Flows
Led a redesign for the Spekit Flows no-code walkthrough feature which led to a 72% increase in user satisfaction.
Project overview
We've reimagined our Flows feature to deliver what modern teams truly need: powerful, no-code step-by-step walkthroughs that guide employees through your products and processes. While our initial 2021 launch taught us valuable lessons, we've now rebuilt Flows from the ground up as part of our comprehensive digital enablement suite. This enhanced version reflects our deep understanding that effective training requires both in-the-moment guidance and a holistic approach to employee support.
My contributions
As the sole designer for the Learning Squad, I drove the complete reimagining of Flows from initial concept to successful deployment. My comprehensive ownership encompassed:
- Leading discovery research to identify key user opportunities
- Managing iterative design cycles based on user feedback
- Conducting extensive problem validation and solution testing
- Executing rigorous design quality assurance
- Orchestrating and scaling our beta program to ensure product-market fit
Glossary
GA: General availability
FE: Front-end
BE: Back-end
QA: Quality assurance
RFC: Request for comments
GTM: Go to market
CSM: Customer success manager
MLP: Minimum lovable product
Launch date: May 16, 2023
x1 Engineering manager
x1 Product designer (that’s me 👋🏻)
x3 FE engineers
x1 BE engineer
x1 QA engineer
Technical complexities
Early in the design process, I partnered closely with engineering to tackle Flows' complex technical challenges. By actively participating in RFC discussions around algorithm improvements, I gained crucial technical insights that shaped our design possibilities. This deep technical understanding enabled me to craft solutions that balanced user needs with system capabilities.
Main issues
Experience improvements
Given resource constraints, we took a pragmatic approach to evolve Flows into a market-ready solution. By strategically prioritizing high-impact improvements to the existing architecture, we maximized ROI while delivering the core functionality our customers needed. This focused scope allowed us to efficiently transform Flows into a compelling, revenue-generating feature.
We had a clear vision for our improvements and set the following goals to be achieved 🏆:
- Creators can intuitively build Flows that consistently work
- Viewers can successfully complete Flows
- All users understand when things are not working as they should
Clear instructions
Well-crafted instructions serve as the cornerstone of Flows' user experience, directly impacting product adoption and success. By providing clear, contextual guidance, we enable users to confidently navigate complex workflows, accelerate their learning curve, and achieve their goals faster. This strategic focus on user empowerment not only reduces friction but drives sustained engagement and product advocacy.
Before 😱
Before making enhancements, the instructions given to users when creating a Flow were unclear, inaccurate, and laid out ineffectively.
After 😍
After making enhancements, the instructions given to users creating a Flow were intentional, based on user flow research, and easy to understand.
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Intuitive step creation
Previously, our Flow step creation process frustrated users with its unclear interface and rigid structure. Users struggled to understand step types due to vague labeling, and the inability to delete steps mid-creation forced them to start over when making mistakes. In our redesign, we prioritized making the step creation process intuitive and forgiving – empowering users to build Flows with confidence.
Before 😱
The original Flows builder was a digital obstacle course – rigid controls trapped users in their mistakes, while cryptic interfaces left them guessing at each step.
After 😍
The redesigned Flows builder guides users confidently through each step, letting them experiment freely and correct course instantly. What was once a rigid system now flexes to match how people naturally work.
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Fail gracefully
Previously, Flows crumbled at the first sign of trouble, leaving users stranded without guidance or clear paths to recovery. We fundamentally reimagined our approach to errors – transforming them from dead ends into stepping stones. Now, when unexpected issues arise, Flows provides clear explanations and actionable solutions, keeping users moving forward with confidence. We've turned moments of potential frustration into opportunities to build trust.
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Prototyping the new experience
To bring our vision to life, I crafted an interactive prototype that starkly illustrated the contrast between old and new. This working model proved invaluable – it transformed abstract improvements into tangible interactions, helping stakeholders experience firsthand how our changes would revolutionize the user journey.
External beta program
We launched a focused beta program from March 29 to April 7, 2023, inviting ten carefully selected customers to put our enhanced Flows through real-world testing. This strategic validation phase served two critical purposes: confirming that our improvements genuinely streamlined Flow creation and error handling, while uncovering opportunities for further refinement. The concentrated timeframe and intimate customer group allowed us to gather rich, actionable insights that would shape the final product.
Pre-beta metrics
To measure the impact of our improvements, we established clear benchmarks through a strategic pre-beta survey. This baseline data would later reveal the true transformation in our customers' Flow creation experience.
User frustrations
Creation clunkiness
"Choosing the “info” step option is hard"
"If you mess up, you have to start over"
"It’s just difficult to use"
Post-beta metrics
The post-beta survey results told a compelling story: satisfaction scores soared, validating our core improvements despite a handful of minor bugs and feature requests. Comparing pre- and post-beta data revealed a dramatic transformation in how customers experienced Flows.
Customer feedback
“The 3 step triggers allowed me to create more Flows within our instance of SF. The ability to pause the entire Flow while creating was nice as I was making Flows we previously couldn’t.”
“Overall impression: Much better than before! I was pleasantly surprised that I could create any Flow now. I like the options to choose what type of element it is - exact/any/next. I like the ability to pause, say when filling out a form...”
“The create process was pretty straightforward and intuitive. We like how you could edit each step easily and make sure they were all correct.”
Beta program reflection
Beta programs can be time consuming and take a lot of coordination to be successful. Here’s what I learned throughout the process:
- Limiting customer participation to > 10 makes it more manageable for the team and can provide a more personalized experience without it being overwhelming
- Coordination with CSM and GTM teams is essential for streamlining the customer experience
- Having customers submit recordings of themselves using the tool (and talking through their experience) was the most effective form of communication
- Google forms were useful but not perfect (finding a tool that works for all customers will make it much easier to gather feedback in the future)
Re-launch day 🚀
On May 16, 2023, we unveiled a transformed Flows experience that marked a turning point for Spekit. We had evolved from an unstable first iteration into a polished, intuitive product that delivered on our original promise to customers. While our commitment to improvement continues, this release represented a crucial milestone in customer retention – keeping faith with users who believed in our vision but struggled with our initial execution. With core enhancements deployed, we're now strategically addressing feedback from beta testing to further refine the experience.