2025 Designed by
saratchandraaddepalli@gmail.com
Sarat Chandra
Testing Insights
After visualising our concept in the form of a Lo-fidelity wireframe we invited our users who were product managers from different companies to conduct a Cognitive walkthrough of the prototype.
Unique Nomenclature
Users may not be familiar with the system's specific terminology, such as "Source document" and "Keywords Mapped," which could lead to confusion.
Source Document Button Prominence
The "Add a source document" button is not prominently displayed, making it difficult for users to understand that they need to add a source to complete the document
Attribute/Keyword Mapping Visibility
Users find it challenging to determine what each attribute/keyword is mapped to, making it difficult to understand the content associated with each tag.
Key Issues Identified in Cognitive Walkthroughs
Changes we will be incorporating
Considered adding descriptions under headings or notes to explain unique terms. Additionally, we could Implement tooltips that appear when hovering over unfamiliar terms
Make the "Add a source document" button more prominent and visible along with implementing a prompt or notification to remind users to add a source document.
Figure out a way to show the content tagged to an Attribute or Implement a feature that displays the content tagged to each attribute/keyword when hovering over or selecting it
Login/Account Creation
Template Creation
Source Document Creation
Lo-Fidelity Screens
Potential Solution
Problem Statement
"Shared a high-level roadmap using technical jargon, assuming everyone understood. Non-technical stakeholders were overwhelmed, leading to confusion and requiring extra meetings for clarity." - Product Manager @ (GoTo)
"Specified features on a top level, but developers wanted more granular detail. They weren't aware of the business context, as they don't work closely with business teams." - Product Manager @ (Pixis)
Product managers face significant challenges in aligning various stakeholders on initiatives. Each stakeholder has different interests and responsibilities, requiring tailored communication. The documentation process involves creating multiple customised documents for each stakeholder, leading to redundancy and time inefficiency.
User Flow
Login
Define Template
Configure the Template
Click on Generate Content
Give it a structure with keywords Keywords [Key value pairs]
Ask the user for a source document
Check if there is an existing source document
Add the source document
Start adding the content
using the slash command invoke the keywords that you have defined for each stakeholder
From the dropdown of keywords select and add them to the relevant content section[value]
Yes/No
Create Workspace
Use AI to improve the writing
Train the AI by giving it multiple
prompts to set the Tone of the
documents.
Select all the text and ask AI to
improve the writing
Create a Source Document
Template is filled with content
from the source document
Generate Action Items
Key Features
Template Creation: Customisable templates with placeholders for key information
Source Documents: Central repository for essential data and communication
AI-Powered Content Generation: Utilises generative AI to craft custom content blocks
Stakeholder-Specific Outputs: Automatically generates tailored documents for each stakeholder
Finalised Idea
Gathering Ideas, Validating Feasibility of Documentation Automation from these Competitors
Analysed the document automation flows of all these applications and collected multiple ideas that would match the workflow of a product manager
Analysing existing process - to find gaps/Opportunities for optimisation
Sprint Scope
Designer comms
PRDS
Designer
Dev
Sales
Marketing
Product Requirement Documents
( jira, Confluence, etc)
Custom Documentation or one-on-one calls for different stakeholders
Ideation session with a Product manager from Wolt (Subsidiary of DoorDash)
Design process
Diverging
Converging
Diverging
Converging
Set a design direction and hypothesis
Set a design direction and hypothesis
Primary Research
Secondary Research
Discover
Research Phase
Question,
Challenge
Unstructured Research Findings
Initial ideas, Visions, Potential solutions, Hypothetical Answers
Product Solution, Answers
Synthesis Phase
Implementation Phase
Define
Deliver
Research and Insights
Core Problems Identified
Surveys - Primary Research
User Interviews - Primary Research
Contextual Inquiry and Observations - Secondary Research
Key Insights
Key Insights
Key Insights
More than 50% time spent on documentation
Product managers spent significant time creating personalised documentation for different stakeholders
78% of respondents reported spending over 25% of their time on documentation
65% expressed frustration with the lack of a standardised communication process
82% showed interest in a tool that could automate parts of the documentation process
Too many tools
Product managers often juggled multiple tools and platforms to gather and present information
Redundant Documentation
Product managers spent significant amount of time creating documents for different stakeholders
Stakeholder Alignment
Bringing all the stakeholders to a common understanding of the product initiative
Need for a centralised data access
There was a need for a centralised repository of essential data and communication
Personalised Documentation
Creating customised documentation for each stakeholder’s need and goals is very time-consuming
Time taking process of personalised document creation
The process of customising content for various stakeholders was time-consuming and error-prone
Redundant documentation
Each stakeholder required tailored information, leading to multiple versions of the same document
Stakeholder alignment challenges
There was a lack of standardisation in communication, causing misalignment and skepticism among stakeholders
We conducted in-depth interviews with product managers to understand their current documentation processes and challenges
We distributed surveys to a broader group of product managers to quantify the challenges identified in interviews and contextual inquiries
We observed product managers in their work environment to gain a deeper understanding of their workflow and pain points.
Our research for the ProDoc project involved multiple methods to gather comprehensive insights about user needs, pain points, and potential improvements. Here's an expanded look at the research we conducted:
Project Overview
ProDoc addresses the critical challenge of streamlined stakeholder communication for product managers. In the Information technology sector, PMs often struggle with redundant documentation and aligning diverse teams. ProDoc enhances PM productivity by reducing the time spent on creating tailored documents.
The workflow commences with the PM defining document structures and stakeholder goals using dynamic templates and linking them to a source document – a repository of data, decisions, and communication. Leveraging generative AI, users can craft custom content blocks within templates, tailored to specific stakeholders. This approach eliminates manual effort, streamlining communication and reducing repetitive documentation.
By combining templates, source documents, and generative AI, ProDoc empowers PMs to effortlessly communicate product changes, enhancing collaboration through a standardized and customizable framework for stakeholder documentation.
Onboarding
Gives a snapshot of what to expect from the graphics that show the working of the product - which helps create a context of the usage of the platform and it’s terminology
Allows users to signup with a choice of an individual member or a Team - which centralises the different users to one single platform
Create your own workspace and invite team members in to view or collaborate on shared documentation.
Template Creation Flow - Prototype
Source Document Creation Flow - Prototype
Onboarding Flow - Prototype
Stakeholder-Specific Templates:
PMs create reusable "Templates" tailored to each stakeholder group (e.g., Engineering, Marketing, Executives). These templates define the structure and content that each group needs to see.
What does this solve:
Provides a standardised yet customisable framework for stakeholder communication. Reduces the time spent creating documents from scratch.
Connects to User challenge:
Directly addresses the goal to improve Stakeholder Alignment and improve Efficiency.
Also aligns to finding the interview quote:
"Need to build templates to make sure the communication is broken down to their level of understanding" Product Manager @Wolt
Attribute Tagging
Within the Source Document, PMs can "tag" specific chunks of content as "Attributes" – giving them a name and saving them for reuse. For comparison - if we consider the tool Attio. It validates the technical feasibility along with being very unlike the tool Attio, which scrapes data; ProDoc relies on PM expertise to curate the crucial information.
What does this solve:
Allows PMs to extract key information and reuse it consistently across different documents. Ensures that critical data points are never missed.
Connects to User challenge:
Tying to User Evaluations/Testing insights, where users were confused about the terminologies. The process simplifies the generation of reports by automatically tagging and mapping values of similar names thereby resolving concerns from the PM on creating duplicate values.
Source Document
Create a single "Source Document" containing all relevant information – business details, technical specs, decisions, and more.
What does this solve:
Eliminates the need to search across multiple documents and sources. Ensures a single source of truth for all product information.
Connects to User challenge:
Directly addresses the "Documentation Challenges" identified in interviews, where PMs struggle to create consistent documentation for varying stakeholder needs.
Streamlined Workflow & Version Control
What does this solve:
Eliminates the risk of outdated or inconsistent information. Ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page.
ProDoc connects the Source Document, Attributes, and Templates into a unified workflow. Changes made to the Source Document are automatically reflected in all linked Templates and stakeholder communications. Built-in version control ensures that everyone is always working with the latest information.
AI-Powered Content Generation & Customisation
Within each template, PMs can use AI to dynamically tailor the content based on the "Attributes" from the Source Document. Custom instructions guide the AI on how to frame the information for each stakeholder, considering their role, responsibilities, and level of technical understanding.
What does this solve:
Eliminates the need to manually rewrite content for different audiences. Ensures that each stakeholder receives the information in a way that resonates with them.
Connects to User challenge:
Improves tailoring enablement strategies as it allows the users to provide a description about the user while generating the copy from Chat GPT.
Final Solution
ProDoc is designed to address all the challenges identified in our research head-on, empowering product managers to communicate effectively, reduce wasted time, and ensure alignment across all stakeholders. Here's how:
Streamlining Stakeholder Communication for Product Managers - Web App
ProDoc
Role
Designer
Researcher
Expertise
Prototyping
User Research
User Testing
User Experience Design
User Interface Design
Web
Platforms
Research Report
Product Prototype
User Interface
User flows
Deliverables
Prototype
Sarat Chandra