flows for each channel, marketing materials, such as emails, couldn't be easily repurposed for other channels like SMS or social posts

Revive the product to retain key users (students)

Compedititon from giants like Whatsapp and Instagram resulted in a sharp decline in the user base. Microsoft wanted to reconnect with their largest user base.

The solution

Boost adoption by integrating features that address the need of student communities

Create an USP + Address baselines experience needs

We proposed a 5-year growth plan focused on building a GroupMe ecosystem through key partnerships with companies that address student lifestyle needs, integrating these services directly into the app. Alongside this, we suggested baseline UX improvements to enhance the overall user experience, making the platform more intuitive and engaging for student communities

The solution

Boost adoption by integrating features that address the need of student communities

Create an USP + Address baselines experience needs

The solution

Boost adoption by integrating features that address the need of student communities

Posts couldn’t be repurposed across channels

Due to the differences in creation flows for each channel, marketing materials, such as emails, couldn't be easily repurposed for other channels like SMS or social posts

Create an USP + Address baselines experience needs

Impact estimated by 600

students through rapid testing via social media

We gathered A/B testing feedback from over 600 college students in just 4 hours. We tested the likelihood of adoption of the redesigned app based on intuitiveness and findability.

74%

of the survey population were more likely to adopt GroupMe due to improved user flows and the integration of lifestyle features.

97%

of the survey population found the redesigned interface more intuitive

58%

confirmed that in-app utility features (see step 3 of final designs) would prompt them to switch their primary messaging app to GroupMe

Impact estimated by 600

students through rapid testing via social media

We gathered A/B testing feedback from over 600 college students in just 4 hours. We tested the likelihood of adoption of the redesigned app based on intuitiveness and findability.

74%

of the survey population were more likely to adopt GroupMe due to improved user flows and the integration of lifestyle features.

97%

of the survey population found the redesigned interface more intuitive

58%

confirmed that in-app utility features (see step 3 of final designs) would prompt them to switch their primary messaging app to GroupMe

Impact estimated by 600

students through rapid testing via social media

We gathered A/B testing feedback from over 600 college students in just 4 hours. We tested the likelihood of adoption of the redesigned app based on intuitiveness and findability.

of the survey population found the redesigned interface more intuitive

Process

Process to uncover

user needs and industry standards

Secondary research- compeditor analysis

We surveyed 20 university students about their preferred messaging platforms and analyzed the 6 most popular ones to identify where GroupMe was falling short.

Primary research: 8 contextual interviews

We interviewed current users, who were also student, to identify their pain points, unmet needs, and the key criteria they consider when choosing a messaging platform

Process to uncover

user needs and industry standards

Secondary research- compeditor analysis

We surveyed 20 university students about their preferred messaging platforms and analyzed the 6 most popular ones to identify where GroupMe was falling short.

Primary research: 8 contextual interviews

We interviewed current users, who were also student, to identify their pain points, unmet needs, and the key criteria they consider when choosing a messaging platform

Process to uncover

user needs and industry standards

Secondary research- compeditor analysis

We surveyed 20 university students about their preferred messaging platforms and analyzed the 6 most popular ones to identify where GroupMe was falling short.

Primary research: 8 contextual interviews

We interviewed current users, who were also student, to identify their pain points, unmet needs, and the key criteria they consider when choosing a messaging platform

Discovery from

contextual interviews

Lack of Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

GroupMe lacked a unique offering to retain users. In a competitive market, this absence of differentiation made it hard for GroupMe to stand out and keep users engaged.

Lack of security & hinderance to basic actions

Tasks like deleting or archiving messages, adding contacts, and creating new chat groups were notably difficult for users. These missing (basic) functionalities hindered the overall user experience.

Limited Personalization Due to Microsoft Branding

Users mentioned that the strong Microsoft branding restricted basic personalization features commonly expected in messaging apps. This unexpected issue surfaced in nearly every user interview, highlighting a significant barrier to user satisfaction.

Discovery from

contextual interviews

Lack of Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

GroupMe lacked a unique offering to retain users. In a competitive market, this absence of differentiation made it hard for GroupMe to stand out and keep users engaged.

Lack of security & hinderance to basic actions

Tasks like deleting or archiving messages, adding contacts, and creating new chat groups were notably difficult for users. These missing (basic) functionalities hindered the overall user experience.

Limited Personalization Due to Microsoft Branding

Discovery from

contextual interviews

Lack of Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

GroupMe lacked a unique offering to retain users. In a competitive market, this absence of differentiation made it hard for GroupMe to stand out and keep users engaged.

Lack of security & hinderance to basic actions

Tasks like deleting or archiving messages, adding contacts, and creating new chat groups were notably difficult for users. These missing (basic) functionalities hindered the overall user experience.

Benchmarking against six

competitors revealed how GroupMe was falling short

We surveyed 20 university students to understand their messaging platform preferences and then benchmarked the top 6: WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, Telegram, Slack, and iMessages

5/6

▸ Easy to delete messages ▸ Compatible with file sharing formats ▸ Don't have adversitesments

6/6

▸ Provide options to personalisation ▸ Have a large existing user base ▸ Have a large international connectivity

3/6

▸ Are end-to-end encrypted ▸ Have a powerful search feature ▸ Allows easy message organisation

Benchmarking against six

competitors revealed how GroupMe was falling short

We surveyed 20 university students to understand their messaging platform preferences and then benchmarked the top 6: WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, Telegram, Slack, and iMessages

5/6

▸ Easy to delete messages ▸ Compatible with file sharing formats ▸ Don't have adversitesments

6/6

▸ Provide options to personalisation ▸ Have a large existing user base ▸ Have a large international connectivity

3/6

▸ Are end-to-end encrypted ▸ Have a powerful search feature ▸ Allows easy message organisation

Benchmarking against six

competitors revealed how GroupMe was falling short

We surveyed 20 university students to understand their messaging platform preferences and then benchmarked the top 6: WhatsApp, Instagram, WeChat, Telegram, Slack, and iMessages

▸ Provide options to personalisation ▸ Have a large existing user base ▸ Have a large international connectivity

Phasing out project scope

based on effort to implement and user need

Improved User Flow: Easier Contact Addition

Improving user flows, such as an finding an easier way to add contacts, would require moderate effort to implement. This change would streamline the process, making it more intuitive and user-friendly.

Implement baselines requirements & improve flows

Surface frequently used actions & implement established heuristic principles to minimise user effort, ex. ways to promote privacy, create new groups and add contacts.

Introduce unique offers

Ex: In chat payments/ meeting scheduling Moderate effort

Phasing out project scope

based on effort to implement and user need

Improved User Flow: Easier Contact Addition

Implement baselines requirements & improve flows

Surface frequently used actions & implement established heuristic principles to minimise user effort, ex. ways to promote privacy, create new groups and add contacts.

Introduce unique offers

Ex: In chat payments/ meeting scheduling Moderate effort

Phasing out project scope

based on effort to implement and user need

Simultaneoulys scheduling all channels

Conveying context for scheduling new posts

Surface frequently used actions & implement established heuristic principles to minimise user effort, ex. ways to promote privacy, create new groups and add contacts.

Leverage existing data to recommend

Ex: In chat payments/ meeting scheduling Moderate effort

What needed improvement

based on usability testing

The onboarding experience needed improvement

Due to the unique flow, users needed more guidance initially. Once familiar, they navigated easily but required instructions to get started

Users encountered friction at the first step

Many users found the path to the editors time-consuming, with some saying it slowed their creative flow

What needed improvement

based on usability testing

The onboarding experience needed improvement

Due to the unique flow, users needed more guidance initially. Once familiar, they navigated easily but required instructions to get started

Users encountered friction at the first step

Many users found the path to the editors time-consuming, with some saying it slowed their creative flow

What needed improvement

based on usability testing

The onboarding experience needed improvement

Due to the unique flow, users needed more guidance initially. Once familiar, they navigated easily but required instructions to get started

Users encountered friction at the first step

Many users found the path to the editors time-consuming, with some saying it slowed their creative flow

Low fidelity explorations

to communicate with stakeholders & test ideas

We explored UI placements, the improved chat expeirence and key feature proposals (second row) like creating threads, meeting scheduling, third party patments and a community & utilities section (left to right)

Wireframing of each improvement proposals

Wireframing helped communicate new micro-interactions, UI improvements, and unique product offerings. It allowed stakeholders to assess effort, ensure alignment with Microsoft’s brand identity, and validate the design before moving on to high-fidelity screens

Low fidelity explorations

to communicate with stakeholders & test ideas

Wireframing of each improvement proposals

Low fidelity explorations

to communicate with stakeholders & test ideas

Wireframing of each improvement proposals

Final designs

Step 1

Benchmarked features, would be implemented immediately

Improving usability

Surfacing frequently used actions and implementing heuristics principles Surfacing frequently used actions and implementing heuristics principles was the first step towards creating the new GroupMe experience.

Step 1

Benchmarked features, would be implemented immediately

Improving usability

Step 1

Benchmarked features, would be implemented immediately

Improving usability

Step 2

In-house features to create a unique offering

Incorporate features esential for campus communities

Creating a GroupMe ecosystem of lifestyle feature to supplement user conversations such as “Message threads” or “Meeting scheduling “(below)

Step 2

In-house features to create a unique offering

Incorporate features esential for campus communities

Creating a GroupMe ecosystem of lifestyle feature to supplement user conversations such as “Message threads” or “Meeting scheduling “(below)

Step 2

In-house features to create a unique offering

Incorporate features esential for campus communities

Creating a GroupMe ecosystem of lifestyle feature to supplement user conversations such as “Message threads” or “Meeting scheduling “(below)

Step 3

Third party integrations

An ecosystem of lifestyle features for students

A final step would be to create integrations through strategic partnerships with platforms like Venmo and Kayak, leveraging their offerings to better support users within the GroupMe platform.

Step 3

Third party integrations

An ecosystem of lifestyle features for students

A final step would be to create integrations through strategic partnerships with platforms like Venmo and Kayak, leveraging their offerings to better support users within the GroupMe platform.

Step 3

Third party integrations

An ecosystem of lifestyle features for students

A final step would be to create integrations through strategic partnerships with platforms like Venmo and Kayak, leveraging their offerings to better support users within the GroupMe platform.