Reducing Platform Abandonment
Reducing Platform Abandonment
Reducing Platform Abandonment
Reducing Platform Abandonment
Through Simplified UX
Through Simplified UX
Through Simplified UX
Through Simplified UX
Company
Delib.org
Timeline
November 2023 - Now
November 2023 - Now
My Role
UX/UI Designer
UX/UI Designer
Team
1 designer
1 designer
2 developers
2 developers
Overview
Communities are struggling to make decisions together. People don't participate, discussions get polarized. Delib.org helps groups find common ground through a digital consensus-building tool.
Communities are struggling to make decisions together. People don't participate, discussions get polarized. Delib.org helps groups find common ground through a digital consensus-building tool.
How do you help senior community members navigate complex democratic decisions without overwhelming them? Delib.org's platform simplifies group decision-making for non-tech users through systematic design and clear visual hierarchy.
My Contribution
Solo designer on a 3-person team. I rebuilt the entire flow, created two interfaces
(simple for members, powerful for admins), and built a 200+ variable design system.
Ineffective Community Decision-Making
Ineffective Community Decision-Making
Ineffective Community Decision-Making
Business Problem: 12 organizations abandoned the platform due to complexity
Business Problem: 12 organizations abandoned the platform due to complexity
User Problem: Senior community members couldn't navigate the decision flow
User Problem: Senior community members couldn't navigate the decision flow
Design Challenge: We needed to include powerful features while keeping the experience straightforward for everyday users.
Design Challenge: We needed to include powerful features while keeping the experience straightforward for everyday users.
Direct suggestion creation
Users can skip chat and suggest solution directly through the suggestions interface.
Direct suggestion creation
Users can skip chat and suggest solution directly through the suggestions interface.
Direct suggestion creation
Users can skip chat and suggest solution directly through the suggestions interface.
Chat to suggestion conversion
Chat messages become suggestions, but with confusing icons and statistics
Chat to suggestion conversion
Chat messages become suggestions, but with confusing icons and statistics
Chat to suggestion conversion
Chat messages become suggestions, but with confusing icons and statistics
Questions from User Experience Challenges
Questions from User Experience Challenges
Questions from User Experience Challenges
Through research and usability testing sessions with community facilitators, I asked several questions:
Through research and usability testing sessions with community facilitators, I asked several questions:
?
How might we transform a complex decision-making process into a clear, step-by-step journey that doesn't overwhelm users while maintaining the deliberative quality?
How might we transform a complex decision-making process into a clear, step-by-step journey that doesn't overwhelm users while maintaining the deliberative quality?
?
What specific interface elements cause the most confusion for elderly users, and how can we redesign them to be more intuitive without sacrificing functionality?
What specific interface elements cause the most confusion for elderly users, and how can we redesign them to be more intuitive without sacrificing functionality?
?
How can we empower facilitators to guide their communities through structured decision processes better and keep everyone on the same page?
How can we empower facilitators to guide their communities through structured decision processes better and keep everyone on the same page?
Users Research & Usability Testing
Users Research & Usability Testing
After discovering 12 organizations abandoned our platform despite initial interest, I conducted targeted research to understand why.
After discovering 12 organizations abandoned our platform despite initial interest, I conducted targeted research to understand why.
Research Approach:
Given the platform's complexity, I collaborated with our PM to gather insights through multiple methods:
Research Approach:
Given the platform's complexity, I collaborated with our PM to gather insights through multiple methods:
• Observed real community meetings where PM facilitated platform usage while I documented user behavior patterns and pain points in authentic decision-making contexts
• Conducted structured usability sessions via Zoom with facilitators and elderly community members from our research group, analyzing real-time challenges and user interactions
• Conducted structured usability sessions via Zoom with facilitators and elderly community members from our research group, analyzing real-time challenges and user interactions
• Performed post-session analysis collaboratively with PM to translate observations into actionable design improvements
• Performed post-session analysis collaboratively with PM to translate observations into actionable design improvements
This helped me ask ourselves: how can we make the process more intuitive?
This helped me ask ourselves: how can we make the process more intuitive?
Key Research Findings
Key Research Findings
Statistical information overwhelms elderly users
"All these marks and numbers make my head spin. I just want to know the final decision." — User, 75
Statistical information overwhelms elderly users
"All these marks and numbers make my head spin. I just want to know the final decision." — User, 75
Users struggle with context when navigating between sections
"I keep losing my place when moving between pages." — User, 72
Users struggle with context when navigating between sections
"I keep losing my place when moving between pages." — User, 72
Facilitators need better process control tools
"I need more control over the flow to help keep everyone together." — Facilitator
Facilitators need better process control tools
"I need more control over the flow to help keep everyone together." — Facilitator
Decision stages lack clear progression markers
"I started something but have no idea how far along I am or what comes next." — User, 73
Decision stages lack clear progression markers
"I started something but have no idea how far along I am or what comes next." — User, 73
High Level Goals
01
Help communities build consensus through simplified consensus-making processes that maintain inclusivity and effectiveness for all members, regardless of technical ability.
02
Redesign the platform's navigation and interaction patterns to significantly reduce abandonment rates and specifically address the needs of elderly and less tech-savvy users.
Wireframes - Creating question
Wireframes - Creating question
Wireframes - Creating question
Implementations
I redesigned the entire decision-making flow to create a clear, logical progression.
I redesigned the entire decision-making flow to create a clear, logical progression.
Created user-focused wireframes
Created user-focused wireframes
Built interactive prototypes
Built interactive prototypes
I tested every aspect in-house
I tested every aspect in-house
I made improvements based on our team and user feedback
I made improvements based on our team and user feedback
Elderly Support
Suggestions
Current step:
Gather information
Lynda Ernser
Renovating or building multi-purpose community centers
Modernizing K-12 school facilities and resources is vital for student success.
‘Follow’ button - viewing member screen
Elderly Support
Suggestions
Current step:
Gather information
Lynda Ernser
Renovating or building multi-purpose community centers
Modernizing K-12 school facilities and resources is vital for student success.
‘Follow’ button - viewing admin screen
Elderly Support
Suggestions
Current step:
Gather information
Lynda Ernser
Renovating or building multi-purpose community centers
Modernizing K-12 school facilities and resources is vital for student success.
‘Follow’ button - viewing member screen
Elderly Support
Suggestions
Current step:
Gather information
Lynda Ernser
Renovating or building multi-purpose community centers
Modernizing K-12 school facilities and resources is vital for student success.
‘Follow’ button - viewing admin screen
Elderly Support
Suggestions
Current step:
Gather information
Lynda Ernser
Renovating or building multi-purpose community centers
Modernizing K-12 school facilities and resources is vital for student success.
‘Follow’ button - viewing member screen
Elderly Support
Suggestions
Current step:
Gather information
Lynda Ernser
Renovating or building multi-purpose community centers
Modernizing K-12 school facilities and resources is vital for student success.
‘Follow’ button - viewing admin screen
Implementations
Created 'Follow Instructor' feature for non-tech users that helps to stay on the same page by syncing screens with the facilitator
Created 'Follow Instructor' feature for non-tech users that helps to stay on the same page by syncing screens with the facilitator
Creating question
Designed progressive information disclosure to reduce cognitive load.
Creating question
Designed progressive information disclosure to reduce cognitive load.
Creating question
Designed progressive information disclosure to reduce cognitive load.
Evaluation icons
New rating system with simple gray emoji faces for simplicity.
Evaluation icons
New rating system with simple gray emoji faces for simplicity.
Evaluation icons
New rating system with simple gray emoji faces for simplicity.
Accessibility Scale
System Organization
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Decision-Making Colors
Components build base on design sys
Accessibility Scale
System Organization
Vote ends in 30 minutes
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• 2/25 voted • 13 needed for consensus
Vote
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Now 13/25 voted
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Decision-Making Colors
Components build base on design sys
Accessibility Scale
System Organization
Vote ends in 30 minutes
Health tracking
• 2/25 voted • 13 needed for consensus
Vote
Later
Your vote was recorded ✓
Health tracking
Now 13/25 voted
You have a new comment
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Decision-Making Colors
Components build base on design sys
Design system for scale
I developed a comprehensive design system to maintain consistency across complex user workflows:
I developed a comprehensive design system to maintain consistency across complex user workflows:
200+ design variables systematically organized for consistent scaling
200+ design variables systematically organized for consistent scaling
Accessibility compliance with high contrast themes for elderly community members
Accessibility compliance with high contrast themes for elderly community members
Decision stage color coding solving user navigation confusion between process steps
Decision stage color coding solving user navigation confusion between process steps
Responsive design system ensuring readability for senior users on all devices
Responsive design system ensuring readability for senior users on all devices
This design system solved the core challenge of balancing PM feature requirements with senior user accessibility needs, enabling both rapid development and intuitive user experience.
This design system solved the core challenge of balancing PM feature requirements with senior user accessibility needs, enabling both rapid development and intuitive user experience.
Color-Coded Navigation
Blue header indicates active discussions
Blue header indicates active discussions
Yellow header indicates pending decisions
Yellow header indicates pending decisions
Green header shows consensus reached
Green header shows consensus reached
Purple header shows that user navigated to the group
Purple header shows that user navigated to the group
Technical Collaboration
Technical Collaboration
Technical Collaboration
Solo designer with feature-focused PM and 2-developer team — balancing user needs with technical constraints.
Challenge
My designs weren't matching what got built. We were moving too fast with too small a dev team.
How I solved it:
Built two interfaces: dead-simple for members, full-featured for admins
Progressive disclosure: show complex features only when needed
Systematic components: developers could build consistently without constant oversight
High-contrast themes: elderly users could actually see everything
Mapping the entire decision-making flow with our PM to identify simplification opportunities
Mapping the entire decision-making flow with our PM to identify simplification opportunities
Collaborative brainstorming with PM of redesigning confusing decision-making process
Collaborative brainstorming with PM of redesigning confusing decision-making process
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
Navigation clarity
Navigation clarity
Navigation clarity
Facilitators managing elderly users reported the platform became usable where it wasn't before.
The 'follow’ button feature
The 'follow’ button feature
The 'follow’ button feature
The feature that syncs screens with facilitators eliminated the biggest frustration for non-tech users.
Design System Impact
Design System Impact
Design System Impact
Solved technical collaboration —developers could build without constant design supervision.
Returning clients
0
2
Returning clients
0
2
Returning clients
0
2
2 of 12 organizations that abandoned the platform came back after seeing the redesign — 17% recovery rate.
Challenge
Significant gap between Figma designs and coded implementation due to rapid development cycles and limited development capacity.
Solution
Redesigned entire consensus-making flow with simplified UX for senior, non-tech users
My Contribution
Solo designer on a 3-person team. I rebuilt the entire flow, created two interfaces
(simple for members, powerful for admins), and built a 200+ variable design system.
Impact
2 organizations returned after redesign; facilitators called it a "real life saver"
Overview
Design Decisions & Technical Collaboration
Dual-Interface Strategy
Created simplified member experience + powerful admin tools to solve complexity vs. functionality challenge
Progressive Information Disclosure
Replaced overwhelming statistics with step-by-step guidance and visual hierarchy
Color-Coded Navigation System
Blue: Active discussion
Yellow: Not chosen solution suggestion
Green: Consensus reached
Purple: User groups
Key Finding
"All these marks and numbers make my head spin, I just want to know the final decision" - User, 75
Method
I observed user behavior and noted pain points among elderly participants during PM-facilitated usability sessions, capturing their authentic decision-making processes in both on-site and Zoom sessions.
Solution
Eliminated statistical overload, focused on clear decision outcomes
BEFORE
Chat to suggestion conversion
Chat messages become suggestions, but with confusing icons and statistics
BEFORE
Chat to suggestion conversion
Chat messages become suggestions, but with confusing icons and statistics
AFTER
Creating question
Designed progressive information disclosure to reduce cognitive load.
AFTER
Creating question
Designed progressive information disclosure to reduce cognitive load.
Design System Impact
• Responsive design system ensuring readability across devices
• Solved PM-developer collaboration enabling rapid feature development while maintaining UX quality
• High contrast accessibility themes for elderly users
• 200+ design variables systematically organized
Outcomes
Organizations returned to upgrade after redesign
2
0
2
0
Returning clients
Significantly reduced user confusion
Navigation clarity
Clear progression from discussion to consensus
Outcome flow
Facilitators praised as 'real life saver
The 'follow’ button feature
Full detailed view available on desktop