Exact Target & Marketing Cloud Unification
A UX Makeover
Project Overview
Client: Salesforce
Duration: 6 Months
Team: Product Manager, Engineers, Design, UXR, and myself
Objective: To transition Exact Target's UI into Salesforce Lightening UI and create a storybook of LWC for the dev team to use.
The Challenge
We purchased Exact Target and the UI looked nothing like Lightening UI. We needed to give Exact Target a full Lightening UI makeover.
That was the initial ask, but then we had a bit of scope creep around integrating Exact Target's Journey Builder into Marketing Cloud.
The Approach
Navigating the complex integration of ExactTarget's marketing software into Salesforce's Marketing Cloud was a complex problem as we had to start from scratch with a design system that was till being developed.
My responsibilities included strategic planning, user research, interface design, high fidelity designs and prototypes, and ensuring alignment with business objectives.
I did a lot of negotiating with a lot of people. to make sure that expectations were set and agreed upon, and outputs were clearly identified.
Discovery / Design
We began with a comprehensive analysis of ExactTarget and Salesforce's Marketing Cloud, examining their technical stacks, user interfaces, and features.
Collaborating with product strategists, we mapped features, identified overlaps, and assessed gaps to inform our integration strategy.
User research, including usability testing and interviews, provided valuable insights into user needs, guiding our integration roadmap.
We then set to auditing the systems to understand the overlaps and deficits.
We needed to not only convert the current exact target UI library, but also it's design system as a whole.
Our multi-tiered roadmap structured the integration process:
We had a solid plan, and we wanted to ensure that the transition to Lightening, and LWC would be as smooth as possible.
We also went about creating a LWC library with the dev team that would be the single source of truth for any future builds.
We created trainings around the new library and guidelines to socialize the info to the dev, business, and other design teams.
This helped to take a lot of pressure off the devs and makes building the front end much easier and faster for desingers too.
Research
Using qualitative and quantitative data from Salesforce and ExactTarget, we conducted heuristic evaluations, user interviews, and A/B testing to inform design decisions for the transition.
We also did tests with the dev team to see if there were going to be any issues stacking the new UI elements on top of the current infrastructure.
We mapped out the data architecture and then looked into any issues with API calls that could get impacted by the new UI.
Close collaboration between UX designers and technical teams ensured a seamless integration, with usability testing guiding iterative refinements.
On Transition
Conclusion & Next Steps
The successful integration of ExactTarget into Salesforce's Marketing Cloud showcased the power of collaboration between UX design, product strategy, and technical teams for a design system transition.
Prioritizing efficient use of LWC, leveraging iterative testing, and fostering close collaboration, we bridged technological gaps to deliver a unified, user-centric experience.
This integration not only met technical requirements but also set a precedent for future enhancements, highlighting the importance of high fidelity prototypes and iterative design in complex projects.
Let's see how I
can help you
I was able to help Salesforce
I helped to make over the Exact Target experience to blend in seamlessly with the current Marketing Cloud experience. What can I do for you?
"Their strategic insights made Dreamforce looked & worked better."
"He always brought good ideas and a collaborative spirit."
"He was a dream to work with, i miss him!"
"Jon always provided us professional work."
