Generating Insights For Professional Development
Motivational Maps is one of the key leaders in the field of professional development, creating bespoke reports for participants on what their key motivators are, how motivated they are at the time of assessment and advice on how to improve motivation and performance over time. However, we noticed that Motivational Maps doesn’t currently have an application for either their users or practitioners. So, we designed them one.
At a Glance
- We used the Motivational Maps website as the basis for our core design features such as colour schemes and iconography.
- We designed an app that allows users to take the assessment, view their results and access information explaining what their results mean.
- We designed an app that would allow users to connect with practitioners and individuals with similar motivators.
- We designed an app that would pair with a web interface that would allow practitioners to monitor the performance of their clients.
The Challenge
Each month as part of our Coderus Creative Concepts campaign, our team picks a topic and current or new app idea to facilitate innovation, imagination and continued learning. This month, our team held a discussion around professional development and how technology is being used to facilitate this.
A member of our team brought it to our attention that to her knowledge, there wasn’t an app for Motivational Maps and that the assessment results weren’t available in an online platform either, only a PDF export. There also wasn’t a platform that made it easy for users to keep track of their motivational progress, coaching plan or useful resources specific to their motivators. There also was not a way for individuals to discover and communicate with practitioners and vice versa nor a way to connect with people with similar motivations.
Our team are advocates for using these kinds of assessments to gain a better understanding of our strengths, blind spots and areas that could use some improvement, so for this month, this app was the perfect choice. Not to mention, utilising applications for professional development is also a rising trend that Motivational Maps is missing out on with its target audience.
The Methodology
Firstly, Motivational Maps is an ISO accredited online self-perception inventory that crucially focuses on motivation rather than personality. Getting a Motivational Map will allow you to understand what motivates you on a deeper level, how this connects with your values and your current level of motivation.
In our research, we began by conducting a user needs assessment, as members of our team had already taken the Motivational Maps assessment, they were able to provide valuable insight into the MVP features they would like to see in the app and which ones were most vital to them.
To support our first-hand research, we took a look into the professional development apps currently available in the market to identify what makes these apps successful.
The Tech_
- If this were a real app project as opposed to a mock-up, we would recommend that a version be built for both iOS and Android users.
- The app would use location features to help users connect with practitioners who are nearby.
- The app would utilise push notifications to remind users to read, watch and listen to motivational resources.
- The app would be supported by a web interface for practitioners to monitor the progress and coaching plans of their clients.
The Results
The app we designed inspired by Motivational Maps would have the following features as part of an MVP:
Design Choices
The design for this app was largely built around the existing Motivational Maps branding that we observed on their website. As such, the main colours featured on the app are red, blue and green, however, we complemented them with the black accent used in James Sale’s books on Mapping Motivation. We also made sure we incorporated the Motivational Maps logo centrally on the loading screen and at the top of subsequent screens.
Registration
For registration, we provided the option to add a “Practitioner Referral ID” so the app could connect the user with the practitioner who may have already sold them a Motivational Map or a Coaching Plan and can track their progress. For this, the app would benefit by connecting to a web portal where practitioners can keep track of the information for all of their clients.
Motivational Maps Assessment Overview
The Motivational Maps Assessment screen ensures that before the user takes the assessment they have a full understanding of what the assessment entails and what they will gain as a result of completing it.
This page explains:
- The type of assessment they are going to be taking
- The purpose of the assessment
- How long the assessment is expected to take
- What the assessment will help them learn about themselves
It also includes an option to “Buy” an assessment. For users who have already completed an assessment, they can choose to purchase another assessment to re-assess everything (including their level of motivation) or “View Motivational Monitor”, which would keep track of their motivators and progress towards optimal performance. If their practitioner has referred them to take the assessment for the first time, they can use their practitioner’s referral ID during registration, which would alter the “Buy” button to “Take Assessment” as it would have been paid for.
Motivational Map Assessment
To complete the assessment, users must choose how much they agree with the statements presented, for example ‘I strive for perfection’ or ‘I often feel misunderstood’. Users can easily check the box that most aligns with their feelings towards the statement. (This is not an exact replica of the questionnaire used within the assessment though, and is only meant to provide an example.) For UX reasons, we suggested that it would be best to do one question at a time to not overwhelm or confuse the user.
Your Personal Profile
After completing the assessment, users can access their results and learn more about their relationship, achievement and growth motivators.
Detailed information about their values, motivational scores and satisfaction of top 3 motivators as well as tips on how to increase motivation are included in this area.
Practitioner Connect Area
In this section of the app, users can connect with life coaches, business and executive coaches, consultants, mentors or trainers that have been trained by the organisation to help people get further value from their Motivational Map assessments.
Users view a list of practitioners, sorted by proximity, and browse their profiles before contacting them for additional services.
In addition to this, practitioners will be able to create custom coaching plans for their clients which users can access via the application.
Motivate Me Network
With the Motivate Me Network, users can connect with other individuals who have similar motivators to them. This offers an opportunity to share advice, contribute to discussions and become part of a community of like-minded people.
Resources Area
In the resources area, users can access short but helpful videos that offer advice on how to make their motivators work for them, how to discuss their motivators with colleagues or other important people in their life and much more.
Aside from this, the resources area is loaded with shareable infographics, guides and explainers, some of which are currently featured on the Motivational Maps website. Within this section, users will be able to share assets directly to their social media profiles. For phase two of this section (not the MVP), users could receive points and keep track of the resources they read, watch and listen to.
There are some other features alongside this as well including a quote of the day and a video of the day. A simple motivational quote or video can make all the difference to how you tackle the day. This is why the app displays a different motivational quote and video each day to encourage the user to continue with their professional development journey.
