Focused and guided journey to complete tasks
Reduced number of features and UI walkthrough in Bridge by Smartsheet to ease connecting 3rd party integrations and setting up workflow elements.
Problem and hypothesis
The Bridge by Smartsheet beta program brought to light feedback that the application is overwhelming and feels complicated. Based on the user interviews and prior heuristic evaluation, we hypothesized that we should minimise the number of features and introduce a dedicated on-boarding experience.
Collaboration and my role
I was the sole UX designer on an Agile team comprised of a product manager and 9 developers. I initiated the project, and I was responsible for identification of possible improvements, mapping and designing the improved experience, and collaborating with the team on prioritisation, user research and implementation. I also had the support of a UX writer and a wider design team in Seattle, US.
Progress to solution
User interviews informed us that users did not know how to start building a workflow, and navigate through all available features. We decided to guide users through an on-boarding walkthrough, and leave only necessary features in the Bridge user interface. The hidden features were left in the code-base for development if users request them.
Additional presentation to the Smartsheet CEO and CPO directed my designs into the solution aligned with the business needs.
Problem-solving solution
We conducted usability testing with core tasks and our new design, which showed better understanding of the UI. The improved vocabulary and language reduced confusion. Users were able to identify navigation paths, which enabled them to complete the tasks.
Challenges
During discovery, we needed to cut the improvements to the most crucial ones, because of the deadline of Bridge general access launch. We defined what we could implement considering the tight timeline, and put forward a case for a longer on-boarding project that Bridge requires to satisfy user needs.
Outcomes for users and business
Because beta users noticed significant improvement, they provided better testimonials for the general access launch of Bridge by Smartsheet. This MVP version also highlighted on-boarding experience issues to stakeholders, and concluded with a plan of a longer on-boarding project within the Bridge roadmap.
What I learned
Because of this project, I realised the importance of initiating UX projects, and educating the wider team including stakeholders about experiences that can be improved with a minimal engineering effort.