zoom redesign

exploring ways to improve the user experience of the zoom video conferencing platform

role: individual
timeline: 8 weeks
focus: user experience design
tools: figma, miro
deliverables: interview script, empathy map, needs statements, persona chart, user flows, wireframes, low-fi + high-fi prototypes

overview

During the Spring 2021 semester I completed DESINV 25, a course focused on User Experience Design. We were randomly assigned a tool created before the pandemic and asked to re-design it for users who relied on it more because of COVID-19. I was assigned Zoom, and interviewed new users about their experiences with the platform.

research

To learn more about the wide range of Zoom users, I created an interview guide to help structure conversations with people affected by the shift from in-person to virtual work and school.

I interviewed two people — one who was interning virtually, and another whose job involved interacting with children. Both were new Zoom users navigating the shift to remote environments.

interview insights for interviewee 1 — interview insights — interviewee 1

interview insights for interviewee 2 — interview insights — interviewee 2

synthesis

I combined both interviews into a shared empathy map — "Sophie" in pink, "Arthur" in blue, and their overlapping insights in purple. The four quadrants cover what they said, thought, felt, and did when interacting with Zoom and their virtual environments.

combined empathy map for Sophie and Arthur

From the interviews I developed needs statements, filling in a structured template with what I learned about each user.

I then built a persona chart based on the combined needs, with a focus on student interactions with Zoom.

ideation

After understanding my users, I decided to focus on helping Zoom hosts and participants manage meeting length and prioritize mental health. My solution: a built-in break feature for Zoom.

updated user flow with break feature — updated flow with break feature

Red indicates the participant journey, blue the host, and gray shared actions. The right diagram shows the break feature woven into the existing flow.

user testing

I brought my original interviewees back to test the wireframes and user flow. I walked through my vision with them and gathered feedback on how they'd interact with the new features.

prototypes

Low-fi wireframe prototypes built in Figma, leading into the final high-fi screens.

final outcome

Five final screens showcasing the break feature for both participants and hosts.

participant views

participant break notification screen — setting an away / break notification

participant break active screen — break notification visible to participants (top left), with transcript saving and recording snippet if enabled

host views

host view of participant break — host view when a participant activates their break

host reminder timer feature — remind feature — an in-app timer letting hosts track meeting length and prompt breaks

host setting up timer — host setting up the timer

reflection

This was my first time redesigning an existing product — one I was using daily, even in the class itself. I had a lot of fun with it. If I revisited this project I'd interview more people (4–8 users) to build a richer persona and explore a wider range of features. More testing rounds would also strengthen the final result.