Understanding Younger Generations' Self-Help Needs
CONTEXT
Why Millennials and Gen-Z Demand Smarter Self-Help
Self-help is all about empowering individuals to tackle problems on their own—whether it’s through FAQs, wikis, tutorials, or other tools that deliver quick resolutions while scaling support effectively. Millennials and Gen-Z, often called the 'DIY Generations,' demand fast, personalized, and seamless experiences. Yet, Microsoft’s self-help platforms often fell short of these expectations.
Research Question:
"How do Millennial and Gen-Z users interact with Microsoft’s self-help resources, and what specific improvements can be made to enhance their user experience?"
PROBLEM
The Challenges of Fragmented Self-Help Platforms
Despite Microsoft’s vast library of self-help tools, users faced several issues:
Hidden Resources
Inconsistent Design
Low Engagement
These barriers left younger audiences disengaged and less likely to rely on Microsoft for support.
PRIMARY RESEARCH
Uncovering Key Pain Points and User Needs
Our primary research focused on understanding how Millennials and Gen-Z engage with Microsoft’s self-help platforms:
User Interviews: What We Learned from Millennials and Gen-Z
January - May 2024 | 16 Weeks
UX Researcher
Gen-Z prioritizes speed and self-service (e.g., chat, videos).
"Going through support articles and forums feels too broad; I like videos because they’re much more specific."
– Gen-Z Participant
34% value quick responses; 47% seek friendly interactions.
76% would recommend brands based on a positive digital experience.
Millennials value personalized and expert support.
"I’m loyal to Microsoft because I grew up with it."
– Millennial Participant
47% prioritize issue resolution; 38% seek knowledgeable support.
62% would switch brands after a bad customer service experience.
GEN-Z
MILLENNIALS
GEN-Z
Heuristic Evaluation: Design Flaws That Impact Usability
Microsoft’s support services fall on three major platforms: Support, Community, and Tech Community Hubs. Each platform has unique strengths and weaknesses that make for entirely different user experiences.
Cognitive Walkthrough: Identifying Navigation Pain Points
To validate our heuristic evaluation findings and explore user interactions with Microsoft Support in real-time, we conducted a cognitive walkthrough with several individuals. Our key pain points included:
Microsoft Support:
Overcrowded by Ads
Strengths: Clear navigation with trending topics and consistent design.
Weaknesses: Ads distract from troubleshooting, lengthy articles, and inconsistent navigation.
Microsoft Tech Community: Informative but Cluttered
Strengths: Tailored hubs and popular discussions for niche queries.
Weaknesses: Overcrowded landing page and monotonous post design.
Microsoft Community:
Useful but Overwhelming
Strengths: Metrics like likes and views highlight relevant posts.
Weaknesses: Long threads, duplicate questions, and poor search features.
User Interviews: Key Takeaways
SECONDARY RESEARCH
Learning from Competitors and Industry Leaders
We studied industry leaders and user behaviors to identify gaps and opportunities:
Insights from Industry Leaders and Reddit Users
To benchmark user expectations, we analyzed competitors and online communities.
Here are the insights:
Based on our research and insights, as well as an understanding of what already exists, here are the key areas we need to consider before coming up with recommendations to enhance Microsoft’s support platforms:
To address the identified pain points, we proposed the following recommendations:
Why these platforms work:
Optimized Layouts
Advanced Filtering
Attractive Design
CONSIDERATIONS
What should we consider? Insights so far...
RECOMMENDATIONS
Designing a Unified and Engaging Self-Help Experience
NEXT STEPS - MICROSOFT
What can Microsoft do next?
CHALLENGES
Where we struggled
REFLECTIONS
Lessons Learned
Some questions that we have for Microsoft SMC Teams - on how to build user engagement.
Time Constraints
A significant challenge we faced was the limited time available, which restricted our ability to conduct extensive evaluations and develop in-depth testing.
This project taught me how to apply my research skills to a real-world setting. I learned the importance of clearly distinguishing between target audiences and ensuring consistency in my approach. I also realized the value of diving deeper into user experiences, rather than staying at a high level. Overall, it emphasized the need for attention to detail and thinking through all the elements that shape the final outcome.
Conceptual Wireframes
Due to the breadth of our research, there was insufficient time to develop fully fleshed-out user flows for comprehensive testing.
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