Sellers
Admins
PlentyONE Project
This project aims to improve the user experience of the messenger UI used for communicating internally with the team and also by to communicate with the customers. Goal was to identifying frequently used actions, reducing unnecessary clicks, and streamlining layout and feature access.
Problem
Over time, the messenger UI evolved into a cluttered, feature-heavy interface with long workflows and hidden actions, frustrating users and slowing down their daily tasks.
Solution
Using in-depth UX research initiative combining user surveys, stakeholder interviews, competitor benchmarking, and feature usage analytics. This helped us uncover what truly hindered usability. Based on these insights, we proposed a new UI strategy focused on:
Surfacing frequently used features like “Set Type/Status” and “Done” actions
Reducing unnecessary clicks by enabling inline editing
Improving visual clarity and layout flexibility
De-prioritizing rarely used features to reduce clutter
This research-driven approach laid the foundation for a cleaner, more intuitive, and task-focused messenger experience.
Primary Research
To deeply understand user frustrations and validate our assumptions, we adopted a mixed-method research strategy:
Methods Used
Surveys: Gathered responses from 15 users to uncover pain points and feature preferences
Stakeholder Interviews: Aligned on business goals, legacy system advantages, and expectations
Competitive Analysis: Compared our messenger against Freshdesk, Hubspot, and Greyhound
Behavioral Data (New Relic): Analyzed feature usage patterns to differentiate essential from redundant actions
Task Flow Review: Mapped out common workflows to identify inefficiencies
Research Goals
Identify the core pain points in messenger workflows
Understand which features are most used and must be prioritized
Benchmark usability against competitors
Define what simplicity means for our users (hint: fewer steps, not fewer features)
Key Insights
Feature Overload Wasn’t the Core Problem
Users weren’t overwhelmed by the number of features, but by how inefficiently those features were organized.
Frequent Tasks Were Hard to Access
The most used actions—like Set Type/Status, Reply, Assign Owner, Search Filters, and Bookmarking—were buried in deep menus or required multiple clicks.Inline Editing Was a Top Ask
Users wanted to edit tags, status, and type directly from the overview without clicking “Edit” first.Message Window Was Too Small
Users couldn’t easily read and reply to messages, especially while multitasking.Performance Issues Impacted Workflow
Delays in loading and changing message views led to productivity loss, especially when handling high volumes.Competitors Had Cleaner, More Hierarchical UIs
Tools like Freshdesk provided better prioritization, visual hierarchy, and faster task execution.
Why this issue is important?
According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, swiss seniors are rising because to the low birth rate and long life expectancy. Therefore, it is important to prioritize care for the elderly due to their large population.
Design Goals
Based on the pain points and research findings, our main goals for redesigning the Messenger UI were:
Make frequently used actions (like setting type/status and marking messages as done) directly accessible—no more deep menu digging.
Enable inline editing to improve task speed and reduce friction.
Declutter the interface by deprioritizing rarely used actions like Whisper Mode or Contact Notes.
Increase layout flexibility by allowing message panel resizing and improving message readability.
Reduce the number of clicks and boost navigation efficiency for high-volume message handling.
Key Design Decisions
Inline Table Editing
Enabled users to edit tags, status, and message type directly from the overview table—cutting out multiple steps.
Reorganized Filter Bar
Prioritized commonly used filters like Inbox and Bookmarked at the top. Lesser-used filters were moved lower or hidden.Visible Primary Actions
Pulled actions like Set Type and Status and Mark as Done out of the context menu and placed them directly in the message overview.Resizing Flexibility
Introduced adjustable panels so users can expand the message reading window without losing visibility of other threads.Simplified UI Structure
Rarely used buttons like Whisper Mode, More Options, and Pinned Conversations were either hidden or minimized to declutter the view.
Visual Design
Hypothesis
As new features were continuously added to the Messenger UI, the interface became cluttered and unintuitive. We assumed users were overwhelmed due to feature overload. However, research revealed that users were actually struggling with inefficient access to frequently used actions, not the volume of features. The real issue was poor layout, excessive steps, and buried interactions.
Pain Points
Users needed multiple clicks to perform the most basic actions like changing a message's type, setting status, or marking as done.
The message reading area was too small, limiting multitasking and usability.
Users wanted inline editing to streamline high-frequency tasks.
Performance issues and slow response times created friction in high-volume workflows.
Many still preferred the older ticket system due to its simplicity and clarity.
Using HMW to conceptualize Ideas
HMW reduce the number of steps for completing common tasks like setting message status or replying?
HMW bring back the simplicity of the old ticketing system while retaining modern functionality?
HMW prioritize most-used actions and de-prioritize underused features in the layout?
HMW make the UI scalable for both power users and casual users?
