Element X
Redesigning a legacy app experience
A zero-to-one redesign, improving the experience and performance of our mobile app under a tight 9 month deadline, driving 50% of company revenue.
Problems
Performance: The legacy app was very slow, sometimes not even being able to load information or function
User Experience: Design debt and inconsistencies contributed to a confusing experience with poor accessibility
Technical Roadblocks: Adding new features and any interactions to the app was very difficult due to the ageing architecture
High Cognitive Load: The flows and content were overly complex and full of technical jargon which made using the app difficult for workplace users
Process
Given the aggressive 9-month deadline, the zero-to-one approach helped us reach decisions quickly and get to strategic alignment across our distributed teams. We split the redesign into smaller projects and features, and the process of each one included:
Strategy & Alignment: I started each project with full team kick-offs and set up regular syncs with Product and Engineering to align on technical scope, prioritisation, and design decisions. Buy in from senior leadership was essential and I presented to them regularly
Competitive Benchmarking: I conducted extensive analysis of leading competitors such as Teams and Slack, which was essential to create a familiar and intuitive experience
Rapid Iterations: I managed multiple rounds of design critiques, incorporating feedback from stakeholders and end users to ensure solutions were validated
The Redesign
Core Experiences
Room List & Settings: Redesigned the app’s core screens making sure they feel familiar to iOS and Android users, defaulting to platform native patterns and components
Feature Enhancement
Voice Messages and Location Sharing: Overhauled legacy flows for critical features to meet the specific needs of our new enterprise user base
Compound Design System
Compound: Acted as the key mobile contact for Element’s new design system
Assisted in the creation of core mobile components, icons and platform specific styles
Impact
We successfully delivered a performant, simple, and consistent user experience, eliminating the primary friction points of the legacy app.
The redesign directly contributed to the company's financials, bringing in 50% of Element's total revenue in 2023.