Freedom Signal
Software as a Service
Challenge
Freedom Signal’s initial release was designed by volunteer software engineers and Seattle based nonprofit Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST) to address the specific needs of the population REST serves in the Northwest. Now used by organizations across the United States and Canada, limitations in the initial build and functionality have limited its ability to collect success data points, which Freedom Signal needs for funding and functionality improvements to serve the advocate’s needs.
At the time of this project, the staff at Freedom Signal was investing resources to release an updated version of their software using Tailwind UI, but knew little more about users than the names of their organizations. My co-UX Researcher and I were initially brought on to help Freedom Signal understand why their user base was not using the existing software features as intended and what proposed new features would add the most value to those users.
To learn more about the originals of Freedom Signal click here
My Role in Phase 1: User Researcher to facilitate user interviews, data analysis, behavioral personas, presentation and report
Collaborators: Joan W. (Co-UX Researcher), Milleigh V. (Project Manager), Lucy W. (Software Engineer), Pete D. (Software Engineer), Liz R. (Technology Director)
Timeline: 2 months
Tools Used: Zoom, Notion, Google Suite, PowerPoint, Miro, Figma
Two-Phase Approach
The overall goal in this research was exploratory in nature to provide a baseline about how the users perceive the current version of Freedom Signal. I reached out and recruited another talented designer, Joan Williams, in order to build a multi-perspective team for this project. As there had been no previous formal user experience research on Freedom Signal, we focused on laying the groundwork by talking to users not only about their experiences, feelings, and workflow with the software itself, but figuring out how they were organized, what other responsibilities they had in addition to Freedom Signal, and their plans for the future. We did this through interviews with advocates and some of their program directors that used Freedom Signal.
Phase 1
Goals & Deliverables
Understanding who the user is.
Data Analysis and Interpretation of the findings.
Research Summary Paper with Personas.
Phase 2
See Phase 2
Goals & Deliverables
Facilitate Team Ideation Meeting
Produce and User Test Low/Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Presentation of Findings
Phase 1
Recruiting Participants
We used Notion and the Google suite products to manage shared documents, build online forms, and record survey results directly to an online spreadsheet.
1.
Customer Interview Request Email
The Project Manager contacted the organization currently utilizing Freedom Signal and used the template messages to establish interest in participation. The document detailing the initial introduction email, follow-up instructions and Interview Consent for participants can be found here
2.
Interview Consent Form
In order to capture the most information and preserve it for additional review and use, we decided to record each Zoom interview. To do this we prepared a simple consent form and Milleigh coordinated to have each participant sign prior to the interview. We also obtained recorded consent at the time of the interview.
3.
Online Pre-Interview Survey
Once participants had agreed, we provided them with an online survey to collect demographic information, experience levels, and interest in current and new features. Surveys were completed by 13 users ranging from Director, Advocate, and Volunteer levels, and though not all surveyed people were interviewed the information was incorporated into the overall data collected. This survey was essential for the interview selection process, as we were able to select a variety of demographics to prevent skewing the results by any one organization or participant outlook.
This information also helped us in developing our interview script and questions, while also keeping the interviews to one hour.
Surprising Outcome
Though believed to be the highest demand new feature, one group rated in-app calling as the lowest priority. Through later interviews, we discovered that the group utilizes Google Voice to communicate with potential victims as soon as they make contact using Freedom Signal. This hack removed their need for in-app calling.
We Performed 9 Interviews To Understand Our Users
In total, we performed 9 one hour User Interviews over a week span, ranging through Director, Advocate, and Volunteer levels. Each interview was performed over Zoom, alternating between my co-designer, Joan, and I interviewing or taking notes and timekeeping. Our Project Manager, Milleigh, attended each interview to ensure all documentation was received and provided answers to any participant questions outside of the user interview.
To stay on track, we used an interview guide with the agenda, questions, and time markers. This way the note taker had some idea what to expect next, with allowance for additional questions to drill down into topics as needed. After each session, Milleigh, Joan, and I debriefed to evaluate the process for improvements. As the interviews progressed, we did some iterating on our questions list, and approach, as each participant brought unique insights.
Interview goals:
Observe user actions and workflow in Freedom Signal.
Understand organization team structures and responsibilities.
Discuss the desirability of each of the new and existing features.
Interview Sample
Trimmed Video 2.mp4Seamlessly adapting the interview after learning this user can not screen share to show their process.
Surprising Outcome
We found some participants had the enthusiasm to be involved, but limitations to their hardware or ability to screen-share and walk us through the software as they normally use it. This required Joan and I to adapt quickly to ensure the most value was obtained from the interview.
Understanding User's Needs & Behaviors
Once the user interviews were complete, Joan and I set to work reviewing the notes taken, hours of video, and data collected from the pre-surveys to begin to understand the motives, goals, feelings, and pain points of the current user base.
Pain Points
One of the easiest areas to identify while Joan and I reviewed the information were the Pain Points of using the Freedom Signal platform. We were able to individually list and then compare our findings to identify 25 shared or individual Pain Points the users had expressed. Comparing that to our observations in the interviews and survey data, we were able to outline common problem areas and some of the deeper causes for them.
We also outlined the Wish List conveyed by current users and compared it to the pre-survey interest levels data for product features. We were again able to create a deeper understanding of why these requests were being made.
Surprising Outcome
One of the most surprising revelations was that the organization that used and understood the fewest number of existing features, expressed the most pain points, and requested the highest number of new features (some of which already existed).
Organizational Personas
We consulted several senior UX professionals regarding how to start categorizing the current users, and due to the wide range of user demographic, as a team, we decided to develop our User Personas based on organization type, rather than the individual. We were quickly able to define 4 distinct organizational personas.
Evangelist
Job Descriptions:
Volunteers manage groups (4-6) of volunteers. One volunteer is in charge of the computer with Freedom Signal, while others manage calling, note-taking, and praying.
Who They Are
Age:
60+
Work:
Volunteer
Location:
Church groups in Suburbs outside large cities, and in smaller towns.
Character:
Well meaning and sincere, loves community and their church, with a lot of life experience. Traditional, but not ridge.
How long they’ve been using Freedom Signal:
Around a year
Qualifications to work use Freedom Signal / Skill set / background / expertise:
Volunteers come and go and they do things that they are comfortable doing. Main volunteer has access to software and no one else does.
How They Feel
Motives:
Faith, desire to be helpful, service, guilt
Beliefs and Feelings:
Judgement: potential victims are ashamed
Expectations for Freedom Signal:
Potential online outreach to people in need.
Goals in Freedom Signal:
Let people know that they care and are there for them. Pray together. Can provide day-to-day needs. Reach lots of women, with no expectation of how many.
Pain Points
(1) Signing in to Freedom Signal has extra steps and takes longer, especially going to the computer to log in.
(2) Concerned that there are X# unread messages. Not sure why, and can't find them.
(3) Gets alerted on her phone that someone has texted her, so she gets on the app and checks it and she sees the timestamp, but nothing is there.
(4) Gets alerts for other team's phone numbers.
(5) Some volunteers are uncomfortable calling on the phone
(6) None of our team "Outreach" phone numbers are labeled and that’s confusing.
(7) Texting on this platform is difficult because of the delay going out and coming in.
(8) Forgets to turn the away mode off and alert mode off and then they’ve texted back and they have to say, I’m sorry.
(9) No longer at this phone number / older numbers are no longer with that potential victims.
(10) No quick info under the phone number. As going through the different conversations, all they can do is starring or rename it.
(11) No group access to Notes
(12) Less and less possible numbers are available to me
(13) No list of ads with numbers and a face photo.
(14) Delay in numbers appearing on the message page after a Reachout campaign is sent.
(15) Localized ads, when in big cities. They could be sent to teams in the area the ad is for. Or Not being able to target an area would be so helpful.
(16) Some people might say no and then another Project Intercept team will contact them the next day or the next week and they get irritated
(17) Bots
(18) Lack of Project Intercept Training
(19) Old Hardware or handy down.
What They Do
Freedom Signal Usage Time:
Monthly groups of 5 people meet for 1-2 hours, and the primary PI user does some followup.
Team Structure:
Monthly meeting, primary Freedom Signal user has a computer the church provided and gives out PV numbers to 4 other team members to start texting with Google Voice. Primary Freedom Signal user is in contact with the supervisor.
Way they Campaign:
Newest Numbers, plants seeds for building relationships through supportive text messages (emotional, spiritual, material). They tell the PVs their name, organization, and who they are to gain trust. More personal in the initial text messages.
Organizing Information:
Uses Freedom Signal just to make initial contact. All PV information is kept in personal phones, notebooks, loose paper used to remind Primary PI memory.
Point in which they leave software:
As soon as contact is established in PI.
Outside Support Software:
Google Voice, Notebook
Accountability:
None. Privately funded.
Official Social Worker
Job Descriptions:
Employees not only manage Freedom Signal throughout the workweek, but also handle social work, cases, and other types of outreach activities.
Who They Are
Work:
Social Worker
Location:
Major City (Seattle / New York)
Character:
Person of patience, kindness, and strength for people to lean on.
How long they’ve been using Freedom Signal:
Around a year
Qualifications to work use Freedom Signal / Skill set / background / expertise:
Employees are highly qualified to use the software and have backgrounds in social work and trauma or have been in a sex trafficking situation.
How They Feel
Motives:
Young social workers with a passion for helping people with trauma, job, personal connection
Beliefs and Feelings:
Jaded: Sex trafficking is a problem everywhere
Expectations for Freedom Signal :
Potential online outreach to people in need.
Goals in Freedom Signal :
Get people on the phone so they can connect them with services
Pain Points
(1) Signing into Freedom Signal has extra steps and takes longer, especially going to the computer to log in.
(2) Gets alerted on her phone that someone has texted her, so she gets on the app and checks it and she sees the timestamp, but nothing is there.
(3) Alert mode isn't working at all anymore
Calling from a different phone number loses trust.
(4) No longer at this phone number / older numbers are no longer with that potential victim.
What They Do
Freedom Signal Usage Time:
Uses during all work hours
Team Structure:
Works mostly independently as a dedicated user, with some assistants helping with responding to potential victims and other tasks. Employee manages the relationship with Freedom Signal and all the casework as well as with director (sending metrics for donors)
Way they Campaign:
Newest Numbers, represent their organization and build trusting non-judgemental relationships while offering resources.
Organizing Information
Org that uses freedom Signal just to get initial contact with people and then goes to Apricot
Point in which they leave software:
Goes to Apricot (end of each day) when they need to input specific information on the person. Keeps communicating through PI until they establish more direct communication.
Outside Support Software:
Apricot
Accountability:
To Program Manager (funding established)
Personal Passion
Job Descriptions:
Director - Manages Freedom Signal outreach in addition to all her other duties.
Assistant - fills in when there was overflow.
Who They Are
Age:
45-50
Work:
Outreach Coordinator
Location:
Events City (Louisville, New Orleans, Nashville)
Character:
Passionate, incredibly driven, and a dominant personality.
How long they’ve been using Freedom Signal :
Around a year
Qualifications to work use Freedom Signal / Skillset / background / expertise:
Director found out about the software and needed help, so the assistant helps when needed. Director had been in a sex trafficking situation.
How They Feel
Motives:
Personal trauma, must save everyone
Beliefs and Feelings:
Hero: PV need to be saved
Expectations for Freedom Signal :
Mass text women from websites crawled. Engage via texting. Communicate updates in Freedom Signal to assistant. Export statistics meaningfully.
Goals in Freedom Signal :
Reach and save everyone. Reach lots of women, with the expectation of how many based on reports.
Pain Points
(1) No quick info under the phone number. As going through the different conversations, all they can do is starring or rename it.
(2) Less and less possible numbers are available to me
(3) Bots
(4) Lack of Project Intercept Training
(5) All message boxes are one line and it is really hard to double-check messages before sending them.
(6) No additional / expandable information accessible for past campaign messages
(7) Try to use the export function, but it goes to an expensive XL sheet and makes it too complicated. It discouraged her and she stopped using it.
What They Do
Freedom Signal Usage Time:
Once a week creates a new campaign and then follow up as needed.
Team Structure: Works mostly independently as a dedicated user, with some assistants helping with responding to potential victims and other tasks. Employee manages relationships with Freedom Signal and all the casework as well as with the director (sending metrics for donors) Director manages relationships with assistants, donors, and outside service providers.
Way they Campaign:
Newest Numbers. Survivors of abuse, able to identify with their state of mind. More direct with their messages relating to resources, especially employment.
Organizing Information
Uses products the way SAS intended. All data and features used in the software.
Point in which they leave software:
Only if they are calling.
Outside Support Software:
PCase Notes (for specific communication on individual numbers)
Accountability:
To Supervisors (funding dependent)
Leading Volunteers
Job Descriptions:
Paid Director and Lead Advocate that manages a group of volunteers who create campaigns and send messages to potential victims.
Who They Are
Age:
36
Work:
Employee Advocate
Location: Toronto
Character:
Highly organized with the knowledge and heart for guiding people to be sensitive and help people in traumatic situations.
How long they’ve been using Freedom Signal:
Around a year
Qualifications to work use Freedom Signal / Skillset / background / expertise:
Advocate for many years learning about how to interact with people in traumatic situations. Created a rigorous training process for when someone becomes a volunteer to use Project Intercept. (See accountability)
How They Feel
Motives:
Got passionate about trafficking in high school and continued from there with a big heart for “broken women”. Faith is a driving factor to get more and more involved in helping people.
Beliefs and Feelings:
Empathy: “I have a big heart for broken women”.
Expectations for Freedom Signal:
Online outreach to people in need.
Goals in Freedom Signal:
Start and continue relationships with people for when services are needed.
Pain Points
(1) Signing in to Project Intercept has extra steps and takes longer, especially going to the computer to log in.
(2) Calling from a different phone number loses trust.
(3) No longer at this phone number / older numbers are no longer with that potential victim
(4) No quick info under the phone number. As going through the different conversations, all they can do is starring or rename it.
(5) Less and less possible numbers are available to me
(6) Auto fill options from past outreach messages in the message box in the Reachout page.
(7) All message boxes are one line and really hard to double-check messages before sending them.
(8) No additional/expandable information accessible for past campaign messages
(9) Old Hardware or handy down
What They Do
Freedom Signal Usage Time:
Volunteers sign up and (in groups of at least two for oversight) use for 30 minutes.
Team Structure:
Employees manage groups (3-5) of volunteers
Way they Campaign:
Oldest numbers, Keeps the numbers as low as possible and is very direct in the actual message. Says their organization name, what resources they can offer, and that they are available. Not personal in the initial text message.
Note: Would like for the potential victim number to stay the same so they could keep using the oldest number first and keep up with the amount of numbers they get, so they would be serving the numbers as soon as they got them. Would like for the number of potential victims to keep up with the number of volunteers they have. How many potential victims do not influence the value of software.
Organizing Information
Org that uses google drive to organize and share information.
Point in which they leave software:
Only if they are calling. To pre-write messages.
Outside Support Software:
Google Docs / Sheets (schedule and notes on
Accountability:
Director -
manages all outreach and logs onto Freedom Signal to check-in.
Employee -
manages project intercept, volunteers, and other social work
Volunteers -
sign up for a time and work on specific tasks within Freedom Signal (must work in pairs)
Presenting To Stakeholders
At the conclusion of the Research Phase of this project, Joan and I hosted an online presentation of the findings to all stakeholders that had been involved. Additionally, we invited the Seattle Against Slavery Board Members with the hopes that being present for this presentation would help to align them with the Technology Director's goals and vision for the future of the program.
Presentation Goals
Explain how users are actively interacting with the software
Key point - Everyone leaves the software
Key point - Almost no one sees or uses the tools in the right panel
Key point - Everyone uses the left panel for organization
Key point - No one really understands any of the numbers from analytics
Explain pain points overall
Explain different organizational structures and their pain points
How We Achieved This
Along with summarizing the research collected throughout this phase, we intermingled applicable video clips from our user interviews so that our team would hear firsthand the struggles users faced, and in turn, develop empathy for them.
Surprising Outcome
All users agreed that the main value of Freedom Signal is being able to bring their outreach efforts online and to reach many people in one campaign. If Freedom Signal did nothing else, they would still use the software.
To view the presentation, advance slides using the control bar. To view the recorded meeting, click the "Watch Full Meeting" button.
Executive Summary
Our Executive Summary and Findings Report outlines our research findings in great detail. Through our process, we uncovered known and unknown issues, created an understanding of who the users are, and how their actions affect the intended design of the software.
For further detail on any of the following, please see the complete Executive Summary.
The Main Value of Freedom Signal is the number of potential victims and being able to mass text them.
People use the app for initial contact and then continue their relationship elsewhere.
A variety of organizations all have different use cases
Issues with transparency
User training is inconsistent.
There are emotional/psychological impacts of the software.
SAS Team Assumptions
Project Success
Outcomes & Reflections
Feedback After Release
Joan and I were invited back for a Freedom Signal 2.0 premiere in mid-December to see the end result of our work. We were both pleased to hear customers who had been migrated over to the new version gave excited reviews, commenting on how the software felt more robust while also simpler to use.
Professional Recommendation
"Justin is a fantastic UX professional who helped my small team develop our first framework for UX and understanding our users & their needs. Justin was part of a months-long UX research project along with his project partner, Joan, and together they helped our small engineering team in a crucial growth period. Justin and Joan researched our users, conducted countless hours of interviews, developed user personas, as well as wireframes for new features, which they also tested with our users. They gave us valuable learnings and a foundational framework of understanding our users that we carry into our future work. I was very impressed with their thoroughness, professionalism, and commitment!"
-Liz Rush,
Technology Director
Seattle Against Slavery
Reflections
At the beginning of this project, I had been in search of a nonprofit in which I could invest my time and grow my skills as a UX professional. I had not expected to become so impacted by this cause and the valuable work Seattle Against Slavery is doing. Having originally committed to 10 hours a week, I quickly realized the volume of work I had agreed to far surpassed those hours. As the weeks grew longer, I found myself even more committed to delivering the results needed to impact this product.
I feel that during my 3 months working on this project, I helped to establish a culture of UX research and design for the Freedom Signal team and laid a foundation through leadership and sharing the guiding principles of the UX design philosophy.
During this time, I learned the importance of attaining stakeholder buy-in, the value of investing the needed time in communication to guide the team through user interviews, research debriefs, ideation workshops, prototype iterations, and usability testing. I am also very thankful for the valuable insight and guidance from several UX mentors throughout the process that guided my approach.
If I were to do it all again... I'd definitely use Microsft Word to transcribe the interviews to text!
My sincere thanks for all the support and feedback to make this project happen.
Thanks go to the users and participants that graciously took the time to do user interviews and usability testing.
The staff at Seattle Against Slavery:
Liz Rush., for entrusting us with your software and your user base.
Milleigh Vo., our project manager, that organized everything and was with us every step of the way.
Pete Dunlap and Lucy Waggoner for giving us the fantastic experience of working with awesome developers.
Mentors that shared their time to and knowledge of user experience and user research industry standards.
Ian Wyosnick - Senior Researcher at Smartsheets
Amanda Menking - Director at University of Washington, MHCI+D
Jeroen Bet - Associate Strategy Director at Smashing Ideas
And most of all, Joan Williams, my incredible UX co-designer on this project.