Planning the Missing Piece
This is the story of ideating on a concept for a reimagined planning tool that delivers significant efficiency gains in a unified platform.
Background
Key points leading up to this project
We are building on the research talked about in the targeting overhaul case.
There is alignment on the vision for a unified platform case.
The current pre-sales tool only configures a single aspect of a plan.
People on the project
Executive director of product
Director of Research
Principle Interaction Designer (me)
Users' must-have FeatureS
Provide intelligent estimations
A new back-end service is being developed in parallel, which has already shown dramatic improvement to the current estimation service.
Spotlight the map
The targeting map's visual depiction is occasionally functional for the campaign, but enhancing its presence in the UI was necessary for sales use.
Dial in different options
Users need the ability to formulate different combinations of elements and balance budgets with estimations.
Click to convert
A feature that converts the plan by building out the framework of a campaign provides vital efficiency gains.
IDEATION
Big chunks first
We established the larger items that needed to be factored into the tool.
Identified a need for a "library" to independently manage objects used in a plan or campaign.
There were several iterations of nesting and connecting elements in different configurations.
Challenged by the details
We would make strides balancing the amount of detail a user could configure one day and paint ourselves in a corner the next.
Too few options, and the new tool doesn't move the needle enough.
Too many options, and they might as well set up a full campaign.
By mapping out the full lifecycle, we were able to identify the necessary elements to include in the planning tool.
Prototype
Visually organizing it all
At times, designing the information, functionality, and flow felt like a game of whack-a-mole. Established patterns in other areas of the platform presented different challenges. In the campaign execution tool, there are many options that all culminate in a single purpose. The inverse was true of the planning tool. The options are trimmed down, but there is no single purpose in the stage of the process this tool services.
Sales will use it to demo the capabilities to clients, but they might also want to capture details and pass them along to solution managers.
Solutions managers need their own sets of options to explore channels and variations of combinations to export for a proposal.
Campaign managers need the plan to convert to a campaign but in a way that breaks down differently than a proposal.
I tried using tabs for the different elements, but clicking back and forth made it a clumsy experience. I kept pushing the map in and out of different sizes and views. I tried card layouts for the channel options instead of a table, but users wanted it to replicate how they used the exported .csv in Excel.
We had a goal of keeping it to one screen if at all possible. That helped me iterate to a concept product that could agree on and tested well with users.
Alignment on a concept
How to start
Creating a plan starts by showing users the two buckets they will be adding to. The wireframe hints at using the blank plan to help any new users get started.
Add targeting
We give the user the ability to use objects that have already been created and used in other plans and campaigns.
The need for contextual targeting to be exposed in the pre-sales stage is addressed with the option to add new or existing contexts to a plan.
Highlighting the map
I used a drawer to allow proper representation of objects used in a plan without bouncing the user entirely from the plan screen. This provides the necessary real estate for the needed UI, and it gives us a chance to make the map a focal point.
Cards keep the user informed
The targeting cards get added to ensure the user knows what is available when setting up channels. This also keeps a thumbnail of the maps of each item within view, and with one click, they can expand that map for a detailed view.
Adding channels
Adding a channel works similarly to targeting, where the user is presented with the inputs in a drawer. This one is a bit simpler and smaller.
Users enter foundational settings here. Some can only be configured here, while others can be changed per channel option later in the process.
Making it make sense
Channels and their options are represented as tables. This mimics how solution managers export a plan to a .csv file. Users greatly appreciated keeping this harmony.
Adding and adjusting options
Channel options are where users get to tinker with those foundational channel settings. Anything in the gray button with a down arrow can be customized per channel option.
Each time one of these settings is modified, the user needs to confirm it because it's going to change the calculations for impressions, reach, and possibly budget.
Selecting to convert
When an insertion order gets signed, a user can select the channel options to include and click the convert to campaign button.
Results
Successful hand off
We handed off a concept for a tool that will change the dynamic of the platform. In the simplest form, it was the missing piece in the platform, but the variety of issues it solves impacts every user at every stage of the system.
This tool works for internal users with managed service needs, such as presenting options in a proposal. It also works for self-service external users utilizing the planning tool to ease into setting up a campaign. In each case, the tool caters to their individual needs but provides the efficiencies they both require.
Looking back
A grind and worth it
This wasn't the prettiest of projects at times. Some meetings ended with us farther from alignment than when we started. When we got stuck, we looked to users, which helped us re-focus and prioritize. The final prototype checked every box for users and made a significant step toward a platform that builds from one stage to the next.
There's not much I would have done differently. There was a sense of raised expectations from all three people involved in the project. We challenged each other quite a bit, resulting in us delivering a concept that will provide sweeping improvements to the pre-sales process and lead to transformative efficiencies for the business.
Providing a Vision
Unifying enterprise tools into a self-serve
client-facing platform
Team & Culture
Leading a shift in our team's dynamics, which positively impacted our culture and performance