Too Many Emails
- WP Engine is a reliable, fully-managed hosting platform for WordPress websites
- However, there was a previous problem with setting up notification preferences in the customer portal
- Difficulty in customizing their email preferences led to too many emails being sent to users
- The high volume of emails caused frustration and inconvenience
The User
- WP Engine serves a diverse users
-Including business owners, developers, enterprises, agencies, eCommerce, and bloggers
The Team
-Designer: me
-UX Researcher: Nicole
-Product Manager: Bartosz
-Team of Engineers
UNDERSTANDING THE USERS
- User testing was conducted before redesigning the notification preferences page.
- Four customers participated in the study, revealing significant confusion with the page's design.
- Users found the options overwhelming, and some didn't realize that the cards were interactive.
- These insights highlighted critical areas for improvement, such as clarifying interactive elements, reducing the number of options, and addressing the email overload issue.
"I get so many emails from you that I just stopped paying attention to them.
"This page has too many options; it's overwhelming."
"I've never even seen this preferences page before; no wonder I'm getting flooded with emails."
User Persona & Customer Journey
- User personas represent typical users to guide the product design, ensuring a clear, user-centered focus throughout development
- Focused on improving the system and addressing user needs and frustrations
The user's journey underscored the importance of intuitive interfaces and clear feedback
The Problem
The overarching issue revolved around the user's struggle to manage a high volume of emails effectively.
Pain Points
- Interactive Elements Not Clear: Users had trouble identifying which elements on the page were interactive, leading to confusion about how to change their preferences
- Too Many Options: The preferences page had an overwhelming number of choices, causing users to feel frustrated and unable to make a decision
- Poor Onboarding: Half of the participants had never seen the notification preferences page, indicating a poor user onboarding process or lack of communication
-Email Overload: Users reported receiving too many emails, which caused them to ignore them
Goal
This initiative aimed to simplify the page's layout, improve interactivity, and use more straightforward language to enable customers to manage their notification settings easily.
Ideation
I mapped out a user flow to identify potential bottlenecks and areas of confusion that needed simplification.
Held a brainstorming session to generate solutions.
Our collaboration produced clear ideas that guided the redesign process.
-Categorization by Features and Products: By organizing messages based on features and products, users can easily identify the context of the communication
-Categorization by Severities: Categorizing messages by severity provides users with valuable insights into the urgency or criticality of each communication
-Frequency Settings: Users can select the frequency at which they receive messages, allowing them to customize their communication preferences based on their needs and preferences
-Visual Hierarchy: Design the interface with a clear visual hierarchy, using distinct headings, icons, and spacing to differentiate sections
Iterations
- Streamlined the layout and functionality of the redesign
- Presented each version during bi-weekly design critiques
- Actively sought feedback to guide the next iteration
- Prioritized maintaining consistency with the portal's overall look and feel
- Enabled me to make incremental improvements
- Integrated valuable feedback from the team through this iterative approach
DELIVERABLES + FINAL MOCKS🔥
Results & Outcomes
- Simplified the notification preferences page to make it more user-friendly for customers
- Received positive feedback from stakeholders, confirming the direction and approach of the redesign
- Due to shifting team priorities, the updated design was not immediately developed and implemented
- The stakeholders appreciated the proposed solution; the design is planned for future implementation
- As a result, the full impact of the changes is yet to be realized
What I Learned
-Thorough testing helps to pinpoint user pain points, ensuring user-focused design solutions
-Collaborating with stakeholders throughout the design process fosters valuable feedback and consensus, leading to better-aligned outcomes
-Project timelines and priorities can change, requiring designers to stay flexible and adaptable while maintaining high design quality
-Comprehensive design documentation eases implementation even if development is delayed
Next Steps
-Coordinate with the development team to ensure the new design is prioritized for implementation in upcoming sprints or project cycles
-Keep stakeholders informed about the development timeline and any changes in project priorities to maintain alignment and manage expectations
-After launch, gather user feedback to assess the impact of the changes and identify any additional improvements or issues that need attention
-Schedule additional user testing sessions after the updated design is deployed to validate its effectiveness and ensure it meets user needs