From Query to Clarity:
A Journey in Search System Design
Dear capstone friends, this case study is clearly incomplete but I highly appreciate any feedback you might have:)
Designing a tailored search system for an HRMS platform.
What was the project?
We designed Guide’s search experience by researching search technologies, conducting interviews, and collaborating with our client to refine solutions through iterative feedback.
Some context
We were the search experience team consisting of six UMD master’s students, and we primarily interfaced with Guide's co-founder Tim. Our project is still going on, this case study the work until our first round of testing mid- fidelity prototypes.
Our client, Guide, was a small Washington, D.C.-based startup, whose product was an HR training content management platform.
What was the problem?
We were starting from scratch. Guide was a stage 0 HRMS start up just starting out with development, and it lacked any search functionality.
Design iterations
We iterated on our designs every
Mid fidelity designs and the insights that shaped them
Early features that we tested out through mid-fidelity prototypes. These are some actionable insights from our interviews- some obvious, some not.
Video Information Preview
Category Navigation
My Guide Visibility
Progress Tracker
Navigation Context
Content Structure Clarity
"I want that sidebar with assignments, recently viewed, etc. there all the time... This is everything that I need as soon as I get in."
Users wanted it, but our client resisted a "dashboard." So, we reframed it as "My Guide," a centralized content tracker—suddenly, he was sold.
A situated status bubble with quick links to etc and live progress bars.
Guide was designed to have a scrolling feed of micro-sized video content.We introduced a breadcrumb trail to help users keep track of which playlist they're currently in and giving them constant status updates on where they are within the app
Bread Crumbs
Missing separationg in content format (playlist vs video )
Positive feedback on filters
Quote: "Filters are useful, but I still have to click on videos to see how long they are. If I know the duration upfront, I don't have to guess or waste time."
Action: Add video duration and series information (add annotation if the video exists indeoendantly or if it is a prt of a series) to preview cards
Useful Insights
My Guide
Users wanted it, but our client resisted a "dashboard." So, we reframed it as "My Guide," a centralized content tracker—suddenly, he was all in.
Research
We synthesized actionable insights through multiple steps
We kicked off our research sprint "0" trying to understand the and the context around it with the BMC, competitor analyses,
Competitive analyses and secondary research
Co
Persona Development: Created detailed user personas based on interview insights to guide our design decisions
User Journey Mapping: Visualized each persona’s experience to pinpoint challenges and opportunities in the search process.
Affinity Mapping: Clustered insights from user interviews into themes to prioritize design focus areas
Testing
User testing mid-fidelity prototypes
Insight Synthesis: Consolidated research and testing data into clear, actionable recommendations for final design improvements.
Process
Process
Sprint structure
Our journey began with background research, followed by a systematic five-sprint cycle of wireframing, user testing, and iterative refinement.
Client meetings with Tim
Bi-weekly meetings with Tim, with ad hock email communication
Designing
Each step of this process helped us narrow down a large set of abstract research insights to tangible design solutions.
Sketching
Starting out with a sketching excercise- each of us came up with a bunch of sketching notes, followed by a "Crazy 8" activity where we brainstormed and sketched 8 ideas in 8 minutes.
One of us was the interpreter, that went over each of the sketches- keeping the person who sketched it anonymous. This was done to
This was not mine
Sketch Notes
Crazy 8s
We
User Testing: Tested prototypes with target users to identify usability issues and gather actionable feedback.
Sketching
Mapping
After our research, each of us came up with a bunch of How Might We questions- we had a round of voting by ourselves and then one with Tim to make sure we're all aligned
We came up with how might we questions as a team
Deciding
Deciding
After our research, each of us came up with a bunch of How Might We questions- we had a round of voting by ourselves and then one with Tim to make sure we're all aligned
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
We started with research then looped between designing, testing, and iterating over 5 sprint cycles
Timeline
We were very very organized, all files were in easily locatable. This is my first time being this organised and very worth it, will do in future
Broad Search Results: Struggles with finding role-based content due to limited filters.
Progress Visibility: Difficulty in viewing team progress at a glance.
Lack of Recommendations: No suggestions for courses relevant to company values
Time-Consuming Reporting: Manual steps required for training completion reports.
Pain Points
Quick Search & Filtering: Fast access to training by department, role, and completion status.
Progress Tracking: Clear visibility into who’s completed what training.
Relevant Content: High-quality, role-specific training resources.
Simple Navigation: Easy access to assign, track, and view training progress.
User Needs
Sarah is an HR Manager at a mid-sized tech firm, responsible for overseeing employee training and compliance certifications. With a focus on efficiency, she values data-driven insights but often finds it challenging to quickly locate relevant training content. A mother of two, she stays updated on HR trends and is passionate about promoting a culture of continuous learning.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
HR Manager
Location:
New York, NY
What drives them
Employee Success, Compliance & Efficiency, Skills Development
Personal Quote:
"I believe continuous learning is key to company success, but managing and delivering relevant training across departments feels like an endless maze."
Sarah Tate
31 / Female
Compliance Challenges: Struggles to find training content that meets legal compliance standards, risking non-compliance if modules aren’t suitable.
Role-Based Requirements: No clear way to assign compliance-specific training by role, leading to a manual setup process that’s time-consuming and prone to error.
Repetitive Processes: Finds it tedious to re-assign training modules for new hires or role-specific needs, making onboarding less efficient.
Pain Points
Legal Compliance: Ensure employees complete mandatory compliance training to avoid legal risks and maintain regulatory standards.
Cost-Effective Training Solutions: Access quality training options that align with budget constraints, allowing for effective staff development without overspending.
Role-Specific Content: Access training materials specific to company roles.
User Needs
John owns a chain of retail stores and manages a diverse team, from sales associates to managers. He’s focused on maintaining a well-trained staff to ensure customer satisfaction but finds it hard to monitor training completion due to time constraints. John values efficiency and wants straightforward tools that help his team grow without extensive setup or management.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
Business Owner, Retail
Location:
Dallas, TX
What drives them
Operational Efficiency, Cost Control, Customer and Employee Satisfaction
Personal Quote:
"I need my team trained and compliant, but I don’t have time to dig through resources or manually track every requirement."
John Ramirez
46 / Male
Repetitive Content: Often receives redundant, generalized training.
Workflow Disruption: Training interrupts critical project timelines and are time-consuming
Lacks Technical Focus: Content isn’t relevant enough for specific job role.
Non-Intuitive Platform: Finds some training platforms confusing and hard to navigate.
Pain Points
Efficient Search: Quick access to locate specific and relevant training content when needed.
Flexible Timing: Ability to complete training around project deadlines.
Clear Progress Tracking: Easy visibility into completed and pending modules.
Technical Depth: In-depth security training tailored to role.
User Needs
Alex is a software engineer at a fintech company, focused on maintaining and developing backend systems for secure financial transactions. He values staying up-to-date on the latest technology and security standards, as these are crucial for his role. However, Alex finds compliance and security training a bit repetitive and time-consuming, especially when it interrupts his workflow. He appreciates training that is directly applicable to his technical responsibilities and wants it to be as efficient as possible.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
Software Engineer, Fintech
Location:
San Francisco, CA
What drives them
Technical Excellence, Efficiency, Professional Growth, Impactful Work
Personal Quote:
"I know training is necessary, especially for security, but it has to be practical and not disrupt my workflow."
Alex Kim
27 / Male
Limited Analytics Integration: Lacks comprehensive analytics to identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
Difficult Feedback Collection: Collecting user feedback on training modules is time-consuming and often lacks actionable insights.
Discoverability Challenges: Difficulty ensuring that content is easily discoverable due to limited tagging and filtering options.
Updating Content Complexity: Updating existing content to keep it relevant and aligned with user needs can be a cumbersome process.
Pain Points
Discoverability Tools: Intuitive tagging and metadata tools to make content easily searchable and relevant for various roles.
Engagement Tracking: Access to detailed analytics on how long users engage with each module, where they drop off, and which topics are trending.
Feedback Mechanisms: Simple tools for gathering feedback from users directly within the platform, so content can be improved in response to user needs.
User Needs
Emily is a content creator specializing in corporate training modules within a large-scale training platform. Her role involves creating, updating, and organizing content to enhance knowledge retention and ease of access. She is passionate about ensuring that her content reaches the right audience and is easy to find. Emily values data-driven feedback on user engagement and search patterns to help optimize her content, and seeks ways to make her modules more interactive, trackable, and modular. Analytics play a crucial role in her work, as she wants to understand how her content performs and how it could be better aligned with user needs.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
Content Creator
Location:
Chicago, IL
What drives them
Engaging Learners, Data-Driven Optimisation, Content Discoverability
Personal Quote:
“Creating training content isn’t just about knowledge—it's about making it accessible, discoverable, and insightful for both learners and their managers.”
Emily Cat
22 / Female
Broad Search Results: Struggles with finding role-based content due to limited filters.
Progress Visibility: Difficulty in viewing team progress at a glance.
Lack of Recommendations: No suggestions for courses relevant to company values
Time-Consuming Reporting: Manual steps required for training completion reports.
Pain Points
Quick Search & Filtering: Fast access to training by department, role, and completion status.
Progress Tracking: Clear visibility into who’s completed what training.
Relevant Content: High-quality, role-specific training resources.
Simple Navigation: Easy access to assign, track, and view training progress.
User Needs
Sarah is an HR Manager at a mid-sized tech firm, responsible for overseeing employee training and compliance certifications. With a focus on efficiency, she values data-driven insights but often finds it challenging to quickly locate relevant training content. A mother of two, she stays updated on HR trends and is passionate about promoting a culture of continuous learning.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
HR Manager
Location:
New York, NY
What drives them
Employee Success, Compliance & Efficiency, Skills Development
Personal Quote:
"I believe continuous learning is key to company success, but managing and delivering relevant training across departments feels like an endless maze."
Sarah Tate
31 / Female
Compliance Challenges: Struggles to find training content that meets legal compliance standards, risking non-compliance if modules aren’t suitable.
Role-Based Requirements: No clear way to assign compliance-specific training by role, leading to a manual setup process that’s time-consuming and prone to error.
Repetitive Processes: Finds it tedious to re-assign training modules for new hires or role-specific needs, making onboarding less efficient.
Pain Points
Legal Compliance: Ensure employees complete mandatory compliance training to avoid legal risks and maintain regulatory standards.
Cost-Effective Training Solutions: Access quality training options that align with budget constraints, allowing for effective staff development without overspending.
Role-Specific Content: Access training materials specific to company roles.
User Needs
John owns a chain of retail stores and manages a diverse team, from sales associates to managers. He’s focused on maintaining a well-trained staff to ensure customer satisfaction but finds it hard to monitor training completion due to time constraints. John values efficiency and wants straightforward tools that help his team grow without extensive setup or management.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
Business Owner, Retail
Location:
Dallas, TX
What drives them
Operational Efficiency, Cost Control, Customer and Employee Satisfaction
Personal Quote:
"I need my team trained and compliant, but I don’t have time to dig through resources or manually track every requirement."
John Ramirez
46 / Male
Repetitive Content: Often receives redundant, generalized training.
Workflow Disruption: Training interrupts critical project timelines and are time-consuming
Lacks Technical Focus: Content isn’t relevant enough for specific job role.
Non-Intuitive Platform: Finds some training platforms confusing and hard to navigate.
Pain Points
Efficient Search: Quick access to locate specific and relevant training content when needed.
Flexible Timing: Ability to complete training around project deadlines.
Clear Progress Tracking: Easy visibility into completed and pending modules.
Technical Depth: In-depth security training tailored to role.
User Needs
Alex is a software engineer at a fintech company, focused on maintaining and developing backend systems for secure financial transactions. He values staying up-to-date on the latest technology and security standards, as these are crucial for his role. However, Alex finds compliance and security training a bit repetitive and time-consuming, especially when it interrupts his workflow. He appreciates training that is directly applicable to his technical responsibilities and wants it to be as efficient as possible.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
Software Engineer, Fintech
Location:
San Francisco, CA
What drives them
Technical Excellence, Efficiency, Professional Growth, Impactful Work
Personal Quote:
"I know training is necessary, especially for security, but it has to be practical and not disrupt my workflow."
Alex Kim
27 / Male
Limited Analytics Integration: Lacks comprehensive analytics to identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
Difficult Feedback Collection: Collecting user feedback on training modules is time-consuming and often lacks actionable insights.
Discoverability Challenges: Difficulty ensuring that content is easily discoverable due to limited tagging and filtering options.
Updating Content Complexity: Updating existing content to keep it relevant and aligned with user needs can be a cumbersome process.
Pain Points
Discoverability Tools: Intuitive tagging and metadata tools to make content easily searchable and relevant for various roles.
Engagement Tracking: Access to detailed analytics on how long users engage with each module, where they drop off, and which topics are trending.
Feedback Mechanisms: Simple tools for gathering feedback from users directly within the platform, so content can be improved in response to user needs.
User Needs
Emily is a content creator specializing in corporate training modules within a large-scale training platform. Her role involves creating, updating, and organizing content to enhance knowledge retention and ease of access. She is passionate about ensuring that her content reaches the right audience and is easy to find. Emily values data-driven feedback on user engagement and search patterns to help optimize her content, and seeks ways to make her modules more interactive, trackable, and modular. Analytics play a crucial role in her work, as she wants to understand how her content performs and how it could be better aligned with user needs.
Bio
Details
Occupation:
Content Creator
Location:
Chicago, IL
What drives them
Engaging Learners, Data-Driven Optimisation, Content Discoverability
Personal Quote:
“Creating training content isn’t just about knowledge—it's about making it accessible, discoverable, and insightful for both learners and their managers.”
Emily Cat
22 / Female
In this project, we reimagined the HR training search experience, empowering employees and HR professionals with a streamlined path to discovering learning content.
