Although a preliminary version of this feature existed in the product already, key stakeholders determined that it needed to be more functionally robust and user-friendly. I began by reviewing the existing design.
FINDINGS
01
The filters lacked hierarchy and groupings, despite the fact that there were different filter categories
02
If the end-user isn't an expert, why is it assumed that they will know what these terms mean?
03
Feature affordances were not disclosed: what could the user expect from a template?
03
The intended next action is not clear: what would the checkbox do?
Next, the design systems lead and I conducted interviews with client reps in order to understand what types of information end-users most frequently needed help finding. We wanted end-users to be able to get what they needed out of the product without external assistance.
FINDINGS
01
We should give users control over how much guidance they receive, from full guardrails to fully self-directed
02
Users range from c-suite executives to market researchers, brand managers, category analysts, and price managers
03
Users either work for brands trying to sell more of their products, or retailers trying to optimize sales
04
Ultimately, the goal is to understand market trends and shopper behavior
Early iteration
The biggest challenge was the establishment of a clear hierarchy between report type, data type, and business question. These early explorations tried to find clarity through trial and error. There was also a lot of back and forth about what to call the templatized report groupings.
Usability testing
Once we hit mid-fidelity, we decided to do a round of usability testing in order to ensure our designs aligned with user expectations.
FINDINGS
01
Users didn't immediately understand what the novel terms like "flow builder" meant
02
We A/B tested two report card designs and identified user preferences
03
Users expected the report template section and the general report library "Find my stuff" to converge in a sigle tab
04
We needed to more clearly identify which reports required special subscription permissions
Hick's law: break large tasks into smaller steps
Progressive disclosure
Managing complexity through order
Customization in context
Senior Manager, Multinational Agricultural Corporation
Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, Multinational Cosmetics Company