PRODUCT DESIGN / USER ENGAGEMENT
Swing Heroes: From Concept to Completion in 30 Days
My Role
Director
Product Designer
Timeline
October 2024
Swing Heroes: From Concept to Completion in 30 Days
Swing Heroes was born out of the need to distinguish and reward the most reliable and professional substitute teachers within Swing Education’s platform. The goal was to provide schools with confidence in the quality of their substitutes while motivating substitutes to maintain high standards.
The project introduced a new status, Swing Heroes, which subs could achieve by meeting criteria such as reliability, punctuality, and professionalism.
The benefits for achieving this status included priority access to high-paying jobs, a badge visible on their profile, and recommendations to schools and admins.
Key Achievements
Designed and delivered the project within 30 days.
Implementation was completed within the subsequent 30 days.
Took on the primary design role due to an emergency absence on the team, showcasing adaptability and leadership.
Background
Swing Education wanted to incentivize and reward top-performing substitute teachers, ensuring they were visible to schools while encouraging others to strive for the same standards.
The criteria for becoming a Swing Hero were transparency, fairness, and accessibility:
Criteria Transparency
Clearly defined expectations such as no last-minute cancellations, positive feedback, and punctuality.
This built trust between Swing Education, the substitutes, and the schools.
Enticing Achievable Performance Incentives
The program’s benefits, such as priority job access and higher pay rates, were designed to motivate substitutes while ensuring they felt the goals were attainable.
Support and Resources
Comprehensive support materials were developed to help substitutes succeed, including training articles, a code of conduct, and performance feedback.
Design Process
To bring the Swing Heroes program to life, I collaborated closely with the Product Manager and UX Writer to define and refine the vision. We worked through multiple design reviews to quickly iterate on ideas and adapt them based on feedback.
The goal was to create a visually compelling and functional design that motivated substitutes, presented key information clearly to admins, and stayed aligned with Swing’s branding.
One idea we explored was introducing the feature with a splash screen that would display upon login, highlighting the new program.This screen would provide users with immediate clarity on the benefits and criteria for becoming a Swing Hero.
Introduction Screen Exploration
Unfortunately, due to time and resource constraints, we couldn’t implement this feature. Instead, we shifted focus to ensuring that the design itself explained the program effectively, complemented by accessible help documents and detailed information integrated into the platform.
Design Philosophy
After establishing the core elements of the design, I worked closely with engineers to ensure that our solutions were feasible and could be implemented within the aggressive timeline.
Fairness
A system where all substitutes felt they had an equal opportunity to succeed
Clear Communication
Transparent criteria for achieving and maintaining Swing Hero status
Visual Appeal
An interface that was intuitive, engaging, and professional.
Explorative Design Process for the Sub Profile
To effectively communicate the Swing Heroes program, I explored six different design concepts for the Sub Profile. Each design presented a unique way to visually represent the new status and its benefits.
These explorations aimed to:
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Highlight key criteria for becoming a Swing Hero
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Ensure clarity for substitutes and admins
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Maintain a visually engaging interface
After exploring these variations, we worked collaboratively to workshop the design and refine it into the final version. The final design consolidated the best aspects of the explorations, clearly communicating progress and criteria while motivating substitutes effectively.
Final Design
Outcomes
Rapid Delivery:
From concept to completion, the project was executed in 30 days with implementation immediately following.
Enhanced Platform Value:
Schools were provided with a reliable pool of substitutes, improving trust in Swing’s services.
Team Collaboration:
Despite constraints, the team worked cohesively, showcasing the importance of communication and adaptability under pressure.
Reflection
This project demonstrated the power of clear goals, effective collaboration, and decisive action. While I led the design efforts, the success was a testament to the team’s resilience and shared commitment. Swing Heroes is a prime example of delivering impactful results in a short timeframe while maintaining design integrity and user focus.