When it comes to Salesforce implementation, UX design often seems to be an afterthought, tucked away like a secret ingredient that chefs only use for special occasions. But imagine if that ingredient was used in every dish. Suddenly, the entire menu sings a different tune. In the vast and varied world of Salesforce projects, the presence of UX shouldn’t be limited to Experience Cloud sites or custom Lightning components—it should be a standard, an indispensable part of every Salesforce solution.
UX Should Be a Staple, Not a Luxury
Most Salesforce build teams I’ve encountered tend to sideline UX, considering it a luxury reserved for high-profile projects. This is a mindset ripe for revolution. UX is not just a fancy trim; it’s the engine that drives user satisfaction, efficiency, and ultimately, the success of the platform. Here’s why UX should be the cornerstone of every Salesforce build, regardless of its nature.
The Case for UX in Every Salesforce Project
So, what’s the tangible impact of weaving UX into the fabric of all types of Salesforce projects?
Increased User Adoption: The Ripple Effect
User adoption is the make-or-break metric for any CRM system. Yet, low adoption rates plague many organizations. Dive into the backend of Salesforce and you’ll understand why—it can be an intimidating maze for the uninitiated. A UX specialist, akin to a guide in this labyrinth, can streamline processes, prioritize essential information, and design with the user’s daily journey in mind. This approach leads to a natural increase in user adoption as the system becomes a seamless extension of the user’s workflow.
Increased Clarity: From Information Overload to Information Enlightenment
Salesforce Lightning, with all its capabilities, can sometimes feel like a deluge of data points and actions. Introduce a UX team into this scenario, and watch the magic unfold. They turn chaos into clarity. Suddenly, what was once a cognitive overload becomes a streamlined path to productivity, with every necessary action and piece of information clear and within reach.
Decreased Time to Task Completion: Seconds Saved, Hours Earned
In Salesforce, time is often lost in the minutiae of creating and linking records—a dance of clicks and navigation that can feel like a never-ending tango. UX designers step in as choreographers, optimizing each step to ensure that the dance is efficient and less taxing. By shaving seconds off repetitive tasks, UX can save users hours per person each week—time that can be invested back into the business.
Decreased Need for Support: Intuitive Design Equals Independent Users
An intuitively designed system is like a well-laid-out city: you can find your way with minimal signage. When UX principles guide the design of a Salesforce org, users find the information they need with ease, reducing the reliance on support teams. The result is a self-sufficient user base, empowered by the tools at their disposal.
UX Design as the Standard Bearer
UX in Salesforce is more than just making things look pretty; it’s about fostering an environment where productivity thrives, where clarity reigns supreme, and where every user feels like the system was designed with them in mind. Whether it’s a new org setup, an org cleanup, or a complex split, the principles of good UX design can and should be applied universally.
As we look towards the future of Salesforce projects, it’s time to democratize UX design, to infuse it into the very DNA of every project from the get-go. By doing so, we can transform Salesforce from a powerful platform into an indispensable ally for every user. Let’s not just build; let’s design for a user-first experience that stands as a beacon of intuitiveness and efficiency.
