IBM Scheduler: Moderated interviews and data analysis

Challenge:

IBM's Unified Messaging eXperience (UMX) team sought to evaluate the contact module's Scheduler form — a tool that allows users to connect with sales representatives by submitting contact and meeting request information.

Despite its intent to streamline scheduling, usage and completion rates steadily declined throughout 2024. This research aimed to uncover usability and perception issues to inform design enhancements that could improve it's completion rates.

Strategy:

Behavioral analysis using Google Analytics was conducted to surface interaction patterns, specifically, which form fields users skipped and where users dropped off to identify potential friction points.

In-depth moderated interviews where participants evaluated 3 of 4 variations of the Scheduler form interface (e.g., popup, new tab, split screen, within the chat module) exploring how different layouts influenced user perception and completion behavior.

Insights:

1. Streamline the Form Layout for Simplicity and Visibility

   • Users found cognitive load lower when they could see the full form at a glance. Split-screen and chat module presentations offered simplicity, while multi-page forms introduced friction.

     
     

     Recommendation: Design the form to be expandable or one-page, so all fields are visible without excessive scrolling.

     
     

2. Make Required Fields Explicit and Reorder for User Flow

   • Users were unsure which fields were mandatory and hesitant to provide personal info (phone, email, company) due to fear of solicitation. Starting with easier fields increases form momentum and trust.

     
     

     Recommendation: Clearly indicate required fields (e.g., with asterisks) and place low-effort fields (e.g., name) at the top.

     
     

3. Prefill Known Fields and Reduce User Input via Automation

   • Participants repeatedly cited Calendly as a gold standard due to automation and ease. Prefilling reduces manual effort and aligns with user expectations for efficiency.

     
     

     Recommendation: Auto-detect and prefill fields like time zone and allow users to adjust as needed. Enable auto-advancement to the next field to reduce clicks.

     
     

4. Rethink the Use of Categories — Focus on Guidance, Not Selection

   • Users saw categories as limiting, not representative of their needs, and often wanted to discuss multiple topics. Guidance through microcopy can reduce misrouting without adding friction.

     
     

     Recommendation: Remove category selection or allow multi-select (e.g., “Book a demo” + another topic), and use descriptive guidance to direct users.

   
   

5. Prioritize the Chat Module for Scheduling Experience

   • Participants appreciated that the chat experience kept them on the product page, required less context-switching, and was already linear in structure. It's well-positioned for minimal redesign and offers a lightweight, focused UX.

     
     

     Recommendation: Evolve the chat module as the primary scheduling interface, with enhancements like expandable view, reordered fields, and streamlined “Details” section.

     
     

Impact:

To close the project, we facilitated a prioritization workshop with stakeholders to align on the most impactful next steps. This led to the following updates to the form:

• Removal of the categories field

• Expansion of the chat module window

• Reordering form fields to better match user mental models

• Implementation of field auto-fill

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These changes were designed to streamline the experience and improve completion rates.