Airstack Meetings - Easy Online Meetings

A detailed look at my design process and results

Role

Lead UX Designer

Tools

Sketch, UserTesting, In-Person Interviews

Overview

We built Airstack Meetings to make quick online chats a breeze for folks without fancy setups. It started in Airstack but was meant to be everywhere in Lenovo. I was the lead brain figuring out how it should look and work.

A collection of different user interfaces, showcasing various stages and types of mobile and desktop applications.

The Challenge

Our users in small businesses needed fast online chats without the usual tech headaches. They pay good money for things to work, saying stuff like, "We pay too much for services for them not to work." So, Airstack Meetings had to be simple and solid across all Lenovo gear.

Process

Research

Back in May '18, I snooped around how online meetings worked (and face-planted). I checked out the cool stuff and the not-so-cool stuff others did. I even dug through our notes from AirClass, our training tool – the good, the bad, and the "what were we thinking?". Then, me and a few smart cookies hit the road, chatting with small biz folks. We even had them doodle what they'd expect for people, chat, and the main view.

A collage of six screenshots depicting different interfaces of online video conferencing applications.

Design Solutions

Based on what folks scribbled and said, I mapped out how it all fit together. This helped everyone get on the same page. I started with quick sketches, then made more detailed blueprints (wireframes) so people could see how it'd work. We picked colors and bits, then started building, ready to see how folks used it. We made sure it was easy to jump in, simple for guests, had clear camera buttons, a no-brainer chat, and an end screen that gave peace of mind and asked "How'd we do?".

Low-fidelity wireflow showing interconnected app screens and user actions.

Usability Testing

We didn't just wing it! We planned on having Lenovo peeps kick the tires first. We also kept watching how everyone used online meeting tools (including ours) to snag ideas for making it better. I used all sorts of tricks to test stuff – websites, testers online, chats in cafes, emails, and even just asking folks inside and out.

Did it Work?

Airstack Meetings keeps getting better. By having Lenovo folks try it out and by always watching how online meetings go, we keep making it smoother and easier for everyone.

A screen asking How was the audio and video quality? with thumbs up and thumbs down icons, text about sharing the meeting replay, and a Copy URL to Clipboard button.

Key Learnings

  • Getting out and talking to actual users (and even having them draw!) provided incredibly valuable, unfiltered insights into their needs and expectations
  • For everyday tasks like quick online meetings, users prioritize ease of use and reliability over a ton of fancy features.