Salesforce+ streaming experience

a live and on-demand content platform

Client

Duration

Role

Salesforce+

10 Weeks

UX Strategy Intern

Summary

Reflection

Instrument partnered with Salesforce+ to improve content discovery, gauge resonance, and increase user engagement on Salesforce+ by creating a system for backend categorization and frontend design that unlocks badges, tags, and more.

This past summer (2022), I interned at Instrument as a UX strategist working with client Salesforce+ and was tasked with designing "Card Systems" and "First Touch Experience" for the Salesforce+ platform. My time at Instrument involved pitching ideas and competitive analysis to high-level leadership such as Anthony Lamont, weekly syncs with an engineering team, and iterating design with senior strategists.

I gained a lot of confidence as a designer as it was my first opportunity to design a system within Salesforce+'s complex design structure. My mentor and strategy team gave me the nudges to continue moving forward while giving me the autonomy to conduct competitor analysis, benchmarks, and design iterations. It was the first time competitor and benchmarks research played a crucial part in my project.

This experience also taught me a lot about working closely with an engineering team, visual designers, and a PM, and an eye-opening experience to work with the Salesforce+ team to better understand their operations.

The system is currently in the process of getting shipped, so if you are interested in learning more detail,  please reach out to me!

Salesforce+ Streaming Experience

a live and on-demand content platform
(desktop & mobile)

Sections:

Background

Discovery

Design

Stress Testing

Outcome

Reflection

Team

Client

My Role

Duration

Anthony Lamont
Lead UX Strategist
Jenny DeSouchet
↳ Senior UX Strategist
Catherine Nguyen
↳ Senior UX Strategist

Salesforce+

UX/ Strategy Intern

10 Weeks

Problem

Salesforce+ is a new live and on-demand content platform created by the established brand, Salesforce. As a UX intern, I worked with strategists to identify areas for improvement in the platform's information hierarchy, content roadmap, and design components. Our goal was to develop a strategy to better communicate the value and offerings of the Salesforce+ platform.

Salesforce+ lacks an effective strategy to help users find and understand their content offerings

Salesforce Plus+ experience and existing card system

Challenge

While considering the entire platform experience, how might we help users discover and engage with content on Salesforce+?

How might our content strategy allow us to highlight or feature unique content in a scalable way?

To understand the benefits of implementing an effective strategy on Salesforce+, it was important to understand how badges and tags could enhance user engagement and add value. I worked with the strategy team to define the goals of using badges and tags within the card system and used this information to inform our design direction and product requirements.

My Role

During my time at Instrument, I led a competitor analysis and explored various design iterations for Salesforce. I presented my ideas to senior leadership and worked with them to continuously refine custom solutions based on user needs.

I also received design feedback through bi-weekly design critiques with the strategy and design team. Additionally, I had the opportunity to work with the development team and gain insights into any limitations or restrictions in the development process.

Discovery

An investigation of streaming platforms for educational content, live events, and entertainment

My first step was to align the Salesforce+ design system and product with current trends in streaming platforms, events, and learning-focused platforms. I also conducted comprehensive benchmarking research to identify common card patterns and behavior in different states, examining component behavior on various platforms.

Ex Zendesk & Hulu:

Addressing user needs and improving accuracy

Before sharing the extensive research I conducted with my team, I re-evaluated the insights to identify opportunities for Salesforce+ to use tagging and badging within the card system to better meet the needs of users with the current types of content cards.

Ex Text tags & Durations:

Design

UX strategy and wireframes

After learning about tagging and bagging, I began wireframing a card design that incorporated both elements. The goal was to create a standard card that could be applied to various content types, such as series, events, and episodes.

In collaboration with product partners, we developed a scale system to explore the limitations of the standard card design. I tested the design across a spectrum of mild to wild, evaluating the complexity of the wireframes based on the amount of information they exposed and the potential workload on the development side.

Ex Mildest & Wildest:

Finding the Balance

Not all information needs to be revealed on a content card, so I worked with strategists to narrow our recommendations to four options that strategically reveal snackable details through image badges and text tags and leverage visuals to reveal more content information.

Stress Testing

Validating the component behavior, detail designs, and UX strategy based on use cases

With setting rules and guidelines based on the needs of users who are absorbing content information. We conducted stress tests and evaluated the changes in status and tags based on different use cases. We also established roles and guidelines to ensure that every use scenario was thoroughly considered and to ensure a consistent experience across all cards.

Ex Series Card:

Outcome

Flexible, componentized system of cards that can be scaled across multiple content types

The goal of my project was to enhance the card system for Salesforce+ by improving content discoverability and increasing user engagement. To achieve this goal, I conducted consistent research, provided insights, and set direction to help the product move forward.

Salesforce+ was in the process of being established, and it was the first time Instrument proposed a new card system. Stress testing, competitor research, and benchmarking were essential for establishing card patterns that would be effective and user-friendly.

I gained a lot of confidence as a designer during this project, as it allowed me to design a system within Salesforce+'s complex design structure. My mentor and the strategy team provided support and guidance and gave me the autonomy to conduct research and explore different design options.

I have also learned the importance of accessibility and readability in design, especially with regard to tagging and badge elements in card design. I would like to continue conducting more stress tests and user testing in the next step to validate the solution and work with the design team to find the best balance between visual appeal and accessibility.

Reflection