Time Tracker
for Jira
Presentation of the creation process for the time tracking integration with Jira. Created for Devexpert, consulting IT-company.
My role: UX/UI Designer
Year: 2022
About
What?
Web extension for tracking working time spent on projects and other tasks.
Why?
As a consulting company IT-company, Devexpert earns a significant portion of its income from billable hours. It means that consistent and timely tracking of time contributed directly impacts cash flow.
Market analysis
Checking existing features and analysing why client is not happy with using any of those and prefers to build their own product for the inside use.
Browser extensions
WorkLog Tracker
Browser extensions+timer button inside Jira
Time tracking
Full screen web app built in Jira
Tempo Timesheets
Full screen web app + integration window in Jira issue
Harvest
Tmetric
Full screen web app + browser extension + timer button in Jira
Most of the time trackers also usually have not only desktop, but mobile versions too.
Tempo | Worklog | T-metric | Toggl | Harvest | Clockify | Timeneye | TimeCamp | TrackingTime | Planyway | Tick Time Tracking | Tempo | Worklog | Tmetric | Toggl | Harvest | Clockify | Timeneye | TimeCamp | TrackingTime | Planyway | Tick Time Tracking |
Targeted audience
Who: Jira users, managers and implementers
Occupations: developers, analysts, designers
They use both internal task tracker tools and third-party time trackers. More often they enter time after the fact, because they experience difficulties when working with existing time trackers, or they do not have a timer function. They prefer full-screen web applications.
Research method:
In-depth Interview
User quantity:
9 users
Main conclusion:
A time tracker should fit into the user’s work as comfortably as possible so as not to disrupt the workflow. Most of the existing time trackers have to be turned on and, most importantly, off manually in another browser page or window. However, users often forget about it.
😫
😵💫
User pains
1
Using a time tracker takes up work time
2
When entering time after the fact, it is difficult to remember the time actually spent
3
It’s inconvenient that you need to monitor the timer status
4
It's difficult to keep track of time when constantly switching between tasks.
5
There are not enough notifications about insufficient recorded time.
Solutions
Simplify recording and editing time (quick entry fields)
Simple timer in quick access (Integration, Extension, Floating button)
Reminders/Notifications
Visual statistics
Partial automation
User tasks
User journey
Understand at what stage of work user encounters a time tracker and how he implements it into the workflow
JTBD
Based on confirmed hypotheses
Hypotheses
Before conducting research
Task Flow: manual timer start process
if we consider the integration window in Jira
If clarification is required
to the task
Open task
Open
Jira
Execute the task
Close
task
Read the task
Switch to the
integration window
Start timer
Stop timer
End
Start
Cycle
First designs
Fullscreen web-application
Integration in a task card in Jira
Settings
Reminders/Push notifications
UX tests
Research method: Semi-structured usability test
Who: Jira users. Important: not everyone uses time tracking
Occupations: developers, analysts, testers, engineers
Quantity: 8 users
The full-screen web application presented virtually no difficulties. More problems arose when testing integration in Jira.
Conclusions:
Shorten user paths
Simplify integration/consider options
Easy access to timer with obvious status
Work out the states of elements and colours
Integration vs Extension
Integration window in a task:
start timer button
add time manually is in immediate access
total logged time of an open task is visible
switch to full screen application with one click
Browser extension:
start timer button
recent and future tasks visible, which allows to quickly switch between them
total logged time for the current day is visible
switch to full screen application with one click
the timer status is visible in the browser at any page
Downsides:
The user does not see the timer status if he is outside of a specific issue in Jira
Additional steps required to access the time tracker
Different UI and UX than Jira (is it a downside at all or will it differentiate features and make it less confusing for users?)
Downsides:
More time spent on development
Automation
After consultation with developers, our team made the choice for the simplest solution:
Push notifications based on Jira
webhooks that encourage action
Julia, don’t forget to track time!
This is your reminder that you haven’t tracked time today.
Remind me later
Go
Examples:
changing task status (“Active”, “Done”...)
activating a task without starting a timer
closing the task tab (it can even stop the
timer automatically)attempt to run two timers simultaneously
Full screen web application
Browser extension with button in the issue in Jira
In-issue button
Browser button
Final decision
UI&Design system
Logo
Main
Secondary
Colors
Web App: Navigation
Return to Daily Timer to current date
Application navigation
Settings
User Manual and FAQ
Day-by-day time display
Week-by-week time display
Total time display by the team
Time reports to download
Calendar navigation
Main features
Web-application: Daily Timer View
Sort by
Group by task if different time periods are recorded
Select a task
(the project name is pulled up automatically)
Quick time enter/edit
Delete time entry
Re-start the timer
Timer activation and manual time addition
Favourites
Web-application: Weekly Timer View
Favourites
Group by project
Select a task
(the project name is pulled up automatically)
Select date and period
Enter time and period
Manual time addition
Repeat and assign random dates
Sort by
Delete time entry
Quick time enter/edit
Web-application: Team Time View
Search for a team member by name
Bulk action: Select multiple team members by checkbox to send them email
Group e-mail notifications for the chosen users
Send an individual email notification
Sort by
Web-application: Time Report View
Group by and filter information
Date and time period navigation
Select a period to display (week/month/custom period)
Export
Web-application: Settings
Set up personal reports
to receive by email
Set up
push notifications
Select time zone
and date format
Enter work hours per day. This input is responsible for the Whole Day checkbox when adding time manually
Link to a browser
extension instalation
Browser Extension
Quick access to Start button in Jira next to the issue
Switch to fullscreen web application
Switch between recent and all tasks
Quick start of a timer for a recently tracked task
Total logged time for the current day to help user to self-control time tracking
Task selection.
When a user opens an extension over an open issue in Jira, the issue name is pulled up automatically.
The extension icon in the browser shows the timer status: active or not
Notifications: Push&E-mail
Conclusion
Julia Demianetc
2022