Windows Settings About | Oliver's Porfolio

Settings About: Enhancing Windows Settings for Informed PC Decisions

Project Overview

I was tasked with redesigning the existing Windows Settings About page and transforming it into an informative hub. The goal was to help users understand their PC specifications, usage patterns, and what these details mean in practical terms. This new experience aimed to simplify the shopping journey for a new PC by educating users about their current system and how an upgrade could enhance their workflow.

Role

UX Designer

Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing

Tools: Figma, FigJam

March 2024 - November 2024

01. SUMMARY

SUMMARY OF WORK + ROLE 📸

As the only UX Designer for this project, I led the end-to-end design process, from initial ideation to wireframing, prototyping, and iteration based on feedback. My role involved:

Reviewing proposal to understand user research and business goals
Designing and iterating on wireframes and prototypes.
Gathering and incorporating feedback from stakeholders and other designers.
Refining the final experience for implementation in Windows Settings.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Users often struggle to understand the technical specifications of their PCs, making it difficult to determine whether their current device meets their needs or if an upgrade is necessary. The existing "About" page in Windows Settings provided only basic system information without contextual explanations. As a result...

Users lacked a clear understanding of their PC’s performance and limitations.
There was no easy way to compare their current system to modern devices.
The complexity of PC shopping led to decision fatigue, contributing to lower conversion rates for new device purchases.

Design Question: How might we help users better understand their PC specifications and usage patterns in a way that empowers them to make informed decisions about upgrading or maintaining their device?

SOLUTION

I designed 3 phases of a new Windows Settings About page experience which will serve as a hub for users to:

View key PC specifications in an easy-to-understand format.
Understand how specifications affect their device performance.
Receive insights into how their device is being used.
Compare their PC with modern alternatives to make informed purchasing decisions.

Final design

02. DESIGN PROCESS

RESEARCH AND BACKGROUND

I started by reviewing internal Microsoft documentation that outlined user pain points and business goals. Key insights from this research included:

Users need simplified explanations of technical terms.
Understanding real-world usage patterns can help users make better upgrade decisions.
Many users don’t actively seek PC specifications, so surfacing relevant information contextually is crucial.

Why Windows Settings?

1. User association

2. Cost of user acquisition

3. Suitable location for insights

PHASE 1: RESTRUCTURE AND ADD CONTEXT

Using these insights, I created Phase 1 mockups that balanced information density with simplicity. I iterated on these designs based feedback from product and marketing managers, as well as Senior designers and design managers refining how data was structured and ensuring the interface was intuitive.

Key design decisions included:

Previous About page

A progressive disclosure approach, where basic specs were visible upfront, with deeper insights available on demand

Designed new Settings cards at the top to pull out the most important specs for users

FAQ's to help users understand specs and how they affect device performance

Located under list of PC specs

Introduced an entry for PC refresh. Started with a simple "Find your next PC" button to initially introduce the idea to users.

PHASE 2: DETAILED USAGE INSIGHTS

For Phase 2 we wanted to add create a more robust and informative experience. We knew this included detailed insights for users but I went through several iterations before creating something that met our goals.

A "Screentime" experience? We initially felt that daily time spent on apps could be a valuable insight but new research was introduced that showed why it may not be

Does not invoke positive feelings. Users may feel shame when they see how much time they spend on their device

Adding Tips? We initially juggled with the idea of adding tips into this page but ultimately decided not to for a couple of reasons

We didn't want to overwhelm users with information
Tips could be included in other more impactful areas of Windows

Pivoting to an insights dashboard...

1. Overview of PC performance 2. Pulls insights for users 3. Easy triggers

Device 1 dashboard: Unhealthy

Displays 4 important usage stats
Informs the user they are using a high percentage of their processing power and what that means
Microsoft recommendation to upgrade and a link

Device 2 dashboard: Healthy

Informs the user that their device is healthy
Introduces this UI to the user from the moment they receive a new PC
Keeps cards at the top and FAQs for context

03. DESIGN PROCESS

What's next?

In November 2024, my team received instructions to pivot to using designers in India because that is where the teams engineers were located. Because of this, I needed to hand off my work to the next incredible designers to take this project even further.

Here's a summary of what I accomplished on this project before handing off my work:

Took requirements and insights and turned them into 2 phases of implementation
Designed a new UI element for Windows Settings that can be utilized in other locations within the app
Built out a complex dashboard to enhance functionality and educate users on their devices
Worked with Engineering to develop and validate these designs

North Star...

I feel that this project can turn into something magical if it can become even more personal and contextual. The next step in my opinion is to take the insights dashboard and connect it back to the PC refresh journey. Taking the insights from the dashboard that we have and applying them to help users find a new device would complete this cycle. The experience should be:

Simple and require little to no effort from the user
Suggest PC specs that can be effortlessly used by the user to find a new PC that meets their needs

With a great effort and a lot of iterating and user testing, I believe this experience could be turned into one of those magical UX experiences if executed correctly.