Report Manager
Redesigned and tested a reporting solution for an LMS, enabling scheduled report delivery.
Problem
1. Report format was outdated and not accessible
We needed a new reporting solution for our LMS as the current one was outdated, not user-friendly, and limited user control. The tables were difficult to navigate, lacked accessibility, and had no ability to filter data. Therefore, we aimed to enhance the user experience by improving the reporting tool and moving it closer to its desired state.
The report filters were located at the bottom of the data table in a separate section, making them hard to locate and impossible to adjust directly. To modify the table data, users had to click on an "Edit Filters" button and then go back to the previous step.
2. Report creation was unintuitive
The legacy report builder used a form format that required users to interact with menus to see available choices. Additionally, the report filters were separate from the data, forcing users to guess how their selections would impact the final report. To make any edits, users had to return to the report builder screen and repeat the process. This unintuitive flow significantly increased the cognitive load on users.
3. Report scheduling lacked flexibility
When user were ready to schedule their report, they had to save the report, navigate to a list of saved reports, and then choose between a few unlabeled icons to determine which one directed them to report scheduling. Finally once there, they could schedule the report to run monthly or weekly but it still lacked the ability to choose a time or any other cadence.
Problem Statement
How might we streamline the workflow for users and reduce cognitive load by improving the report creation and scheduling process?
Proposed Solution
Throughout the design process, our design system components were still in development, requiring several iterations that incorporated both new and older components. Many of my designs introduced new workflows and components, necessitating A/B testing on our prototypes to ensure we understood their impact on usability and to gather feedback on the UI's look and feel.
My proposed designs evolved to include content creation, content management, and user management flows explored in earlier Design Jams with my team. I developed a pattern, utilizing a tabbed structure and a "Review & Publish" page, that I hypothesized would work across different content types on the platform. This approach allowed users to preview their content before publishing. The reporting workflow could influence how we create consistency across the platform, strengthening our credibility as a reliable, modern platform and improving the overall user experience.
1. Report Manager
The initial report manager design included only one list of scheduled reports. However, I identified the need to enhance this feature by adding two additional tabs: "Saved Reports" and "Received Reports". During testing, users expressed concerns about the inability to create reports for one-off occasions or to opt out of scheduling reports. This feedback led to the development of the "Saved Reports" tab, a feature familiar to users from our legacy version. Furthermore, users faced a challenge in accessing reports sent to them, as they could only do so through the original email. To address this issue, I introduced the "Received Reports" tab within the report manager. This tab serves as the sole page visible to base users who lack report creation privileges.
2. Report Builder
The new report builder allows users to select their report type and name their report, creating a draft until they are ready to publish. There are four tabs to guide users through adding content, scheduling, and configuring settings for their report: "Properties," "Filters," "Schedule," and "Review & Publish." In the "Filters" tab, users can preview and filter their report directly within the builder. Filters can be expanded or collapsed out of view, and the preview provides the first 500 results to help users decide which data to display, updating live. Users can also hide and show columns, which will be reflected in the delivered report—unlike the previous version, where all columns had to be exported. The "Schedule" tab offers added flexibility with the introduction of weekly and yearly settings, in addition to the daily and monthly options from the legacy version.
3. Error handling
An issue that we ran into during development was that reports would sometimes fail or be unable to be scheduled due to the report size being too large. We added an alert banner in addition to a status chip in the table that would alert users to errors and how to fix them. The banner would persist on all pages with the option to dismiss it until the report was updated.
4. Manage Recipients
We went through a couple of versions that either had the recipient management within the report builder or as an external function, as seen in other content areas. For testing, we proceeded with the version outside of the report builder so that we could see if this workflow was intuitive or not. Users were able to view and filter the list of users and toggle between current recipients and those available for assignment, which the previous version lacked.
Findings & Next Steps
We have been conducting A/B tests to validate new design system components and to understand how significant workflow changes impact users, especially during the transition from the legacy reporting tool to the future design.
Summary Table of Insights, Findings, and Recommendations
Theme | Finding | Recommendation | Severity Rating |
Feature Utilization | 'Next Run' and 'Status' columns are beneficial but need better sorting/ filtering | Implement advanced sorting/filtering functionalities | Moderate |
User Preferences | Need for detailed control over report parameters and intuitive filtering options | Enhance the Filters tab with more specific filtering options | High |
Scheduling and Navigation | Users need flexible scheduling and intuitive navigation | Ensure scheduling system handles variable dates; streamline navigation process | High |
Overall Experience | Mixed usability impressions; terminology needs to align with user expectations | Improve visual design and clarify terminology | Moderate |
Feedback Integration | Preference for integrated recipient management within the setup flow | Integrate recipient management and editing within report setup flow; add confirmation steps | High |
Design Comparisons | Mixed preferences for prototypes; potential improvements identified | Combine best features of both prototypes; address usability issues | Moderate |
So far, feedback has been positive overall, but we have had to make several adjustments, including refining copy for settings, adding additional report columns, updating status chips, and incorporating tabs into the Report Manager. Next steps include continuing to iterate on reports based on these findings by our UX Researcher and conducting more testing of new filter designs in other content areas. Additionally, we will need to continue refining the user management flows, both within reporting and other content areas, to eventually include the ability to add User Groups and to have a unified user management experience across the platform.
I have truly enjoyed working on this project and hearing first-hand accounts from our users on how we can continue to make their jobs easier.
Background
At this company, many administrative tasks, including reporting, rely heavily on efficient data and user management. To simplify users' jobs, our new reporting solution needed to retain key features from legacy reports while becoming more user-friendly and aligning with our target architecture.
My UX partner initiated explorations to modernize our designs and tested them with Beta customers. Building on that feedback, I developed a new workflow for report creation, management, and recipient handling, inspired by my previous work on content management with my team. Historically, work here was done in silos with inconsistent designs, so it was crucial to create a scalable, consistent solution that could extend beyond reporting.
Stakeholders
Product Manger, Software Engineers, Test Engineers, UX Researcher, UX Designers
Role
Lead UX Designer