Ricochet360
CRM Platform
About the company
Ricochet360, a cloud-based phone system and CRM platform, enables sales teams to manage their prospects through telemarketing, text, and email marketing—all within a single interface. After a decade in the market, Ricochet360 aimed to scale and expand its user base by focusing on a critical aspect of its product: user experience. While the platform’s features were undeniably robust, its complexity was a significant obstacle for many users, leading to challenges in onboarding and long-term adoption.
The onboarding process, which typically took about a month, became a recurring pain point for administrators and teams. Setting up the system, customizing it to individual workflows, and training users consumed a substantial amount of time. This steep learning curve also posed a retention risk for new customers, as the time investment often felt overwhelming, especially for small to mid-sized teams with limited resources.
Ricochet360 approached Eleken to help address these challenges and create a more intuitive and user-friendly design. My goal was not only to enhance the visual appeal of the platform but also to simplify workflows, reduce cognitive load, and enable users to adopt the system faster.
Uncovering Key Pain Points
To start, I conducted a comprehensive analysis of Ricochet360’s existing platform. I engaged directly with users—both new and experienced—through interviews, feedback sessions, and usability tests.
This process revealed several key issues:
Confusing Navigation: The interface had an overwhelming number of options, with little clarity on where to begin or how to access key features efficiently.
Data Entry Challenges: Inconsistent formatting for fields, such as phone numbers, caused frequent errors and frustration during lead management.
Information Overload: Screens, especially during critical tasks like phone calls, were cluttered with data that wasn’t immediately relevant, making it difficult for users to focus.
Steep Onboarding Curve: The learning curve was amplified by a lack of tooltips, guidance, or clear workflows to help new users understand how to set up and use the platform effectively.
Immediate Improvements for Quick Wins
With a two-month redesign timeline, it was crucial to deliver impactful results quickly. To this end, I identified areas where minor adjustments could lead to significant improvements in usability:
Tooltips for Data Entry: I added context-sensitive tooltips for each field, guiding users on input requirements and ensuring accurate data entry.
Standardized Formats: Consistent field formats were implemented across the platform. For example, phone numbers now followed a standardized format with built-in error detection for invalid entries.
Required Field Indicators: Fields critical to task completion were clearly marked with asterisks, reducing confusion and guesswork for users during data input.
Original version
These quick fixes were implemented early in the redesign process, enabling Ricochet360 to see immediate benefits. User errors decreased, and new users reported feeling more confident in navigating the platform.
Quick improvements
Reimagining User Flows
To address the broader issues of usability and task efficiency, I took a deep dive into the platform’s workflows. The aim was to simplify complex processes by breaking down user journeys into logical, intuitive steps.
Take the “Add a New Lead” workflow as an example:
Prioritizing Key Fields: I reorganized the form to display only the most important fields upfront, such as name, phone number, and email address. Less frequently used fields were hidden under expandable sections, reducing visual clutter.
Logical Grouping: Fields were grouped into meaningful sections, such as "Contact Information," "Lead Source," and "Follow-Up Details," allowing users to navigate the form more easily.
Pop-Up Forms: To improve efficiency, I introduced a pop-up form for adding leads. This allowed users to input new leads without disrupting their current workflow or navigating away from the screen they were on.
Redesigning Critical Screens for Enhanced Usability
As part of the redesign, I focused on the platform’s most frequently used screens. The goal was to ensure these screens were not only visually appealing but also functional, intuitive, and supportive of users’ workflows.
Lead Management Screen
Streamlined Menu: The navigation menu was decluttered, with commonly used actions like “Add a New Lead” placed front and center for easy access.
Reducing Risks: The prominence of the “Delete” button was minimized, and an additional confirmation step was introduced to prevent accidental deletions—a common issue reported by users.
Visual Indicators: I introduced visual cues, such as color coding and icons, to help users quickly differentiate between lead statuses.
Before
After
On-Call Screen
Decluttering the Interface: I removed irrelevant information from the screen to help users focus during phone calls. Only the most critical details, such as the lead’s name, phone number, and call history, were displayed prominently.
Hierarchy of Information: I established a clear visual hierarchy, using font size and spacing to highlight the most important elements and guide users’ attention seamlessly.
Before
After
Results and Impact
The redesign of Ricochet360 focused on simplifying workflows, improving usability, and addressing key pain points identified during the analysis. The updates included restructured user flows, streamlined data entry processes, and redesigned key screens to enhance clarity and accessibility.
The project laid a strong foundation for Ricochet360 to provide a more user-friendly platform, reducing the learning curve for new users and making daily tasks easier to complete. These improvements supported the company’s goal of scaling and expanding its customer base.
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