About the company
Charly was created by merging 2 companies in 2022, an apart-hotel operator and a workspace operator, in order to achieve their common purpose: To help people work from anywhere (WFA) easier.
(In 2023, the hospitality part was sold)
Background of this project
Given the world has experienced life with COVID-19, the work&life style seems to have changed/was changing for a lot of people. Charly also has seen a certain increase in long-term occupancy in the hospitality business. As an apart-hotel and workspace operator, Chalry wanted to create a platform that helps people achieve their dreams to work from anywhere easier.
Research
In order for us to understand the market and the potential users, I have conducted interviews and a survey.
Interviews
I have conducted a total of 20 interviews with individuals from various demographics to gain a deeper understanding of potential users' demographics and identify areas of concern.
Long-term stay guests at Charly apart-hotels
Users at Charly's coworking space
People who work as freelancers
People who have a nomad lifestyle
People who work in HR
People who have families
Survey
As part of our market research, I designed a survey to gauge interest in Charly's upcoming product. I asked all Charly employees to share the survey with their networks to ensure we receive as many responses as possible. Additionally, I worked with our Marketing Manager to promote the survey through our company's LinkedIn page and generate more interest in our project.
We have received a total of 198 responses, thanks to everyone who shared the survey. The following insights are captured from the Typeform.
Synthesising
After the Interviews and the survey, I have synthesised all the input to discover some insights and trends.
I compiled the insights and trends and shared them with all departments in the organization. This way, each department could incorporate the learnings into their operations.
Findings and insights uncovered during the research.
Here are three key findings from our research. If you're interested in a more detailed overview of our findings, you can find it here.
Long way to find the Right Ones
Researching the perfect accommodation and workspace setup can be a challenging and time-consuming task, requiring multiple open windows in the browser.
Wifi that is fast enough to conduct work
Dedicated workspace (a desk and a chair) preferably with a monitor
Enough space if you're a couple or with friends to not disturb meetings
Phone booth availability
Reasonable pricing for all of the above
Flexible membership at a co-working space with reasonable pricing
Financial barrier
Numerous individuals are intrigued by the WFA idea, yet they are unable to do it as frequently as they'd like because of financial constraints such as rent and mortgage payments.
Desktop for booking
Many individuals choose to use a desktop computer for crucial tasks like making reservations and payments. On the other hand, they opt for a mobile device for simpler actions like sending messages, conducting speedy searches, and keeping up with updates.
Results of the research have significantly influenced Charly's strategic choices and direction.
Persona and User journey
Our Marketing Manager and I have developed two personas for the digital product we are building, based on our thorough research.
IA and UX
Using the groundwork we have laid out, our UX designer has developed the Information Architecture and created low-fidelity wireframes.
After completing most of the work on Information Architecture, we reviewed it with Techleads and the System Architect. This is crucial as the data structure for the app needs to be carefully considered. We examined the data set received from operators via APIs and made necessary iterations to ensure that specific information can be stored and used effectively.
Once the Information Architecture was finished, she began working on the low-fidelity wireframe. We collaborated several times to refine it. I also researched the UX of similar companies like Airbnb, Booking.com, Nomadlist, and others, and shared my findings with her.
Usability test
After completing the low-fidelity prototype, the UX designer and I invited six potential users to conduct a usability test. The goal was to gather feedback at an early stage and prevent any surprises later on. We iterated on the user flows a few more times before proceeding with high-fidelity UI.
UI design
During the development of our low-fidelity wireframe, I maintained close communication with our Marketing Manager regarding our brand style guide. Once the guide was delivered, our UI designer began working on the high-fidelity wireframe and prototype, building upon the low-fidelity wireframe. We collaborated on multiple iterations of the design together. As we neared 80% completion, we brought in developers to ensure that the designs were feasible and only needed minimal effort for the MVP.
Revision for MVP
As this is for the MVP, I have gone through the prototype and features again to ensure we only have what is necessary. As a booking platform, we are held to the high market standards set by competitors like Airbnb and Booking.com. It was a challenge to strike a balance between meeting expectations and maintaining minimum viability. To gain additional perspectives and feedback, I shared the prototype with other Product Managers.
Development
We approved the design after some revisions and began the development process.
We had 2-week sprint cycle which consists of:
Sprint planning
Daily standup
Refinement meetings for the next sprint
Sprint review
Sprint retrospective
My responsibility at this stage was to ensure that all the details were clarified before the next sprint and to prepare stories with defined acceptance criteria. Despite the designs being approved, there were still some scenarios we had not considered, so we scheduled additional refinement meetings to discuss these details with the development team.
We started developing the app in September and monitored the team's progress, discussing areas for improvement at each sprint retrospective. The team of developers we worked with was both talented and supportive, and their excellent communication skills contributed to an increase in velocity throughout the entire development of the MVP.
Delivery
Our incredible team successfully launched our first version in December 2022. Throughout January, we dedicated most of our time to testing the product with the help of our colleagues. We fixed any bugs that we discovered and iterated multiple times until we were confident enough to welcome our first client.
Regrettably, Charly has ceases its operations as of March 2023 and the product is no longer available. Nevertheless, you can view the product prototype by clicking here.
Learnings from the project
The balance between enough research and starting
After conducting the research for this project, I became concerned that we may not have gathered enough data to confidently begin building our new product. When we do research to what extent, can we say that's enough? Looking back, we may have identified certain areas that needed further examination, but we couldn't have known that at the time. At some point, we needed to say, "Let's start." Striking the right balance is challenging, and that doubt will always be there. However, it's important to remember that we can't know what users think or tell us if we don't show it to them. Therefore, it's essential to create as many channels as possible to gather user feedback so that we can fail and improve faster.
Involving developers as early as possible
As a product manager, sometimes I want to keep things separate out of respect for everyone's time and productivity. However, I have learned that bringing everyone together and encouraging collaboration between design and development can truly be productive. It allows us to address assumptions and concerns right away, and developers often have valuable insights and ideas to contribute. While it may not always be feasible to involve everyone in every meeting, I now recognize more than ever the importance of creating frequent and early opportunities that fosters open communication and encourages input from all team members.
© Sako Shimohira 2023