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Designing foundational components

Client

Issuu

Services

UX/U.i Design

Industries

SAAS/Marketing Tech

Date

2021

Objective

To simplify the upload journey by reducing clicks and steps a user must take to publish a flipbook. To connect free users to Issuu's features so that they can see value in upselling to a higher pricing plan.

Results

• Substantial increase in feature usage.

• Substantial increase of free users upselling to paid plans.

• Implementation of a new design system.

• Implementation of a new development process, by introducing usability/user testing, overall strengthening the design culture in the orginization.

Role: UX Designer & Researcher

As the UX designer in a team with one product manager and six engineers, I facilitated workshops to clarify the problem area and brainstorm solutions. Coordinated and conducted user tests to understand why the user uses the product and what jobs they need to have done. Analyzed pain points and document insights for the research, I synthesized the research in action statements, which I presented to the team and key stakeholders. I constructed prototypes for iterations and created documentation for implementation and the Design System.

The Process

Understanding the Problem

At Issuu, users upload content that can be published as a flipbook. A flipbook is a static document (such as a PDF) transformed digitally to allow users to experience page-flipping effects as they read. Flipbooks are hosted on Issuu and can be enhanced with interactive multimedia elements such as hyperlinks and videos. They can be shared across the web and sold without commission.

Key Objectives

Ease of use

Reducing the amount a user must click in order to publish a flipbook.

Increase Traffic

To create traffic if issuu's content creation tools by creating more accessible entry points.

Design System

Update and implement new and existing design system components.

Flow Chart

To optimize the user journey, we segmented the journey into manageable components.

Desk Research

Iteratively, conducted desk research. Analysed direct/in-direct competitors. Reviewed feature patterns and did comparisons with the existing implementation.

Facilitation & Workshops

We initiated the project by holding workshops with the team and external stakeholders to outline the tool’s expected outcomes and key performance indicators (KPIs). During these sessions, I facilitated discussions on trade-offs and communicated the needs of the design and engineering teams. After aligning on a core offering, we developed a new prototype for usability testing.

User Testing

In total, nine usability tests were conducted—five with the initial prototype and four during a soft release. The soft release involved incrementally introducing the tool to the public, adding 10% of Issuu’s user base twice a week until full deployment.

Facilitation, Workshops, User Testing

We initiated the project by conducting workshops to discuss trade-offs and define the MVP. We then developed it into a prototype for usability testing. I conducted 14 usability tests. Four of those tests were with the initial prototype to ensure users understood and could utilize the key settings effectively. All tests were recorded and transcribed.

Design System

For the design system updates, we worked with Issuu’s Design System guild, which included designers and front-end developers. Through discussions, we developed new components in Figma and integrated them into our design library.Upon reviewing the user journey, we merged the Publish and Create Pages by designing new widgets that simplify interactions and highlight user settings. These widgets, developed in conjunction with the design department, were iteratively refined to ensure compliance with our design system and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

During implementation, discussions with engineers helped refine edge cases and behaviors. We ensured these updates were adaptable across different parts of the product, which was in line with our design system philosophy.Following the MVP launch, during a soft release phase, we conducted six additional tests, progressively rolling out the Publication Page to 10% of Issuu’s user base bi-weekly. This approach helped gather quantitative data and refine the tool incrementally to inform further enhancements. Subsequent insights prompted another workshop to validate and explore emerging theories. I gathered further insights from tests with four additional users, continuing the cycle of refinement and optimization.

Impact

The blue bar indicates activated users who both Published their work AND shared it with their audience. The grey bar indicated users who not fully activated, for they have not yet share any published documents.