Designing a Scalable VoIP Experience From The Ground Up

As a growing VoIP startup operating with a lean team, AuraVoice needed a clearer understanding of user workflows across key industries to inform product strategy, reduce friction, and stay competitive in a crowded communications market.

“On the Auravoice project, Tasnia conducted in-depth user interviews and usability testing, translating insights into design solutions that improved user satisfaction and significantly boosted engagement. Her collaborative approach and clear communication made her a standout team member.”

Henry Cordova

Senior UX Designer

  • Role: UX Researcher

    Project Type: Brand New Product Build (Zero-to-One)

    Duration: 4 Months

    Tools: Google Forms · Qualtrics · FigJam · Figma · Zoom

    Team Collaboration: Senior UX/UI Designer · Company Executives · Marketing Team

    Deliverables: Research Reports

  • Uncover industry-specific pain points to shape an enterprise VoIP platform that’s not just powerful, but purpose-built for how people actually work.

  • Increased product adoption by 40% and reduced onboarding time by 25% by leveraging user research to streamline workflows and align features with industry-specific needs.

  • 10 user interviews

    30+ survey responses

    Competitor analysis

    User Personas

    Insight Synthesis            

    Feature Prioritization

  • Most enterprise VoIP platforms overlook the unique workflows and pain points of industries like healthcare, legal, and hospitality. AuraVoice needed deep user insights to build a solution that was truly fit for purpose, not just feature-packed.

  • • Led foundational research across healthcare, legal, hospitality, and call centers
    • Identified key communication gaps and workflow pain points
    • Informed feature prioritization with user-driven insights
    • Shaped marketing site content and structure using research findings
    • Visual design owned by Senior UX/UI Designer

  • Legal Services

    Healthcare

    Call Centers

    Hospitality

Tailored Features by Industry

Through stakeholder and user research, I uncovered industry-specific pain points that shaped AuraVoice’s feature priorities.
Here’s what mattered most in each sector:

Law Firms

Law Firms

Support/Call Centers

Testing & Iteration

Iterations are ongoing as the product continues to evolve based on user feedback and changing industry needs

Hospitality

Healthcare

Approach

User Interviews

I spoke with 10 professionals from industries AuraVoice aimed to serve: legal, healthcare, call centers, and hospitality. Their roles ranged from IT leads to frontline staff, giving me a wide lens into the real-world friction happening across every level of communication.

Method: Qualtrics survey | 30 responses | Jan 2025
Goal: Understand VoIP usage, frustrations, and feature needs across Legal, Healthcare, Hospitality, and Call Centers.

Key Themes & Insights

    • Users expect clear legal & compliance info up front

    • Security badges and certifications must be immediately visible

    • Users want real-time tracking, not overwhelming dashboards

    • Prefer a few key metrics over endless data points

    • Insights should support day-to-day decisions, not just reports

    • Users want self-service scaling without sales friction

    • Frustrated by paywalls on basic growth

    • Flexibility and autonomy are key differentiators

    • Users want self-service scaling without sales friction

    • Frustrated by paywalls on basic growth

    • Flexibility and autonomy are key differentiators

    • If it doesn’t connect with their existing tools, it doesn’t even make the shortlist

    • CRM compatibility with systems like Salesforce, Zoho, and Microsoft Dynamics is expected

    • Users want straightforward setup info, not hidden docs or vague claims

Research Summuary

After conducting interviews, I used Qualtrics to run a follow-up survey and validate emerging themes across a broader audience.

Key Findings

  • 72% say current VoIP tools are outdated or complex

  • OP issues: routing confusion, weak analytics, poor onboarding

  • Strong demand for AI features:

    • 81% want call summaries

    • 66% want smart routing

    • 48% want follow-up prompts

  • Dashboard simplicity and cross-platform access are top priorities

  • Integrations, cusom analytics, and real-time monitoring top the wishlist

Takeaways

  • Focus early UI and messaging on compliance, simplicity, and integrations

  • Prioritize a drag-and-drop IVR editor as a flagship feature

  • Use vertical-specific language (e.g., “Guest requests” for hospitality, “HIPAA-ready” for healthcare)

  • Build modular dashboards to reduce cognitive load

  • Emphasize a contract-free, scale-on-demand structure in both product and content strategy

Industries:

  • Healthcare (30%), Legal (27%)

  • Call Centers (23%), Hospitality (20%)

  • Roles: Ops, IT, Admin, Support

  • Company Size: Small (40%), Mid (35%), Large (25%)

Takeaways

  • Position as a modern, AI-powered VoIP

  • Prioritize ease of use, smart features, and role-specific UX

  • Eliminate friction for both admins and frontline teams

Personas

To ground our solution in real-world needs, I created personas representing enterprise users across the targeted industries.

  • Legal Services

    Name: Angela Rahim
    Title: IT Manager, Regional Law Firm
    Company Size: 100 employees
    Location: Atlanta, GA

    Goals:

    • Ensure secure, traceable call records for audits

    • Maintain client confidentiality and meet legal compliance standards

    • Enable attorneys and paralegals to route and manage calls remotely

    Tech Stack:
    Microsoft 365, Clio, Google Voice (legacy), VPN-based file server

    Quote:

    “We need a system that’s secure enough for legal standards but simple enough that attorneys can manage calls without calling IT.”

  • Healthcare

    Name: Hamza Ahmed
    Title: Healthcare Administrator, Multi-Specialty Clinic
    Company Size: 850 employees
    Location: Orlando, FL

    Goals:

    • Ensure all patient communication is HIPAA-compliant

    • Streamline appointment reminders and triage call handling

    • Allow doctors to receive secure voicemails across devices

    Tech Stack:
    Kareo, Zoom, legacy on-premise PBX, iPads in field

    Pain Points:

    • Previous provider lacked proper E911 support, creating risk

    • Multi-location call routing is overly complex

    • Patients face long hold times and rigid IVR menus

    Needs from AuraVoice:

    • HIPAA-compliant IVR and messaging

    • Default E911 configuration

    • Mobile-friendly access for clinicians

    • Real-time analytics by department

    Quote:

    “If the system puts patients at risk or makes it harder for them to reach us, it’s already failed.”

  • Name: Carlos Mendes
    Title: Call Center Operations Manager, Tech Support Outsourcing Firm
    Company Size: 1,200 agents
    Location: Dallas, TX

    Goals:

    • Boost agent productivity with real-time performance metrics

    • Minimize call bounce rate and misrouting

    • Sync voice logs directly into Salesforce

    Tech Stack:
    Salesforce, Zendesk, Zoom Phone, Google Sheets (for reporting)

    Pain Points:

    • Dashboard is overloaded with irrelevant metrics

    • No visual call flow editor — changes require engineering

    • Scaling agents means vendor intervention, not self-service

    Needs from AuraVoice:

    • Drag-and-drop call routing tool

    • Modular analytics dashboard (agent, team, global)

    • CRM integration with auto-log

    • Flexible scaling for seasonal demand

    Quote:

    “We need a system that adapts to our teams — not the other way around.”

  • Name: Nina Kim
    Title: Guest Experience Manager, Boutique Hotel Chain
    Company Size: 300 employees (across 5 properties)
    Location: San Diego, CA

    Goals:

    • Streamline guest requests across front desk and housekeeping

    • Automate wake-up calls and room service routing

    • Ensure seamless communication across shifts and locations

    Tech Stack:
    Opera PMS, WhatsApp (unofficial), iPhones, walkie-talkies

    Pain Points:

    • Dashboard is cluttered with unnecessary metrics

    • No visual call flow editor — reliant on engineering for updates

    • Scaling communication across properties requires vendor support

    Needs from AuraVoice:

    • PMS integration (Opera, Cloudbeds)

    • Mobile staff app for managing guest communications

    • Multilingual IVR with easy customization

    • Role-based call visibility by department

    Quote:

    “We need something flexible enough for five properties, but simple enough for one front desk team.”

  • Strengths

    • Established enterprise credibility in government, healthcare, and finance

    • Robust integration ecosystem (Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace)

    • High reliability (99.999% uptime) and strong security protocols

    Weaknesses

    • Outdated, complex UI slows onboarding and frustrates new users

    • Feature overload leads to confusion and obscures core functionality

    Opportunities

    • A simplified, mid-market version could attract startups and remote teams

    • Partnerships with design-led firms to modernize the interface

    Threats

    • Agile competitors like Zoom Phone and Dialpad targeting SMBs with cleaner UX

    • Innovation lag behind AI-first and conversational platform

  • Strengths

    • AI-powered features like transcription, sentiment analysis, and smart routing set it apart in real-time voice intelligence

    • Modern UI with responsive design and a sleek mobile experience

    • Well-suited for distributed teams and digital-first organizations

    Weaknesses

    • Compliance limitations (e.g., inconsistent HIPAA support, limited E911) hinder adoption in regulated industries

    • Low brand recognition in traditional corporate environments

    Opportunities

    • Strengthen security and integrations (EHR, audit trails) to target healthcare, legal, and finance

    • Expand AI layer to include meeting summaries and CRM automations

    Threats

    • Competitors like AuraVoice offering AI + compliance-first UX could erode enterprise traction

    • Microsoft and Google scaling AI-native comms may reduce differentiation

  • Strengths

    • Strong international capabilities and transparent pricing tiers

    • Robust global call routing with local number support

    • Appeals to distributed teams and cross-border operations

    Weaknesses

    • Limited IVR customization makes adaptive call flows difficult

    • Clunky onboarding and admin tools -increase setup friction

    Opportunities

    • Streamline onboarding and introduce low-code/no-code IVR tools

    • Improve CX tool integrations to better serve support teams

    Threats

    • AuraVoice’s AI-driven onboarding and smart call flow tools could attract users seeking a modern, guided setup

    • 8x8’s traditional model may lag in an increasingly design-first market

Competitor Analysis

I ran a competitor analysis to spot gaps and uncover opportunities for AuraVoice to stand out.

  • Simplicity = Differentiator
    Most competitors overwhelm users early. AuraVoice can stand out with intuitive, role-specific UX.

  • Compliance Gap
    Market leaders underdeliver on HIPAA, E911, and legal-grade security — a space AuraVoice can own.

  • IVR UX Blind Spot
    Few platforms offer usable IVR customization — a clear, high-value opportunity.

  • Visual Modernity Signals Trust
    A clean, enterprise-class interface immediately builds credibility and brand confidence.

Key Market Insights

Shared Feature Themes Across Industries

Through cross-sector interviews and competitive research, I identified four core feature needs that consistently surfaced

AI-Powered Voice Assistant

Mobile Access

Call Recording

Advanced Analytics

Research Highlights & Impact

  • Identified critical communication gaps across healthcare, legal, and hospitality — from compliance risks to workflow inefficiencies

  • Informed feature priorities like encrypted call logs, multilingual IVR, mobile tools, and E911 support

  • Shaped the messaging and layout of the AuraVoice website to better resonate with enterprise buyers

  • Provided stakeholders with clarity on user pain points and a roadmap for product development

  • Increased product adoption by 40% and reduced onboarding time by 25% by streamlining workflows and aligning features to real user needs

Deliverables

  • 10 user interviews synthesized into 4 personas

  • Feature priorities aligned across product and marketing

  • AuraVoice moved forward with a clearer product vision, grounded in real user needs

AuraVoice moved forward with a clearer product vision, grounded in real user needs.

Reflection

AuraVoice pushed me to balance research depth with startup speed. As the sole UX researcher, I translated insights into clear direction for both product and brand—while aligning closely with design and leadership to keep it actionable.

It sharpened my ability to advocate for users in high-stakes environments and showed how research can influence not just features, but strategy, messaging, and adoption.

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