How would you assign people to a group?

Hi

I apologise in advance if this is rather vague, I’ll give as much detail as I can.

In our software, one of the tasks the user needs to perform is assigning people to an item in order for those specific people to be able to purchase it. They can either assign groups of people (pre-made groups), or individual people.

Once they have assigned people to the item they can then give individual people discounts by applying bursaries and allowances.

As you can see this is the final stage in a wizard which allows the user to create the item these people can pay for.

One of the problems I am having is that this is a redesign of a current system, adding in new functionality. As part of the previous version when the users assigned people to an item they would use check boxes to indicate who is assigned and who is not. I have changed the use of the checkboxes, so now everyone in the list at the bottom is assigned, they need to physically remove people using the remove button. The checkboxes in my design are used to bulk apply allowances and bursaries or to bulk remove people. I have tried adding instructions, however it is well known that “users don’t read” (a ltitle mantra I follow)!

So my 2 questions:

  1. Does anyone have a better way of assigning people to the item?

  2. Is there a good way to tell the user that the checkbox is no longer used to indicate who is assigned and who is not?

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hi @jacquidow
I’m working on similar task and I’ve to admit that is very challenging to me!
I collected some questions/feedback in the screenshot below:

I hope it will be up your alley

Ah, I probably should have explained, those 2 input fields at the top will be typeahead fields (Axure doesn’t have this function and this was the closest I could come to), so the user would build up a list of groups in the top field and a list of individual users in the second field.

Clicking the assign people button then reveals the section below with the table populated with all the people who have been assigned, they can they do the bulk actions and give discounts and remove people.

You are right about the text being wrong, it should not say ‘click add’ it should say ‘click assign people’

In the row of buttons at the bottom, the main CTA would be to publish which will allow these people to buy the item.

this is a cool feature! I’m not sure about the cognitive overload during the task. As user I’m in a filtering/adding mode and somehow I will notice the table below populated. I would test it to understand how heavy is the UI in terms of content

IMO the back button should not have the same weight as the publish button. I would design it as a link with a clear label “back to the step xyz” or “back to the previous step”

I’m not sure if the image makes it clear but the typeheads aren’t actually assigning people to the item, it’s when you click ‘assign people’ that they get assigned and will appear below. I am in 2 minds about posisble collapsing the top panel but we have the issue where they may want to assign more groups or people and collapsing the panel removes this option.

Good idea! I will make sure I implement this.

I have been given permission to share my prototype, which may help explain the full process for the user

User task: ‘You want to create a trip and assign it to people, so that they can purchase it

http://tbt3ay.axshare.com/#c=2
password - uxmastery


Another way I have been thinking about this is by looking at software where you can assign roles to users, but most of them seem to make you do one user at a time with a series of check boxes or drop downs, which does not seem like the most efficient way to do it!

So after a bit of a rethink I have tweaked the design and the general flow. I have popped the 3 main screenshots into the following image:

Top image shows the page on first load, no people have been assigned to the item, there is one CTA - ‘assign people’

Middle image shows the overlay that appears when you click the ‘assign people’ button. The text field would work as a typeahead, allowing the user to search for groups and/or individual people.

Bottom image shows the page once people have been assigned to the item. I have removed the ‘remove’ button from each row, and have added an ‘assign more people’ button.

  • Does this make the flow easier to understand?

  • Can you see any other improvements?

I can’t click on it :frowning:

How do I make it clickable?

That’s what I did :anguished:

you’re right, it’s not working :frowning:

@HAWK any ideas?

the first screenshot you posted was clickable!
Maybe there’s a min-width or something like that

I did it, I did it!!

I copy and pasted the image directly from photoshop and now it should be clickable :smile:

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hey @jacquidow
great job!

Does this make the flow easier to understand?
IMO yes, it’s pretty straightforward and friendly

Can you see any other improvements?
Some details…

Thank you, great points! Will update and get testing on this asap!

Wish me luck (it’s only taken a year to get this far! :fearful: )

In bocca al lupo!
It’s the Italian way (polite) to wish good luck!
I’m sure you will amaze the audience!

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