At Alida, I was part of a team working to level up how we manage and visualize customer experience data. Our goal? To give UX researchers and other stakeholders the tools they need to explore insights easily and share them in a meaningful way.
We created a dynamic workspace where users could filter, sort, and focus on just the data that mattered most before bringing it into their dashboards. This made the whole process faster and more efficient, while also giving users the flexibility to build visualizations that really spoke to their specific goals.
For many of Alida’s customers, dealing with large amounts of data can be overwhelming. They needed a smarter, more flexible way to explore their data something interactive that let them focus only on what really mattered, without slowing down the system.
One of the big challenges we tackled was bringing together data from different products into one smooth, intuitive platform. It had to feel seamless, support quick drill-downs, and be easy to navigate. On top of that, it needed to be flexible users wanted to tailor their dashboards to fit their unique needs, without sacrificing speed or simplicity.
Role
As a Lead Designer for this project I worked with researchers, product managers, developers and some customers.
Deliverables
Wireframes, Information architecture, High-fidelity mocks, Prototype
When tackling this project, I knew the biggest challenge was bringing together data from multiple products into one page. It had to be powerful yet simple, giving users the ability to drill down into details quickly while keeping things configurable and easy to use. Here’s how I approached it step by step:
I started by talking to stakeholders, data analysts, and end-users to get a real sense of their frustrations. What I heard was clear:
Data was scattered across different tools, making it difficult to analyze in one place.
Existing dashboards were either too complex or lacked the flexibility users needed.
Users wanted fast access to relevant insights without getting lost in an overload of data.To back up these insights, I looked at competitor dashboards, analyzed user behavior data, and pinpointed exactly where friction existed. (Critical User Journeys)
After interviewing some customers I got some inside:
- Most of the Analytics products are too complicated to use. Insight
- Most Market Researchers are not willing to learn a new tool.
- The terminology in those products is too complicated to understand.
- Users want something easy to create a basic dashboard.
I used the Double Diamond framework to guide us through the design process
Once I understood the problem, I moved on to structuring the information.
I mapped out:
How different datasets should connect for a smooth experience.
Navigation flows that allowed users to drill down into details without confusion.The best way to organize filters, search, and customization options so users could tailor their view.
At this stage, I sketched rough user flows and site maps, ensuring that users wouldn’t feel overwhelmed or lost in data.
I jumped into Figma and started building low-fidelity wireframes. My goal? Clarity first, aesthetics later.
I laid out different dashboard structures to see which provided the best balance of overview vs. detail.
I designed interactive prototypes to test drill-down functionality and filtering in real time.I brought in users early for quick usability testing, which saved us from major design overhauls later.
Making It Beautiful & Functional
Once we had a solid design, I ran real-world unmoderated and moderate usability tests. I asked users to:
- Build a custom dashboard from scratch.
- Use the drill-down feature to find specific insights.
- Apply filters and manipulate the data.
Some things worked great, but other areas needed tweaking
Issue: Some users felt confused with the Drag-and-Drop.
Solution: I simplified the UI, introducing a checkmark to select the data.
Issue: Drill-down navigation wasn’t always intuitive.
Solution: I refined micro-interactions and added breadcrumbs for better orientation.
These tweaks made the dashboard feel effortless to use while still giving power users full control.
Learning & Improving
After launch, I kept a close eye on user feedback and analytics:
How were users interacting with the dashboard?
Were they finding insights faster than before?
What pain points still remained?
Based on this, I proposed future improvements, including faster data processing optimizations and more intuitive customization options.
This project reinforced one big lesson for me: the best dashboards don’t just present data, they make it effortless to explore and understand.
By focusing on usability, clarity we built a solution that allowed users to take control of their data without getting overwhelmed.
