Streamlining (AdTech) Feature Implementation Through CloudGeometry UX Decisional Design 

Innovation is hard; introducing changes in user experience and user-facing features is especially so. Every attempt at innovation faces two kinds of costs: the direct costs of each iteration and the lurking cost of failure. 

Establishing processes to guide innovation is necessary but not sufficient. The process itself is often messy and iterative in practice. Setbacks and course corrections are unavoidable. 

At CloudGeometry, we regularly deal with future-facing projects and ideas. Our clients vary in innovation styles and appetite for risk for risk. They run the gamut from very slow, measured substeps in feature evolution to companies expanding to new lines of business or pivoting ones. Our duty, as experts, is to minimize the cost of failure by assessing probabilities and managing the risk. A crucial component of our approach is the CloudGeometry  UX Decisional Design Process.

The importance of the process

UX Decisional Design addresses two clear goals: (a) to set a clear product and technical roadmap for future implementation and (b) to significantly reduce the cost of failure before heavy resources are invested in the wrong direction. 

When exploring new solutions, companies must carefully balance business objectives with user experience. Product decisions should not only consider metrics like costs or timelines but also how changes impact users.

Data is never optional. Raw data rarely suffices; additional analyses with a different angle are helpful. Leveraging existing analytics and customer data provides valuable context for decisions backed by additional qualitative and quantitative research.

An important note of caution is in order, specific to user experience testing: everyone is a user. Stakeholders often bring intuition and anecdotes to the process. But bear in mind: the plural of anecdote is not data. 

The main stages of the UX Decisional Design Process 

The key stages of the decisional design process are described in further detail below.

  • Need: Understand client needs
  • Strategy: Plan based on client goals
  • Research: Gather data and insights
  • Analysis: Deep dive into data
  • Ideation: Generate innovative ideas
  • User Testing: Validate features
  • Implementation: Agile development
  • Continuous Improvement (CI): Ongoing optimization

Need

To understand the "Why" before embarking on feature development, we conduct initial discussions with key stakeholders to ascertain their needs and challenges. The goal is to bring what data is available to help understand what's behind the approach to a particular feature. This preliminary step ensures that both parties are aligned and that the project starts on a solid foundation before any significant investment is made. 

Strategy

The Strategy phase is a cornerstone of the CloudGeometry UX Decisional Design. It begins with a direct question to the client about the types of issues they are trying to resolve: new business requirements, feature improvements, or problem-solving within the product – plus insights from relevant departments. We compute probabilities and consider technical complexity and business uncertainty to lay the groundwork for subsequent steps.

Research

If the client lacks sufficient data, a dedicated research sprint is initiated. This phase involves CloudGeometry's Business Analyst team consulting with both the customer team and technical leads – both on the client side and CloudGeometry's own technical team. The goal is to provide foundational studies that validate the strategy and offer initial thoughts on platform scalability, existing trusted technology, feature adoption, and expected outcomes.

"We need to make use of Data. We better understand our customers and their needs, enabling us to make better decisions" - Caroline F.,  project manager at client company.

Analysis

Analysis doubles down on earlier research. It involves a deep dive into the data gathered from the research phase, A/B testing, user interviews, and simulations. The aim is to understand the limitations of the current environment while also identifying opportunities for further development. This analysis is crucial for making data-driven decisions and for prioritizing features based on their impact and feasibility.

Ideation

In cases where the client lacks user validation, a brainstorming session is held. It involves client stakeholders and CloudGeometry's UI/UX team. The ideation phase is not just about generating ideas; it's about envisioning solutions that are both innovative and practical. Mockups and prototypes are often used at this stage to visualize potential features. It also provides a roadmap to possible technical realization options and sets the tone for the overall development effort needed. 

User Testing

Before any feature goes into implementation, it undergoes rigorous testing. CloudGeometry's Customer Satisfaction teams conduct various tests to validate the new features, ensuring they meet user expectations and business objectives. 

We also emphasize thorough accessibility and usability testing in our regular validation process. Inclusion is a cornerstone of our design principles, and we strive to achieve a Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA rating as the baseline for all our projects. These guidelines focus on making digital content accessible to individuals with disabilities. For projects requiring higher levels of usability, we ratchet up to WCAG Level AAA rating, demonstrating our commitment to surpassing accessibility standards.

"Sometimes, going back and forth between those phases is required. But given our Agile DNA, we take to the core the "Fail Fast" principle." -  Alex M., CloudGeometry Program Manager

Implementation

Features are implemented through Agile sprints or by conducting Proof of Concepts (POC) for deeper insights. This phase is critical as it brings all the prior work to fruition. Implementing the features chosen for the customer described above is currently done by 8-10 specialized project teams coordinated in a Scrum of Scrums manner, ensuring the process is scalable and efficient. 

Even if a particular feature that needs to be implemented is considered less complex, and teams are asked to develop it without going through all the above phases, we still manage to put things in perspective and focus everyone on key questions that make us consistent with the decisions we are making.

Continuous Improvement (CI)

It's a given that technology evolves rapidly. Every implemented feature undergoes a review focused on continuous, forward-looking UX improvements. We always look for new data and new insights on how users are using the platform and application stack to learn what else they require. This drives the cycle back to the Research phase for further optimization, ensuring that the product always aligns with user needs and market trends.

"The review phase ensures we are always improving, always optimizing. It's an ongoing benefit for us and keeps us one step ahead in the digital landscape," -  Sam G., Senior Project Manager, decision-maker at the client company.

Putting Decisional Design into Practice

Over the years, we have gained valuable experience specific to the fast-moving  Ad Tech market, working with a number of clients on platforms built in cloud-native and complex environments. While industry knowledge is an asset, the methodology and process described here apply to many other sectors.

Our client, a large telecommunications company in the US, was experiencing rapid growth as they aggressively acquired new customers. However, managing customer experiences across their expanding advertising campaigns was becoming increasingly challenging without the proper technology foundations in place. With customer satisfaction and retention at stake, they needed a partner who could help streamline their development processes better to meet the needs of their booming customer base. 

Challenge

Despite using the Agile methodology and multiple specialized teams across the organization, feature implementation's speed and efficiency remained inconsistent or could not be replicated with all new client requirements. The goal was to achieve a consistent cross-organizational rhythm of innovation and to cope with the company's business strategy while maintaining budgetary frames set by the CFO. 

The Product Development team set out to identify improvements that could address inconsistencies essential for achieving Operational Excellence.

Methodology

The CloudGeometry team kicked things off by conducting in-depth interviews with various departments at the client to truly understand their pain points and vision. This helped establish a solid strategic foundation before development began. We then dove deep into analyzing the client's data to identify opportunities and priorities. Throughout multiple iterative sprints, CloudGeometry's dedicated teams of engineers worked diligently to bring ideas to life while also gathering user feedback to refine solutions. There were certainly challenges along the way, but the CloudGeometry team demonstrated flexibility, creativity in overcoming obstacles, and a relentless focus on the client's needs.

Result

The new features streamlined end-to-end processes for improved customer service. Product delivery metrics showed a 25% acceleration in time-to-market and a 40% increase in customer satisfaction scores. Most importantly,  product development stakeholders at our client felt empowered with a data-driven platform that could continuously evolve at a pace that matched the competitive challenges of their business and marketplace. 

"CloudGeometry's approach was a game-changer. Their initial analyses helped us strategically choose features and prioritize their implementation. It's so powerful to make decisions based on data. And the CG UX process enables us to do just that. It's amazing to see how our customers now report a 40% increase in satisfaction with our platform and faster adoption of the features," - Rod S.,  C-level product executive and engagement champion.

Conclusion

CloudGeometry's adoption of the CG UX UX Decisional Design has set a new standard for excellence in ad tech platform development. By involving the client in every step, the process is not only streamlining feature development and empowering the teams to deploy features in production with a measurable time and resources cost efficiency but also sets a foundation for the future development of the business based on a positive user experience and feedback.