Revamping the user interface to make the learning curve for sales managers more tolerable

For example, our designers found out that there is no defined format for entering data in the phone number field in the “Add a new lead” screen”.  You can write a number with a plus sign or without, you can separate digits with dashes or brackets, or write a single phone number with various amounts of digits.

Having so many options may cause confusion among users and they are more likely to accidentally skip a figure. Moreover, the CRM system has to store unmanageable customer numbers in different formats or use some algorithms to re-write the data to a preferred format. Read on to see how we solved this issue and others.

We had two months for the Ricochet360 redesign project, and it would take another couple of months for developers to implement the new design. Considering the project duration, we offered our client to implement small improvements to the existing design first. They would take minimum effort yet make a positive impact immediately.

For example, let’s take a look at the “Add a new lead” screen, where we found the issue with the undefined phone number format along with some other minor inconveniences that resulted in poor user experience. Here are some small improvements we made for this screen that immediately made the change for good:

To get rid of customer confusion, we added a tooltip for every field to show how it has to be filled.

We implemented standard data formats. Now if users enter a phone number in an invalid format, they get an error message.

We also indicated required fields with asterisks so users don’t have to guess which fields are necessary for creating a lead and which they can omit.

After analyzing the product and detecting frictions, our designers had to restructure the existing user flows by disassembling old screens on their core elements, like a Lego model. 

Restructuring is a method used for redesigns to figure out what path is taken by a user to complete a task, and what elements should be on each screen to help the user cope with their task. By making user tasks easier to complete, we would manage to shorten the learning curve.

Let’s come back to the Add a new lead page. Restructuring helped our team to formulate the following hypotheses:

It’s too much for one form to have more than 30 fields. Not all of them are equally important. We can hide rarely used fields so that users call them up when needed.

People grasp information better when it is shown in groups. If we divide our fields into groups by meaning, the form won’t scare a user so much.

We can turn the page into a popup. Adding a new lead often happens to be a subtask that occurs during the work process, so users won’t need to close their primary window to add a new lead.

We redesigned the screen in such a way that just the right amount of information appears. All the unnecessary elements had gone, and all the important modules are now positioned in a clear visual hierarchy. It helps users to make sense of what they see — at first sight they understand how important one action is in relation to another.

Some features that were hardly available are now one click away. For instance, a sales agent can reach the script tab instantly, without leaving the page.

And of course, we’ve removed the Delete button from the shortcut menu. No accidental lead deletions anymore.

The final redesign did its job: now, new customers require less time to learn how to use the software, thus reducing the workload of support managers from Ricochet360’s side. The new design looks more modern and simple. Now, the company is ready to scale and earn new customers!

A redesign is probably the most frequent request the Eleken design agency gets from SaaS companies. Early startups don’t have time and money to obsess over sophisticated interfaces. But after a few years, as their feet are firmly on the ground, companies notice that poor design hinders their users to access the app functionality.

If you are about to scale and feel that your design is lagging behind, contact us! Our designers will help revise your design and suggest ways of fixing the problems that cause user churn.