Skype
Decoding video conferencing behaviour and crafting seamless user experiences for Skype.
Design Research | Virtual social behavior | User experience research | UI/UX design
Timeline : 4 weeks
Context project
In recent years, Skype, once a titan in peer-to-peer communication, has experienced a significant decline in user engagement and migration to alternative platforms like Zoom. This project aims to delve into the underlying reasons behind this phenomenon, exploring the intricacies of human behavior that have led to the shift in user preferences. By examining factors such as user experience, interface design, and evolving communication trends, I seek to uncover insights that can inform future improvements and innovations in the realm of video conferencing.
The primary goal of this project is to analyze virtual social behavior within the Skype platform during video conferencing, with a focus on identifying unintended behaviors, misalignments, and deviations of interface elements affecting user experience. By meticulously examining these aspects, the aim is to propose a strategic direction for user experience (UX) design, addressing the identified issues and ensuring a more seamless and engaging virtual communication environment for Skype users.
Project aim
Design methodology
Secondary research
Understanding the platform
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About Skype
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Intend of the Skype
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Business Model
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Market competitors
Primary research
User experience on Skype
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Insta poll
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Survey
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In-depth interview
VC user behaviour
Synthesis & Analysis
Analysis
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Picture association
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Key Insights
Design
Ideation
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Design direction
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Design system
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Wire-framing
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Prototyping
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Netnography
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User-persona
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Customer journey map
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Behaviour mapping
Interface study
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Auto-Netnography
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Heuristic analysis
Secondary research
Skype is a telecommunication platform that enables peer-to-peer communication over the internet, launched in 2003. It offers free video, voice one-to-one and group calls, sends instant messages and shares files with other people on Skype.
Acquisition
In 2005, acquired by Ebay and in 2011 acquired by Microsoft
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Its vision was always to build the world's largest communication business and revolutionise the ease with which people can communicate through the internet.
Revenue model
Prepaid call & hardware sales are source of revenue
Downfall of Skype
25.8%
According to the report of Emailtooltester, Skype losses 25.8% of market share in 2021, having 6.6% of hold in the market.
Primary research
INSTA POLL
To begin our primary research, we floated an Insta-Poll of 60 participants to ask which video conferencing platform people are using the most and about their experience.
Out of 6 platforms , maximum people prefer to use
50
prefer zoom
48
prefer Gmeet
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44
prefer Skype
USER survey
An online survey was conducted among 45 students and 10 management executives to know their opinion and experiences of video conferencing on different platforms.
Most preferred platform
82%
80%
Most frequent used feature
Screenshare
Virtual background
Chat
Recording / taking notes
Insights
Users are increasingly seeking for collaborative tools to elevate their video conferencing experience, with a particular emphasis on features such as Whiteboard, Privacy notifier, Transcribing, Multiple screen sharing, Screen control rooms functionality etc.
Zoom standing out as the most preferred platform over its counterparts among the user due to its user-friendly interface and robust features.
Skype stand out the least among users primarily attributed to its perceived outdated status. The platform's complicated interface and limited collaborative tools have further accelerated the shift of users to alternative platforms.
USER interview
In depth interviews were remotely conducted 10 participants to understand the general video conferencing behaviour and their thoughts/belief towards Skype as a platform/ service using Skype app for interaction.
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When do you started using VC platform?
Which platform do you like & Why?
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Have you used Skype? How's the experience?
started using VC during College
prefer WhatsApp for personal call only & Zoom/ Meet for professional calls
Everyone is on whatsapp, getting on a skype call is a task.. people won't install a whole new app for few calls
Earlier used to Skype my closed one, who were staying abroad but now switched to WhatsApp
Before pandemic used to call friends through whatsapp and instagram
prefer GMeet as its offer single click join meeting, easy to use.
started using VC regularly during pandemic
Skype and team have unnecessarily stretched login/signup
VC meeting induces more comfort among introverts to talk
Video off mode & virtual background great feature to reduce social insecurities
interesting verbatim
Insights
The prevailing choice of Zoom and Google Meet among users stems from a network effect, where individuals opt for these platforms due to their widespread adoption by peers, colleagues, and friends.
Zoom is most preferred platform among the users and "virtual meeting" has become synonymous with Zoom, reflecting its unparalleled dominance in the digital communication landscape.
Skype is least preferred among the users because of the complex & confusing interface, tedious log-in process, lack of collaborative tools and also due to lack of users peers using Skype.
"In this era of virtual meetings, introverts becoming more vocal participants. Users, in general, express a heightened level of comfort when utilizing video-off and mute modes during virtual meetings
Netnography analysis
Online research conducted on social media Instagram, Twitter, discussion forum 'Quora' and Play Store to understand the user behavior, opinions, reviews towards Skype.
Insights
Users have displayed aggression and frustration, primarily stemming from poor user interface, product service issues, trust concerns, and inadequate customer support. These factors collectively contribute to a negative user experience, resulting in dissatisfaction and frustration among the user base.
Support for Alternatives, users have exhibited a preference for alternative solutions such as Discord and Zoom
Deviance of Skype
Deviant behaviour
Users are leveraging Skype to exchange Skype IDs for dating purposes. Skype IDs are easily created with minimal personal information, facilitating connections without constraints compared to other dating platforms. This minimal risk of personal data leakage distinguishes Skype as an attractive option for such interactions.
Skype's Deviant intend
Originally Skype designed for peer-to-peer communication and free voice calls, instant messaging, and file sharing, Skype faces misuse, users exploit it for adult/dating interactions, fraudulent activities like job offer scams, and data breaches, straying from its intended purpose.
User-persona development
To enhance comprehension of user behavior and needs, crafted two scenario-based personas informed by insights gathered from user interviews and interactions
Customer journey mapping
Step into user's shoes to envision the entire platform experience from their perspective. Identify common pain points to gain a deeper understanding of customer expectation to enhance the overall user experience.
Insights
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Rigid Onboarding Process: The lack of flexibility in the onboarding process drives users to seek alternatives on different platforms.
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Cluttered Homepage Complexity: A cluttered homepage complicates the navigation process, hindering users' ability to find what they need efficiently.
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Meeting Compatibility Challenges: Insufficient meeting-friendly features render the platform incompatible for effective meetings, prompting users to seek alternatives.
Auto-netnography analysis
Utilized auto-netnography as a tool to meticulously document and analyze the designer's own experiences, validating the data and insights obtained through the netnography process.
Key observation
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Sign-in Complexity
​​The presence of the Microsoft logo in the sign-in/up process induces confusion, leading to uncertainty about which ID to utilize-whether a Microsoft or personal ID-resulting in a cumbersome login experience.
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Lengthy Account Creation Process
Skype's account creation process involves an excessive number of steps compared to competitors, requiring users to navigate through multiple stages, unlike other platforms that offer a streamlined 2-3 step account creation procedure.
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Homepage Information Overload
The homepage of the skype is loaded with excessive information, leading to confusion and difficulty in navigation. Struggle to differentiate between group chats and personal chats due to the cluttered interface, hindering seamless communication.
Heuristic analysis
Utilized the 10 heuristic principles to assess the interface, identifying usability issues on the platform and implementing resolutions to enhance overall user experience and satisfaction
Subconscious behaviour
analysis
To grasp the subconscious behaviors of users during virtual meetings, utilized online class recordings and conducted informal interviews as valuable resources for analysis.
Video off viewing
01
Behavior observed here is driven by Human sociality. Users opt to disable their video during virtual meetings to evade potential judgment, both economically and socially. This conduct arises from ingrained social expectations, the quest for social recognition, cooperative patterns, and adherence to social norms. Furthermore, this behavior is reinforced by classical conditioning, instilled from early life, emphasizing the importance of delineating between professional and personal spheres.
Grid viewing
02
In long-hour meetings, users opt for grid view over speaker view, driven by discomfort caused by the enlarged image of participants. This discomfort stems from psychological arousal triggered when someone encroaches on a reserved or intimate space, typically within 50-60cm. Viewing speakers' faces in speaker mode for extended periods generates similar psychological arousal due to the perceived intrusion into a reserved or intimate parameter.
Zoning out
03
The identified psychological behavior is the exhaustion experienced after prolonged meetings, primarily attributed to the cognitive demands of maintaining eye contact and monitoring nonverbal cues, leading to heightened cognitive load.
Mirror gazing effect
04
The irresistible urge for users to divert their attention in viewing themselves during virtual meetings. This behavior is associated with the Mirror Gazing Effect. Continuous or prolonged exposure to one's own image during virtual meetings triggers self-evaluation, negatively impacting performance and leading users to act differently, becoming more self-conscious.
Notebook conditioning
05
The identified behavior is users' tendency to carry a notebook during virtual meetings for note-taking, rather than using digital devices. This behavior is associated with conditioning, as humans tend to develop behaviors based on past experiences and associations. Note-taking is traditionally associated with writing in a notebook, leading users to prefer this method over digital alternatives during virtual meetings.
Synthesis analysis
Conducted a focus group study to validate the findings and assess participants' sentiments and experiences with Skype. The tools utilized in this study included the Picture Association (ZMIT) method.
Focus group
5
number
participant
2
number
activites
Results
Insights
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Outdated Technology: The platform employs outdated technology and lacks modern features, failing to keep pace with competitors.
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Lack of Collaboration Tools: Inadequate collaborative tools compared to competitors diminish the platform's user-friendliness, hindering collaborative efforts.
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Complex Interface: The platform's interface is convoluted, offering multiple methods for the same tasks, resulting in user confusion and a complex experience.
Key Insights
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​​Less collaborative : It's not compatible with today’s world as they are not fulfilling the customer needs due to which users get swift to other platforms for more user-friendly and collaborative features.​​
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Tedious onboarding: Confusing sign-up/in process due to Microsoft logo made user difficult to identify which email id to be used.
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Complex user-interface: Cluttered homepage, difficult to navigate and distinguish between group chat or personal call. Interface has too many methods to perform the same task which makes whole experience complex,
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​Security concerns: The easy availability of Skype IDs leads to the high risks of fraud, scams, and data breaches, compromising the platform's security and reliability.
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03
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Behaviour insights
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Social stigma : The reluctance to keep video on during virtual meetings stems from a fear of judgment and humiliation, driven by societal norms and expectations regarding social recognition, highlighting the impact of human sociality on individual behavior.
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Virtual fatigue: Extended durations of virtual meetings result in feelings of tiredness, reduced efficiency, and boredom among participants, contributing to virtual fatigue
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Mirror gazing effect : Users experience distraction, self-consciousness, and stress when seeing themselves on screen during extended meetings. This adversely affects their performance and behavior, leading to self-evaluation and altered responses.
Design prototyping
Design direction
Flexible login/signup
To make onboarding process easy an simple
01
04
Ground grid mode
To negate the mirror gazing effect
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Collaboration toolbar
To make meeting more user-friendly and participatory
Minimalist interface
To navigate process easier and smoother
03
Profile visibility mode
To let the user define who can connect with them
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06
Masking background
To confidently switch on the video without revealing economic status
Smart break notifier
To make meeting more energetic and excited
07
Design system
Wireframing
Design features
Hi-fi screen
Prototype
