Funilab - a tool for user-centered development
Funilab is a user-centered development tool that collects user feedback to support the development of services such as Sisu.
Continuous improvement of user experience plays a key role in the development of digital services. The development process of the Sisu service has utilised a tool from Leanlab, which we have named Funilab, enabling users to be closely involved in the development work. But what exactly is Funilab and how has it worked in practice?
What is Funilab and why is it so important?
Funilab is a tool for conducting user research. We have a Funilab community that end users can join. Community members can be students, administrators, and teachers, and they can participate in surveys and other user research. This community enables us to gather direct feedback and insights at different stages of development, which has been particularly important in the development of Sisu Student Information System.
Funilab uses a variety of methods, such as surveys, polls and A/B testing, which provide valuable information about the needs and wishes of users. For example, during the redesign of the student front page of the Sisu Student Information System, users were involved through several surveys. These surveys helped to identify the different needs of degree and open university students, among other things, which led to the front page being designed to serve all student groups equally.
Funilab is an essential tool in user-centric development, as it brings the voice of users directly into the design and development process. This ensures that solutions meet real user needs and not just the views of the development team. Funilab is a valuable channel for hearing the wishes and needs of end users.
Funilab in practice: Redesign of the Sisu front page
The use of Funilab became more concrete during the redesign of Sisu's front page. At the beginning of the redesign process, a survey was conducted to find out students' experiences and views on the old front page. The survey provided valuable information that helped identify both the strengths and weaknesses of the old front page. A separate survey was conducted among open university students to identify their specific needs.
Once the beta version of the front page was ready, members of the Funilab community were given the opportunity to test it. This feedback enabled the development team to make the necessary improvements and fine-tune the design before the final release. The feedback provided by the test users has been invaluable in ensuring that the redesigned front page truly meets the everyday needs of students.
Better services through cooperation
Feedback will continue to be collected from users through the Funilab community, enabling continuous development and improvements. Funilab gives users a unique opportunity to influence the development of the services they use. Every survey and every response brings the service one step closer to better meeting the needs of users. The redesign of the Sisun homepage already showed how important it is to listen to users – and this cooperation will certainly only deepen in the future.
We genuinely process and take into account the responses – every response is read by a real person and the feedback is forwarded to the designers. Where necessary, it is distributed to those whose work the feedback concerns. This takes a lot of work, but it shows that the responses are valued and that they matter. The voice of users is not ignored, but serves as an important guide for the continuous development of the service.
Funilab is an example of how technology and community participation can be combined into a functional development process. When users are involved in the design, the end result is a tool that serves everyone and makes everyday life easier.
If you want to influence what Sisu or our other services will look like in the future, joining the Funilab community is a great way to bring your ideas and wishes to the fore! You can find the link to Funilab by logging in to your higher education institution's Sisu or Into.