Victoria Annie Lambert
AI Copilot
Accounting Assistant
Project Overview
Project Brief
Sage, a leading developer of accounting software, partnered with students from Newcastle University to enhance their upcoming AI tools. They acknowledged potential challenges, as their clients often exhibit reluctance towards adopting new technologies, particularly given the emerging nature of AI and the prevalent concerns surrounding its accuracy and privacy.
Challenge
Accountants roles and workflow are evolving with the advancement of technology. With the emergence of AI, accountants are needing to learn and adapt quickly but many struggle to understand how these tools work and how AI can assist them. Negative perceptions around AI persit and need to be addressed to encourage adoption of these new tools into their workflow.
Duration
3 Months
Role
UX Researcher/Designer and UI Designer
Methods
User Centered Design, Affinity Mapping, Usability Testing, User Interviews, Surveys, Thematic Analysis, Feature Roadmap, UI Design, Ethical Consideration & Prototyping
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, Miro, NVIVO, Zoom
Objective
Understand what accountants need assistance with.
Create comprehensive screens and tools that encourage use of new AI tools. Spark the desire to understand how these tools operate and customize to the users preference.
Process and Methods
Design Process
I chose the user-centered design (UCD) process because it ensures the solutions are tailored to the needs and workflows of accountants. This approach allowed me to identify pain points in existing tools, such as complex interfaces or overwhelming features, and focus on creating tools that enhance usability and efficiency. By involving users at every stage, I could iterate and refine the designs based on their feedback, ensuring practical integration into real-world tasks. Ultimately, UCD helped address usability challenges and promote trust and adoption among accountants.
User-Centered Design Process
Methods and Desired Outcomes
Research & Concept
Research
Through background research, competitive analysis, and user interviews, I set out to gain a deeper understanding of the market and accountants wants and needs from their software.
Research Questions
1.What AI features can best serve accountants?
2. What are the perceived challenges to AI adoption and utilization among accountants?
3. How can they be resolved through design improvements?
Goals
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Understand AI and accounting software and where they fit within HCI by performing a literature review and competitive analysis on various accounting software.
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Collect data from accountants regarding how to assist them in transitioning to using AI tools through one-on- one interviews.
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Analyze data to find solutions for needs and concerns using thematic analysis (TA) and affinity mapping methods.
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Design user interface screens for accounting software that implements AI tools with wireframing and high- fidelity prototyping software.
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Qualitatively evaluate designs with an accountant by facilitating a design review interview.
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Analyze user feedback, adjust the design accordingly to increase user friendliness, and write up findings.
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Background Research
Artificial Intelligence
First I wanted to get a general understanding of what artificial intelligence was, how it worked and where it could be adapted to help in different software. I read numerous papers and tested a variety of AI subsets to see how they work and see where they could fit within accounting software.​
Future of Accounting
After reading academic papers and seeing what different accounting software companies were planning for their software I attended some conferences hosted by Sage. There I heard from their CFO what they were expecting to see happen with accounting software in the coming years. Additionally many speakers addressed various concerns and challenges they knew would arise from using AI.
HCI Community
From the human-computer interaction (HCI) community, I gained a deeper understanding of the need for caution when designing and implementing AI systems. While AI offers appealing opportunities for efficiency and profits, irresponsible or unethical use can have negative consequences, potentially hindering innovation and undermining user-centered design principles. Inspired by Human Compatible by Stuart Russell, I applied his ethical framework to guide the development and evaluation of AI tools, ensuring that human values and long-term benefits were prioritized.
Competitive Analysis
Each accounting software focuses on a slightly different area of AI usage, from automating financial data categorization to improving cash flow insights and streamlining client communications. Sage and QuickBooks stand out for efficient transaction and receipt automation, while Xero focuses on reconciliation and integration flexibility, and TaxDome targets client management efficiency.
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User Interviews
​I conducted interviews with 5 accountants, approximately 45-60 minutes each. The questions were divided into 5 sections to understand the users experiences and perspective about AI and their current software along with getting valuable information on how AI can assist them in an easy and ethical manner.
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Work Experience
Software
Task Management
Artificial Intelligence
​Sage UI
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Some questions asked during the interview:
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What has your experience with accounting software been like? (And why?)
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What are some of the major changes you’ve seen and how do you see it changing in the future?
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What do you like and dislike about the current software you use?
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How do you prioritize your tasks and do you use any tools to help you with this?
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To see the full set of interview questions click here ----->
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Thematic Analysis
Once I had my interview transcripts I replaced the names of the accountants and removed any identifying or personal information to protect their anonymity. From there I uploaded the interviews into NVIVO (a qualitative research tool) and began a thematic analysis. I looked for any common themes that would help with the ideation and prioritization of AI features and software affordances.
As I read through each transcripts 3-5 times I continued to refine my codes and themes. I eventually ended up with 3 themes: Enhancing efficiency and accuracy, empowering decision making, and trust and acceptance. I then used these three themes to brainstorm useful features with affinity mapping.
Affinity Mapping
Affinity mapping was a useful method for this feature ideation phase. I brainstormed numerous features and design modifications for accounting software, focusing on addressing the three key themes that emerged as most important to the accountants I interviewed. Due to time restraints, I didn't have time to implement all the features I had devised. I selected eight features to integrate into the software based on my research and prioritized those that were most essential for aiding user adoption and acceptance. These features were chosen to address the immediate needs of users and to ensure a smooth and successful launch of the software’s new tools.
More to come...
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