Freshdesk was all set to build its next-gen Live chat which will be used not only for Support but also for the Sales. Having built Freshsales CRM and Hotline Mobile app support tools, the team was confident and understood the importance of an easy chat product that works both as support and sales tool for any small and medium-size businesses.
The Challenge was to build an easy to install Web widget and Admin system with an intuitive UI. Considering the market share which Intercom and Drift had already taken, it was never an easy task unless we compete in terms of better Usability and experience. The tight deadline was one of the key challenges we had. So I had to make sure I keep the momentum working with multiple people in the team.
I had some major learnings from Hotline - the Mobile app support tool. The biggest drawback of the product was the dull colors and a difficult user experience. I spent time on the analysis and understanding the complete system which not only helped to narrow down on the personas but gave a good clarity on the required information flow. Though I built the product from scratch, these learnings helped to focus and prioritize in solving major design problems.
It all started with wireframing the Web widget which is going to be the face of the product on all websites. The Customers are going to use the widget to acquire and manage the leads.
So I decided to have the widget which goes well with the shape of our product logo and at the same time matches with the theme of any website that is being used.
The bigger challenge for me was to design the admin panel which all support agents going to use. My goal was to make sure that the product has the right information architecture in the design so the agent doesn't miss out on any key information in the conversations with the leads.
Classic Inbox view
People: List page
People: Detail page
Settings
Setting: Agent Profile
Setting: Business hours
Setting: Widget Customization
Campaign: Message preview
Designing something simple and intiutive is the complex design problem. Campaigns are one of the key features of Freshchat. They help the customers to acquire and engage with more users in their websites. I had to design a multi level Segmenting conditions which is easy to understand and doesn't require any assistance
Campaign: Settings segment
As a self-taught front-end developer, I never miss a chance to experiment with CSS effects and animations. I like spending some quality time on these minor attention to details which will uplift the face of the project. Gamification and instant gratification are always my priority while designing.
Settings
Integrations
Web Widget
Any modern Chat system is incomplete without Chat bots. They not only help to engage the users but also help your team focus on conversations that actually need their attention.
I had a chance to build an UI friendly bot configuration which doesnt required much of learning curve.
The product was released on time with all planned features and was well received by the Users. The Usability and UI of the project was much appreciated by many customers and we also got some good reviews in G2Crowd, product and emails. My design has helped to increase the engagement by more than 80% compared to the support agents who used hotline before. The revenue increased from less than a million to 5 million within 2 years. As of now it is close to 30 million ARR in revenue.
