Architecting for simplicity and meaning amidst information chaos Shopify Reports: A case study

Oh hey...

@virginiastart@_kyleaparker

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Spring in Ottawa

1. Layer in complexity

2. Integrate design, content, and research

3. Embrace vulnerability

Today we’re going to talk about how to...

What is Shopify?

What is Shopify reports?

Disconnect between tasks and data

Bad data visualizations

It had to be approachable

How do you design business reporting for 243,000+ merchants?

1. Layer in complexity

2. Integrate design, content, and research

3. Embrace vulnerability

Figure out what information you’re dealing with

Business processes Store Channel Product Variant Customer Address

Engagement ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Carts ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Checkouts ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Sales ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Payments ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Taxes ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Gift cards ✓ ✓

Conversion ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

The bus matrix

Define your information objects

Sales

Customers

Traffic

Products

See what else is out there

Do just enough mapping

Store performance

Business operations

How much did my store make this week?

I need to do my taxes.

Define and prioritize tasks

Shopify reports

Keep track of your project truisms

Do the hard work for our merchants

Are organized by merchant task

Can be saved and favourited

Etc.

Get out of the office

Eureka!

Think big, start small

Take one piece and make it your baby

Don’t pull the rug out from under your users

“Everything changed on the day of the new design’s launch. All of a sudden, everyone’s current knowledge was shifted back–almost to the point of a brand new employee.”

- Jared Spool

Before After

Implement in increments

Be scrappy!

To layer in complexity:

✓ Figure out what information you’re

dealing with

✓ Define and prioritize tasks

✓ Think big, start small

1. Layer in complexity

2. Integrate design, content, and research

3. Embrace vulnerability

Include everyone from the beginning

Become experts together

Become experts together

Become experts together

Learn about your users together

Let content lead the way

Content first!

Don’t get trapped in discipline silos

Keep other teams close

To integrate design, content, and research:

✓ Include everyone from the beginning

✓ Let content lead the way

✓ Break out of discipline silos

1. Layer in complexity

2. Integrate design, content, and research

3. Embrace vulnerability

“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.”

- Brené Brown

Show off your work (even if you think it sucks)

Show your work early and often

Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable

Hold team health checks

Share honest feedback

Don’t gloss over the prickly bits

To embrace vulnerability:

✓ Show off your work

✓ Check in with your team often and

honestly

1. Layer in complexity

2. Integrate design, content, and research

3. Embrace vulnerability

Today we talked about how to...

Thanks!

@virginiastart@_kyleaparker

References

Designing Embraceable Change, Jared Spool

Just Enough Research, Erika Hall

NN/g UX Conference (Chicago, 2014)

The Power of Vulnerability, Brené Brown

Images

Slide 3: flickr.com (Matt Wiebe)

Slide 5: vogue.com

Slide 6: cbc.ca

Slide 14: observer.com

Slide 31: bac-lac.gc.ca

Slide 46: @jazyfent

Slide 55: thewallpaper.co

Slides 10, 21, 23, 34, 45: unsplash.com