Visual Interactive Voice Response: turning phone menus into a visual flow.

Visual Interactive Voice Response (VIVR) is typically used when a customer calls a support number — for example, to activate a Microsoft product, reset a password, or troubleshoot an issue.

Think of VIVR as a smarter, more visual version of the traditional phone-based support system. Instead of navigating a maze of voice prompts ("Press 1 for this, press 2 for that"), VIVR lets users switch from a phone call to a visual interface — usually on their smartphone — via a link sent by SMS. This visual interface helps users complete tasks like product activation more easily and intuitively.

Microsoft relied on third-party providers to manage and update the VIVR solution, leading to high costs and a cumbersome process for making changes. The primary goals were to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve the user experience by building a first-party VIVR solution.

Previous version

I conducted evaluative studies to understand user expectations, behaviors, and pain points when activating a Microsoft product through VIVR. The research included user interviews, usability testing, and analysis of support tickets from the previous implementation. Key findings revealed several challenges:

• Complex navigation: users struggled with the multi-step process and unclear instructions, leading to frequent errors and frustration.
• Lack of guidance: many users felt unsupported during critical steps, especially when troubleshooting activation issues or entering long numeric codes.
• Time-consuming process: the activation flow required significant time, with users often switching between devices and repeating steps.
• Accessibility barriers: the previous design did not adequately support users with hearing, vision, or cognitive impairments.
• Inconsistent experience: differences between the phone-based and visual interfaces made it difficult to complete tasks seamlessly.

These insights informed the redesign — focusing on simplifying the activation journey, providing contextual help, improving accessibility, and ensuring a consistent experience across devices.

I ran a heuristic evaluation to find usability flaws in the Microsoft product activation mobile experience.

Heuristic Evaluation is one of four user-feedback systems in the UX Health initiative at Microsoft Digital. UX Health gathers consistent qualitative and quantitative insights across products to enable comparison and support a healthier UX portfolio.

I started by creating initial wireframes based on user research and feedback. These served as the foundation for the prototypes, ensuring the design was user-friendly and met the project goals. After finalizing the wireframes, I moved on to developing initial prototypes.

The prototypes provided a visual representation of the VIVR solution, letting users interact with the design and give feedback. They were built in Axure RP to keep the design consistent and aligned with user needs.

Usability tests run by the User Research team evaluated the effectiveness of the VIVR solution, gathering feedback on the initial desktop and phone experiences.

The VIVR solution shipped successfully, letting users activate their products through a visual interface. Building it first-party reduced costs by eliminating reliance on third-party providers and improved productivity by streamlining how changes are made.

Users reported a smoother, more efficient activation process with fewer issues and a reduced time commitment. The visual design earned positive feedback for its modern, accessible approach — catering to users who require hearing or speaking assistance.