Marine Stewardship Council
Case Study Details
Date March to May 2020
Client Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
Project Audit & Assessment Platform
Role UX/UI Consultant
Tools Figma / FigJam / InVision / Jira / Sketch / Slack / Zeplin
Introduction
As a UX/UI consultant on a short term contract, I was engaged by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to embark on an 8-week discovery phase for their fisheries audit and assessment platform. MSC, an esteemed advocate for sustainable fishing practices worldwide, faced an arduous and inefficient process involving a multitude of Word and PDF documents being passed between fishery managers, assessors, fishery assessment managers, fishery certification managers and fishery outreach personnel.
This case study chronicles my efforts to simplify and streamline this convoluted workflow into a cohesive web-based application, utilising low-fidelity Balsamiq wireframes for the initial prototype.
The Challenge
The prevailing audit and assessment process within MSC was plagued by its complexity and inefficiency. The extensive document exchange among various stakeholders resulted in a time-consuming procedure prone to human error.
Discovery Phase Objectives
Gain insight into the current workflow and its pain points.
Identify the key stakeholders and their specific roles.
Define user personas and their distinct needs.
Create a low-fidelity prototype using Balsamiq wireframes as a starting point.
Research and Analysis
During the discovery phase, comprehensive interviews with MSC staff engaged in the audit and assessment process were conducted. Additionally, feedback was sought from key stakeholders to pinpoint their challenges. The findings illuminated the following issues:
Document Overload: Users grappled with the overwhelming number of documents, leading to version control issues and missed updates.
Collaboration Hurdles: Communication among stakeholders was obstructed, resulting in delays and misunderstandings.
Inefficiency: The extensive administrative tasks diverted attention from the primary goal of fisheries assessment.
User Personas
Six primary user personas emerged within the MSC audit and assessment process:
Assessors: Employed by a variety of CABs to conduct and lead MSC fishery assessments across the globe.
Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) Administrators: Ensures MSC assessments and audit follow the FCP on behalf of their fishery clients
Fishery Assessment Managers: Responsible for liaising with CABs and their assessment teams for her portfolio of fishery clients.
Fishery Certification Managers: Responsible for the Fishery Certification Process and provides guidance and clarity through interpretations and seeking improvements to the process.
Fishery Outreach Managers: Working with fishery clients to help them see the benefits of the MSC programme - both to join the programme and stay within it.
Peer Review College Administrator: Selects appropriate impartial peer reviewers to undertake a review of fishery assessments.
Proposed Solution
To alleviate the complications and streamline the audit and assessment process, I recommended the development of a web-based application. This platform would unite all stakeholders in a single collaborative environment. Key features included:
Centralised Document Repository: The platform would serve as the central hub for all audit-related documents, reducing the need for manual handling.
Real-time Collaboration: Integrated messaging and commenting features would facilitate communication among stakeholders.
Task Management: A task assignment and tracking system would ensure transparency and accountability.
Automated Workflows: Certification processes would be automated, diminishing administrative burdens.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
As part of the discovery phase, I created low-fidelity Balsamiq wireframes to visualise the proposed platform. These wireframes served as a visual reference for the user interface and the aforementioned key features. Whilst not final designs, they catalysed discussions and feedback.
Next Steps
As the discovery phase was completed during the first Covid lockdown, the subsequent phases of refining the wireframes into high-fidelity designs, conducting usability tests and developing a functional prototype were postponed for the short-term. The ultimate objective remains the creation of a user-friendly, efficient and collaborative platform that will significantly enhance the fisheries audit and assessment process for MSC.
