EnterpriseAlumni
Peer-to-Peer Messaging
Overview
Company: EnterpriseAlumni
Primary Team: UI/UX Designer, Product Manager
Timeline: 2 months
The Problem
EnterpriseAlumni users must use external tools to communicate with one another.
The Solution
Provide users with the ability to directly message their fellow alumni within the EnterpriseAlumni platform.
Key Accomplishment
Designed an infrastructure for 125,000+ EnterpriseAlumni users to connect and collaborate on desktop, mobile web, and mobile app.
Background
EnterpriseAlumni powers the alumni networks of the world's largest organizations. The EA platform supports 125,000+ users across dozens of alumni networks from global Fortune 500 companies; however, users must rely on external methods to communicate with one another.
Business Goal
The addition of peer-to-peer messaging was the most commonly-requested feature by prospective alumni organizations. To fully utilize the benefits of an alumni network, it was necessary for alumni to have the ability to communicate directly with other alumni within the EnterpriseAlumni platform.
Design Solution
Persona Introduction: Andrew
Andrew Martinez is currently a Senior Project Manager at Brightstar Studios, and he just joined the YourCorp Alumni Network. He is looking forward to connecting with his former colleagues, exchanging industry insights, and expanding his professional network.
Accept Chat Request
After downloading the YourCorp alumni network app on his smartphone, Andrew notices that he has a chat request from his former colleague Pamela. After viewing Pamela’s message, he accepts her request so they can reconnect.
Send Message
Andrew writes a message to Pamela and gets confirmation that it was sent successfully. He can also see once Pamela has read his messages. When he receives a new message from Pamela, those messages briefly feature an unread indicator.
Resend Message
A little while later, Andrew returns to his alumni network app. He notices that there was an error and his most recent message did not go through, so he resends it.
Start a New Chat
Andrew decides to see who else he can reconnect with. After discovering another former colleague, Cheryl, Andrew reaches out to her. His message will remain pending until Cheryl accepts his chat request.
Continue the Conversation
The next time Andrew opens his alumni app, he notices that Cheryl has accepted his chat request. He and Cheryl send a few messages back and forth.
Ignore Chat Request
Later that day, Andrew receives a chat request that he is not interested in. He chooses to ignore this message request and delete the corresponding thread.
View Messages on Desktop
The next day, Andrew notices that Pamela replied to him with event recommendations. He reviews his messages on his laptop during his lunch break.
View Messages on Tablet
Later that night, Andrew decides to reply to Cheryl’s message on his tablet.
EnterpriseAlumni has 125,000+ users, and they use this peer-to-peer messaging functionality to connect and collaborate on desktop, mobile web, and mobile app.
Next Steps
Group messaging is a natural extension of the peer-to-peer messaging feature, and this would be a valuable addition for users who want to communicate with multiple alumni at once. This could also enable users to create and join groups centered around specific topics or interests, which would make it easier for them to engage with others within their alumni communities.
In addition to group messaging, other next steps could include the integration of multimedia, such as the ability to send photos, videos, or voice messages. This would provide users with more ways to express themselves and communicate with one another.
Overall, the next steps for this feature will depend on the needs and priorities of EnterpriseAlumni, our users, and alumni administrators. By continuing to listen to user feedback and incorporate new functionalities, the peer-to-peer messaging feature will continue to evolve and grow in value.
Reflection
I’m proud of having designed this feature and the impact it has had on the EnterpriseAlumni platform and mobile app. Not only did it improve the overall user experience and engagement for 125,000+ users, but it also helped to strengthen alumni communities by enabling direct and meaningful connections.
Overall, peer-to-peer messaging made a significant, positive impact on the EnterpriseAlumni platform and its users. It is very rewarding to see this feature in action and know that my designs are helping to bring people closer together.