Revamping Themes at ReviewTrackers

ReviewTrackers (RT) is a reputation management solution designed to help businesses enhance their online presence and improve the customer experience.

One standout feature is the Ask Tool, which allows businesses to gather reviews and feedback through various channels such as emails, texts, web links, and QR codes. These channels lead customers to specific landing pages where they can leave a review or fill out a survey.

Before the recent update, ReviewTrackers offered one-size-fits-all theme customization. Clients could upload their logo and choose their color scheme, which was then applied universally across all customer-facing pages for every location.

While this approach was effective for businesses managing a single brand across multiple locations, it posed a significant hurdle for those overseeing multiple brands.

The core issue for these multi-brand accounts is centered on brand integrity and consumer trust. Pages with inconsistent or unfamiliar branding discourage customer interaction and ultimately hurt the conversion rate.

 Therefore, our primary objective for the new feature was to enable users to brand their consumer-facing pages according to each location’s distinct brand guidelines. The aim is to foster a cohesive brand experience, thereby increasing page conversion rates and amplifying the overall value that ReviewTrackers delivers to its clientele.

To kick things off, I dug into our existing customer interview notes to uncover not just what our users wanted but why they wanted it. Understanding the 'why' was crucial for developing a feature that solved a real need.

To dive even deeper into user requirements, I analyzed the variety of branding across our customer base. This led me to classify our customers into three distinct categories: single-brand, multi-brand, and hybrid accounts. With these personas in mind, I aimed to create a feature that would be inclusive and meet the diverse needs of these groups.

As I began to consider the information architecture of the Themes feature in relation to the greater ReviewTrackers platform, an opportunity presented itself. Initially, the feature was planned to be positioned inside the Ask Tool settings. This was an obvious choice since themes would only impact Ask Tool assets.

However, I soon realized that by positioning the Themes feature within our global app settings, it would allow it to be applied to features beyond just the Ask Tool. This more global placement would not only solve our users' current pain points but also provide a foundation for future customization across other consumer-facing assets within other features of the RT platform.

After deciding on the feature's location within the app, I turned my focus to the design of the actual feature. The objective was straightforward: make it easy for all types of accounts—single-brand, multi-brand, and hybrid—to customize their consumer-facing pages effortlessly.

To do this, I treated themes like objects that housed various theme properties. Users could create multiple themes and populate them with relevant branding details like logos and color schemes. These themes could then be assigned to specific locations, a set of locations, or all locations. When applied, the consumer-facing pages would automatically inherit the branding elements defined in these themes.

This architecture ensured that whether our users were managing a single brand or multiple brands across different locations, customizing their consumer-facing assets was simple and efficient.

To start exploring visual design concepts, I started by creating wireframes in FigJam amongst my ideation notes. While FigJam is excellent for rapid brainstorming and fleshing out ideas, I find that it falls short when sharing these early designs with team members who might not fully grasp the visual intent. Working in low fidelity at this stage allows for quick iteration without getting bogged down by finer design details, setting the stage for a more polished, high-fidelity version down the line.

The location of the theme feature went through several iterations during the design process. Initially, I considered embedding it in the Ask Tool's customization settings. However, the logistical complexities of theme assignments to different locations prompted a change: I shifted the theme feature to the global settings page.

Once committed to this new placement, the question became where exactly it should reside. While creating a dedicated "Themes" page within the settings was an option, I ultimately decided to integrate it into the existing "Location Settings" page to leverage existing functionality and minimize the scope.

By nesting the themes feature in the Locations settings, we simplified the theme creation and application process, keeping it closely tied to existing location-based functionalities.

In evaluating the optimal placement for the themes feature, two primary design architectures were considered: full-page and side-sheet layouts. Although full-page designs provided expansive space, they disrupted user workflow by requiring frequent page changes for theme exploration.

Conversely, the side-sheet approach permitted contextual editing, maintaining user engagement with the theme gallery and thus enhancing workflow efficiency. This design decision not only reduced cognitive load but also contributed to a more streamlined user experience.

When it came to the mechanics of assigning themes to locations, initial designs included a button-triggered modal for theme application. However, this approach expanded the user's mental model and required a context shift, disrupting the overall workflow.

Recognizing that users might frequently apply themes, a dropdown was ultimately selected as the method for theme assignment. This inline interaction keeps the user within the current context, minimizing cognitive load and enhancing the user experience by preventing disruptive navigational shifts.