Product Harmony

A leader in the church software market faced a significant challenge: their flagship product had grown through organic development and acquisitions, resulting in a fragmented user experience. Teams worked in silos, leading to misaligned design and development efforts, while the product itself lacked a cohesive vision to drive value for users and the business. To address these issues, the company needed a unified design strategy that could align internal teams and optimize the product to scale effectively, enhance user satisfaction, and increase sales.

The Challenge
The lack of a cohesive design vision created inefficiencies and confusion for both internal teams and end users. Feature teams often worked independently without clear alignment to shared goals, and users struggled with inconsistent navigation and functionality across the product’s various components. The client needed a strategic design effort to unite teams, clarify product direction, and deliver a seamless, engaging user experience.

The Approach
The effort began by building a strong UX community of practice to foster collaboration and elevate the design culture. Weekly UX review meetings and a dedicated Slack workspace became the foundation for open communication and shared learning. This community grew into what executive leadership described as a "standard of excellence" for other departments to emulate.

Recognizing the importance of user-centered design, the client underwent a major reorganization to incorporate an iterative product discovery process. This approach emphasized early-stage collaboration and de-risked product ideas through methods like journey mapping, ideation sessions, and group wireframing. Teams became empowered to focus on feasible, viable, and desirable solutions, with user feedback informing decisions at every step.

To address the fragmented user experience, a comprehensive product experience vision was developed. This vision introduced a global navigation component to unify disparate applications and a centralized product management framework encompassing accounts, profiles, and settings. Improvements to information architecture and labeling were validated through user testing, ensuring the new structure resonated with users. These changes provided clarity and consistency across the product, setting the foundation for future scalability.

The Outcome
The impact of these efforts was transformative. Teams became more aligned and effective, thanks to a clear design vision and a culture of collaboration. The introduction of a unified navigation system and streamlined information architecture created a seamless experience for users, reducing friction and increasing satisfaction.

Business outcomes were equally significant. The cohesive product vision not only energized internal teams but also reinforced user trust, leading to higher engagement and increased sales. Executive leadership’s support of the vision underscored its strategic value, with one VP remarking, “This makes me excited about working on our product again.”

Key Results

• Team Alignment: Established a UX community of practice, creating transparency and fostering collaboration across feature teams.

• Improved User Experience: Delivered a seamless product navigation system validated through user testing, enhancing usability and satisfaction.

• Business Growth: Supported product scalability and drove increased engagement, boosting sales and reinforcing market leadership.

Lessons Learned
This project highlighted the importance of aligning internal teams around a shared design vision. By fostering collaboration, prioritizing user-centered discovery, and delivering thoughtful, validated design solutions, the client was able to transform both its internal processes and its flagship product. The result was not only a better user experience but also stronger business outcomes that will continue to drive success.