Monsido platform redesign
Monsido is a web optimization platform that provides tools to help organizations optimize their websites. It includes automated tools like accessibility testing and SEO scores, helping users manage website quality and compliance. Users often manage numerous domains and their associated pages, navigating a vast amount of complex data.
Given the platform’s complexity, users seek streamlined workflows that are scalable and deliver insights beyond basic metrics. To address these needs, I participated in research, gathered user feedback, and designed a new information architecture and dashboard. I am continuing to work on this project, focusing on optimizing additional areas of the platform to improve usability and efficiency.
My role
Lead designer in a sprint team of 9
Duration
Q4 24 - present
Team
3 Product Manager, 1 Frontend Engineer, 3 Product Designers, 2 Design Researchers
Constraints
Security & data privacy priorities.
Tight timeline
Impact
Introduced progress tracking, enabling users to monitor and visualize their achievements and milestones on the platform.
Modernized a decade-old design, refreshing the platform's aesthetics and usability to align with current standards.
Challenge
How might we go beyond presenting raw data to deliver meaningful insights? What information would be most valuable to our users?
Current problem
Currently, most pages on Monsido only display raw data, such as the number of issues in each category, without providing insights into what the numbers mean or any trends. Additionally, resolving issues often requires users to manually check items off after making fixes, adding extra effort to the process.
Solution preview
A redesigned dashboard highlighting actionable items and trends over selectable time frames, paired with a clearer information architecture that seamlessly links data to relevant pages.
Process
We executed a rapid lean process—research and design working hand-in-hand—while engaging users and stakeholders through collaborative storming and norming, all anchored by clear communication
I started the design process during discovery research, validated the updated design at the end of each session. During the whole process, I worked closely with stakeholders to ensure alignment.
Research
We validated that users want actionable insights and cross-domain data. They also need support in interpreting the data and clear guidance on their next steps.
Competitor analysis
We validated with 5 users want actionable insights and cross-domain data. They also need support in interpreting the data and clear guidance on their next steps.
💡 Competitor analysis suggest that it might be beneficial to have
Ability to prioritize analytics that matter
AI to lower the tech knowledge barrier
Analytics on link clicks from heat maps
Clear left hand navigation
Call to actions using colors and words
Deeper analytics
User interview
We validated with 5 users want actionable insights and cross-domain data. They also need support in interpreting the data and clear guidance on their next steps.
💡 Research Insights:
Lead users to what needs their attention with a list of priority issues.
Reduce number of clicks to get work in context with direct navigation.
Provide Partners and Admins with analytics that help them measure, monitor, report and prove progress towards compliance, project and business goals.
Design
By analyzing task flows, I designed the platform's IA with three vertical and horizontal layers, reflected in a trend-focused dashboard.
Using assumptions from PMs and insights about our personas, I drafted task flows and designed solutions aimed at addressing the problem. I refined the designs after each user interview, incorporating feedback, and validated the updates with subsequent users.
Using assumptions from PMs and insights about our personas, I drafted task flows and designed solutions aimed at addressing the problem. I refined the designs after each user interview, incorporating feedback, and validated the updates with subsequent users.
Pivot
But what if the stakeholders are not aligned with each other? I led exercises to understand their perspectives and making design adjustments that balance business goals with user needs.
A content designer and I developed the initial version of the information architecture (IA) and validated it with external users. However, during a workshop with the VP of Product, we learned that the company hopes to move away from the existing structure and market segments of the platform separately.
This required us to pivot and reorganize the categorization. As a result, the dashboard I had previously designed was impacted by the new structure. I quickly adapted, updating the dashboard to align with the new categories while maintaining its usability and functionality.
I led the team (VP of product, PMs through a 6 thinking hat exercise to seek alignment.
💡 Through the exercise, I learned that the company is open to significant structural changes and actively encourages divergent thinking.
Previous IA
*This diagram shows part of the previous IA
Proposed IA
*This diagram shows part of the proposed IA
Previous IA
*This diagram shows part of the IA
Hightlights
Understanding stakeholders' perspectives and making design adjustments that balance business goals with user needs.
See pages most affected by each issue
💡 In the current product, there was a separate page for most affected pages by each type of issue. I streamlined this by consolidating all the pages into a single, unified page with a filter functionality. This improvement enhances usability and simplifies navigation for users.
Bulk correcting issues
💡 In the current product, there was a separate page for most affected pages by each type of issue. I streamlined this by consolidating all the pages into a single, unified page with a filter functionality. This improvement enhances usability and simplifies navigation for users.
reflection
This project showed to me the importance of aligning with different kinds of stakeholders early on and frequently.
Get stakeholders aligned early
We took a detour because some had different visions for the project. Involving them sooner would’ve saved time and kept everyone on the same page.
Be proactive with engineering
For big, multi-quarter projects, pushing conversations early to gauge effort and priority is crucial. It helps plan the design process better and keeps things moving smoothly.
Design and PM should "finish each other’s sentences"
I worked closely with my PM, holding lots of co-creation sessions. I focused on facilitating these to ensure our visions stayed aligned, which made collaboration seamless.