Embarking on the SaaS testing automation tool's transformative journey, we recognized the pivotal need to pivot from a technical-centric focus to embrace a broader user base, inclining towards low-code solutions.
Our challenge was not just refining user experience but reshaping the product's architecture to welcome non-technical users. Through meticulous research and collaborative workshops, we forged a flexible concept model.
Our Design Vision became a guiding beacon, steering us through an adaptive incremental implementation approach. Despite being a work in progress, early signs include increased sales, stable NPS, and improved cross-team collaboration.
Copado is the #1 Native DevOps Platform for Salesforce and the Market Leader in Low-Code CI/CD and AI-Driven Test Automation for Enterprise Clouds. Backed by Salesforce Ventures and Insight Venture Partners, Copado powers end-to-end digital transformation for 1,200+ global enterprises like Coca-Cola, Ebay, Medtronic and Volkswagen.
Originally, Copado Robotic Testing was a robust testing tool designed by engineers for engineers. It was highly technical and targeted professional coders and test automation specialists.
However, to align with market changes, the business strategy shifted to target less technical users. This was motivated by a broader industry trend towards low-code/no-code solutions. To understand the needs of these new users, we planned research to capture the experiences of both existing professional coders and potential business users.
Our analysis of the results revealed a significant challenge. The issue was not just the user experience, but also the product's architecture and concept model. It wasn't flexible enough to accommodate non-technical users.
So, we embarked on a journey to overhaul the concept model. We organized workshops and consulted with stakeholders and architects. Through these efforts, we developed a new, more flexible conceptual model. While we made changes, we ensured they weren't so drastic as to require a completely new product. This approach made the transition less daunting for the team and more feasible given our limited resources.
To build the new experience, we first:
All these steps aimed to adapt and create a design that fit into the current product while accommodating the new concept model.
Alongside the Navigation Foundations, we established another set of rules after research for the design phase, which we called "Experience Foundations."
We referred to the outcome of these exercises as the "Design Vision." This concept guided us in subsequent phases, helped convey the message to the teams involved, set boundaries for dos and don'ts, and outlined the vision for the product's future and upcoming designs.
We initiated a process involving various teams and stakeholders, including product, marketing, and engineering. This process was designed to thoroughly analyze the current product features and the effort needed for each, prioritizing as necessary.
We adopted an adaptive incremental approach to implementation. This approach considered our existing customers and aimed to minimize disruption to their experience and product use.
We began to define more detailed specifications and requirements.
To validate our progress, we initiated an ongoing process with a select group of customers. We kept them informed about design efforts and sought their input on various topics and workflows.
As a design-centric initiative, the UX team played a crucial role in product decisions, including planning and roadmap definition. Our main challenge was breaking down the entire design into implementable components for the engineering team, while accounting for all dependencies in a logical timeline. This was achieved in close collaboration with the Product Managers.
Together, we defined a minimum viable product (MVP) for the solution, categorizing the components into internal and public releases.
As a result of defining this MVP, we could begin designing at a more granular level. We designed end-to-end flows and screens, focusing on each feature individually.
In consideration of the rapidly evolving environment in which our company and product operate, we designed with flexibility in mind. We anticipated that priorities might shift during the design process and implementation.
Consequently, we designed each feature to be interdependent. This approach allows us to adjust the deliverables if the go-to-market strategy changes. Each feature is like a module that can be toggled on or off according to business priorities.
For instance, the "Explorer" feature was originally designed for one purpose, but was ultimately used for another. It could even be made into a standalone product.
The project is currently partially implemented, with efforts expected to extend over a fiscal year.
For successful completion, we anticipate:
At present, it's too soon to gather results for all these metrics and declare the project entirely successful. However, we have observed some positive trends:
While the project remains partially implemented, with efforts spanning a fiscal year, early indicators such as increased sales, stable NPS, and enhanced collaboration between product design and engineering are positive. Although it is premature to announce complete success, these milestones align with our expectations for market expansion and user adoption, indicating promising outcomes.