AdTech Custom Report Builder
Over the course of 3 quarters, goal was to create a unified utility that allows users the ability to customize, schedule, and integrate multiple data source into a report that generates impactful and actionable data visualizations.
Project overview
Over the course over a couple quarters, I led the business requirement gathering, architecture, user feedback and testing, design, and implementation of a custom reporting tool. Other tasks included testing, beta test plans, version control, user manual and content handling, and other product focused deliverables
process
With AdDaptive, we kicked off a project that was centralized on limited the number of current report pages to create a centralized custom report tool. This was made to give the ability to our users (internal and external) to report on their campaigns in multiple file formats, data sources, and metrics and dimensions.
Main Features
Main core of the features were:
- Line Item Aggregations - being able to give users the ability to combine multiple lines items (or campaigns) in a single report rather than many different ones.
- Customized Date Ranges - This was in the aspect of providing users the ability to custom report schedules and custom data date ranges to provide flexibility to our clients and their reporting needs
- Custom Layout - Users are able to show or hide different metrics and dimensions in whatever visualization they want to create a compelling story to their users.
- Sort and Filter - Users should be able to sort their visuals and filter their data to create a better snapshot of what the users/client’s KPIs are.
User Research/Interviews
We interviewed a few internal and external users to dive into needs and worries within the current reporting system and what they need for their reporting.
We created several strategies.
- Current UI - We established a migration timeline to respect user’s current usage as we introduced a new UI
- Templates - Instead of forcing users to build their reports, users can use: system or user based templates. This was to streamline the report generation process if needed.
- We introduced annotation tools - to allow users the ability leave notes in report in the report building or export process.
UI Values
Being the principal designer for platform, I worked with three main set of values in my UI strategy. They are:
- Scalability - Introduce flexible user interface elements that can scale up as client’s needs/base scales up
- Customization - I wanted to empower users to tell a story with the data. Highlight client specific values when it comes to their campaigns and promote valuable insights.
- Versioning - In order to stay competitive we wanted to establish our MVP (Minimum Viable Product) but also an MUP (Miniable Usable Product) at the same time. I worked closely with stakeholders on evaluating features ideas and worked tirelessly to avoid feature creep and work in an agile manner.
User Roles
Instead of personas, I went with real life use cases and applied to roles that would be using their roles. The main users were:
- An account manager who needs to aggregate her data and be able to use her custom template for multiple clients.
- An admin user who needs to compare and contrast data and add custom annotations and findings
- An agency client who needs reporting on his clients at a highly custom approach
- A non-technical user who does not want to customize her reports just wants to know how her campaign is doing.
All of users needs were taken into consideration, mocked up, and highlighted in major stakeholder reviews with a clickable prototype.
Design and UX
User Testing
After initial designs were done: a multitude of users were recruited in order to make sure the design solution was comprehensive, usable, and intuitive. I wanted to mainly make sure the label denoted what each action meant.
Users overall found it pleasing and a major enhancement to the current reporting system. Some key areas we addressed based on research was text was small and could be confusing at time.
Average times for 10 participants for our tasks of setting up a report was 18 seconds (consisting of 8 subtasks and comprehension questions) Users were able to find the right UI and make the most informed data choices in the prototype.
Architecture
I architected the website to respect old architecture methods and the sunset of the old reporting system.
deliverables
Design and UI Strategy
Templates
Template are the prescreen to the workflow, users can choose:
- User Saved Templates - Those that the user made for Clients
- Default Reports - The go-to industry system templates that are applied universally
- Blank Report - To be able to build their report from the ground up.
Form
The form is architected to be the next screen. This screen doesn’t house any Custom reporting but has the required fields in order to get a report going. This decision was made to respect users who want to set up a report fast and not customize any visually or filter any data.
Users need to: select their data source, their schedule and the methods and schedule of delivery.
Customize
Customize was centered around a side bar and a preview field. Due to technical limitations, users saw placeholder data that served as a guide to anticipate how the report would look.
Users could sort, delete, and edit any metrics. They could also use a full text editor and duplicate widgets.
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Informative Sidebar
The sidebar was structured as a “waterfall” approach. As a setting could release multiple settings that were strategically placed below the user to not disjoint or disorient their workflow.
Preview Page
If users wanted to see how their data looks in real life or use an existing report as a “ temperature check” of their current campaign progression, we created a page for that.
One Click Report - We created another ease of use workflow to allow user to generate “reports” on the fly if they just wanted to see how a particular campaign is doing without using the report builder.
From this screen, if users wanted to schedule a report. We created a “ Create Report” button that with bring them into the report builder workflow (with their line item already selected)
Micro-interactions
I spent a long looking at the small details to ensure easier and smarter UI. This included “small wins” that streamlined the process including:
- Dynamic Placeholder Text - Name of items and widgets generate based on data settings
- Hot keys
- Click and drag features
- Data Locking - If someone accidentally deletes a data source with a widget associated
- Data Issues Internal Only Communication
Usage Data and Future Features
After release, we watched as user adoptions and session duration were recorded with a usage reports of final reports and analytics. Some results that yielded were:
- Faster Report Set Up Time. Report Set Up Time was reduced by 40%
- Offhand reporting helpdesk tickets Reduced by 77% as users were able to customize their report easily
- Larger client wins. Sales had an easier time with custom reporting and selling it as the feature supported multiple use cases.
- Design needs and enhancements were streamlined with an established component library and set of scalable plugins.
Future Features
Report Builder was one of the first projects to hit its timeline due to the methodology of version control. All conversations and product management was dealt through me. As we rolled out the release version of report builder, we created version 2 and 3 roadmaps.
New features allowed users to:
- Send a report to a third party bucket.
- Whitelabel or custom brand their report)
- Generate multiple individual reports from one report
- Generate dynamic and relative data date ranges
- Filter each widget by metric and dimension
- And many more...
More Formalize Case Study Coming Soon
Check out some documentation focused on Insight Studio here: