Chat Flow: Decluttering, one flow at a time
Chat Flow is one of Clickatell's flagship product that helps users visually build and to automate self-service experiences. It is used to create engaging chat experiences and deploy them across multiple channels.
At Clickatell, I led the effort to solve a frustrating gap in Chat Flow, our platform for creating automated chat experiences. Users couldn’t delete outdated flows, leaving cluttered interfaces and inefficiencies.
IMPACT
Empowered users to maintain cleaner workspaces by enabling the deletion of outdated flows, reducing clutter across active user accounts.
SCALE
Enhanced the experience for over 12,000+ active Chat Flow users, improving task completion rates and demonstrating the value of user-centric, scalable solutions.
COLLABORATION
Collaborated with a cross-functional team of 9 members, including designers, developers, and product managers, to deliver the feature within a 4-month timeline.
OUTCOME
Launched the delete feature that received a 85% positive feedback rate in user surveys and improved overall workflow efficiency for teams using the platform.
Initial findings were that users struggled with:
🚮 Clutter overload
Too many outdated flows cluttering workspaces.
🤙 Hacky workarounds
Burying unused flows in folders just to keep things tidy.
⚠️ Risk roulette
Deleting a flow could disrupt live user interactions.
User interviews revealed that the lack of a delete feature caused clutter and increased cognitive load. Data analysis showed users nesting unused flows to bypass this limitation.
said clutter hurt efficiency.
avoided deleting flows, fearing errors.
Running observation test and collecting qualitative data
Deleting flows might sound straightforward, but the devil was in the details. Users wanted to clean up their clutter, but managing flow deletion in a way that avoided breaking things required extra care. Here’s why:
The design process kicked off with a thorough exploration phase, ensuring we truly understood the problem and user needs. This exploration ensured the feature wasn’t just functional.
Wireframing and exploring ideas
We created a robust deletion system that was simple, secure, and smart.
Error Modal Prototype
When users try to delete a flow with dependencies, Chat Flow would do a check on potential errors. Users are then presented with a list of dependencies that need to be disconnected in order to delete the flow.
Modal Anatomy
Admin Approval Process Prototype
Once a user initiates a flow deletion, it’s not gone just yet! The request gets escalated to an Admin for a final review. Admins can then approve or decline the deletion, ensuring no critical dependencies are unintentionally removed.
Post-implementation, the new feature was met with positive reception. Data and user feedback indicated:
1️⃣ Enhanced user engagement and platform cleanliness, with a noticeable decrease in dormant flows.
2️⃣ Improved user satisfaction metrics, with particular appreciation for the user-centric design approach.
3️⃣ A decline in customer support queries related to flow management, indicating a more self-sufficient platform.
While the new delete feature has been a hit, there’s always room to improve. The error prevention process could be more intuitive, and future updates might explore archiving options or ways to better handle broken flows. One milestone at a time, we’re making flow management seamless. 😊