[A Checklists Project]

Field Relevance

Improving data accuracy and completeness in Checklists.

Platform

Mobile / Desktop

Role

Product Designer /Researcher

Delivery Time

6 Weeks

A desktop screen in the background with an iPhone 14 Pro in the foreground. Showing the feature on both platforms.

The Problem

Irrelevant tasks in Checklists cause users to input random or missing data, leading to confusion and unreliable reports. This issue has prompted frequent requests for ‘Conditional Logic’ to improve data accuracy by showing only relevant fields.

The Problem

Irrelevant tasks in Checklists cause users to input random or missing data, leading to confusion and unreliable reports. This issue has prompted frequent requests for ‘Conditional Logic’ to improve data accuracy by showing only relevant fields.

The Solution

To improve checklist accuracy, users can mark specific sections as “Not Applicable.” This lets teams skip irrelevant parts without compromising the document’s completeness. By doing so, users avoid adding incorrect data or leaving sections blank, ensuring checklists remain accurate when handed over to third parties.

The Solution

To improve checklist accuracy, users can mark specific sections as “Not Applicable.” This lets teams skip irrelevant parts without compromising the document’s completeness. By doing so, users avoid adding incorrect data or leaving sections blank, ensuring checklists remain accurate when handed over to third parties.

~36%

decrease in user reported error

~36%

decrease in user reported error

~36%

decrease in user reported error

~41%

increase in checklists completed

~41%

increase in checklists completed

~41%

increase in checklists completed

Template Onboarding

Below is the initial onboarding experience for our two main user personas: office staff and field workers. This process highlights key features for both personas, specifically calling out the unique benefits to each user

Template Onboarding

Below is the initial onboarding experience for our two main user personas: office staff and field workers. This process highlights key features for both personas, specifically calling out the unique benefits to each user

Template Controls

From a Checklist Template on the web, admins and managers can set sections as required or optional, controlling the visibility of the ‘Mark N/A’ button on mobile for field users. For example, if siding/soffit isn’t part of a job, the section can be hidden to ensure checklist accuracy and completion.

Template Controls

From a Checklist Template on the web, admins and managers can set sections as required or optional, controlling the visibility of the ‘Mark N/A’ button on mobile for field users. For example, if siding/soffit isn’t part of a job, the section can be hidden to ensure checklist accuracy and completion.

Marking Sections N/A

Field users can mark entire sections as Not Applicable (N/A), ensuring accurate data while adjusting the total task count. Once marked N/A, the section collapses out of the way, streamlining the checklist for users.

Marking Sections N/A

Field users can mark entire sections as Not Applicable (N/A), ensuring accurate data while adjusting the total task count. Once marked N/A, the section collapses out of the way, streamlining the checklist for users.

Field User Error Prevention

User interviews identified that field users are more likely to make mistakes when using their devices one-handed, such as on ladders. To address this and build in more error prevention, I designed ‘Restore’ functionality, effectively adding an ‘Undo’ button.

Field User Error Prevention

User interviews identified that field users are more likely to make mistakes when using their devices one-handed, such as on ladders. To address this and build in more error prevention, I designed ‘Restore’ functionality, effectively adding an ‘Undo’ button.

The Context

In user interviews, we found that field users often face irrelevant tasks, such as roofing tasks when working on gutters or vice versa. To meet these requirements, users often took random photos or left fields empty, leading to irrelevant data and confusion about checklist completion. This prompted frequent requests for ‘Conditional Logic’ by office staff to improve data accuracy by showing only relevant fields.

The Context

In user interviews, we found that field users often face irrelevant tasks, such as roofing tasks when working on gutters or vice versa. To meet these requirements, users often took random photos or left fields empty, leading to irrelevant data and confusion about checklist completion. This prompted frequent requests for ‘Conditional Logic’ by office staff to improve data accuracy by showing only relevant fields.

…They’ll [field workers] just put in a picture of a vent from one of the trucks, you know, because they have to put something in. My crews won’t get credit for the job unless it’s 100% complete.

…They’ll [field workers] just put in a picture of a vent from one of the trucks, you know, because they have to put something in. My crews won’t get credit for the job unless it’s 100% complete.

There are very different types of homes and situations that we run into. And if we run into situation A, we need photos one, two, and three. If we run into situation B, we need one through four. And if we run situation C, we need three, six, and eight. And that's where the conditional logic would really, really help.

We want to be able to click something here to say close task complete even though with nothing available to it, like so that we can get to 40% no matter what without having to take pictures of our shoes and write a bunch of stuff here.

Not every project needs all the fields, so the crew either skips them or fills them with junk...

The Users

This project had two main user groups: office staff and field workers. Office staff needed accurate checklists for financial reporting but struggled with data accuracy. Field workers needed to get tasks done efficiently but dealt with irrelevant tasks and physical constraints, leading to bad data.

The Users

This project had two main user groups: office staff and field workers. Office staff needed accurate checklists for financial reporting but struggled with data accuracy. Field workers needed to get tasks done efficiently but dealt with irrelevant tasks and physical constraints, leading to bad data.

Office Manager

Responsibilities

• Keeping track of crew

• Communicating with clients

• Ensuring accurate information

Frustrations

• Struggles with clear communication between the office and field teams

• Finds it time-consuming to verify authenticity of inrofmartion provided by field workers

• Frequently has to manually correct or fill in missing data

Technical Proficiency

• Medium

Field Worker

(non-supervisor)

Responsibilities

• Completing tasks created in advance

• Communicating updates and changes to the main office/supervisor

• Regular documentation of ongoing progress

Frustrations

• Often faces irrelevant tasks within Checlists, leading to incomplete or inaccurate data

• Feels rushed to complete tasks quickly

• Struggles using many digital tools, and is forced to use work-related applications

Technical Proficiency

• Low

Sketch Exploration

While developing a solution, I initially explored broadly, considering larger fixes like incorporating accumulated debt and implementing conditional logic to show and hide relevant tasks. This approach aimed to address the core issue of ensuring only pertinent tasks are displayed to improve data accuracy and streamline checklist completion.

Sketch Exploration

While developing a solution, I initially explored broadly, considering larger fixes like incorporating accumulated debt and implementing conditional logic to show and hide relevant tasks. This approach aimed to address the core issue of ensuring only pertinent tasks are displayed to improve data accuracy and streamline checklist completion.

Early sketches exploring the flow of various layouts and interactions for task management and conditional logic.
Early sketches exploring the flow of various layouts and interactions for task management.
Early sketches exploring the flow of various layouts and interactions for task management and conditional logic.

Prototyping

This was my first attempt at prototyping conditional logic, focusing on drag-and-drop interactions. The goal was to validate some of the larger architectural changes.

Prototyping

This was my first attempt at prototyping conditional logic, focusing on drag-and-drop interactions. The goal was to validate some of the larger architectural changes.

A Refocus on MVP

After extensive discussions with the team, engineering, and stakeholders, we decided to pause the larger plans and refocus on the core MVP: preventing bad and missing data. While the initial exploration offered an exciting glimpse into the feature’s potential, the risk was too high to proceed further. Specifically, we were still determining how broadly a feature like this would be used by the larger checklist audience.

A Refocus on MVP

After extensive discussions with the team, engineering, and stakeholders, we decided to pause the larger plans and refocus on the core MVP: preventing bad and missing data. While the initial exploration offered an exciting glimpse into the feature’s potential, the risk was too high to proceed further. Specifically, we were still determining how broadly a feature like this would be used by the larger checklist audience.

A Defining Direction

Below is the keystone sketch for the project’s future direction. Instead of remaking Checklists for conditional logic, can we ‘simply’ make entire tasks or sections optional?

A Defining Direction

Below is the keystone sketch for the project’s future direction. Instead of remaking Checklists for conditional logic, can we ‘simply’ make entire tasks or sections optional?

An early sketch exploring various options to 'skip' or mark entire sections as optional within a checklist.

View more case studies

Tasks

Eliminating the need to create elaborate checklists, Tasks offer a quick, visible way of communicating next steps to your future-self or team.

Tasks

Eliminating the need to create elaborate checklists, Tasks offer a quick, visible way of communicating next steps to your future-self or team.

Tasks

Eliminating the need to create elaborate checklists, Tasks offer a quick, visible way of communicating next steps to your future-self or team.

Checklist Feed

Improving the visibility of Checklist statuses to create more efficient workflows for admins & managers.

Checklist Feed

Improving the visibility of Checklist statuses to create more efficient workflows for admins & managers.

Checklist Feed

Improving the visibility of Checklist statuses to create more efficient workflows for admins & managers.

Let's talk.

rice212@gmail.com

Let's talk.

rice212@gmail.com

Let's talk.

rice212@gmail.com

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