ActiveCampaign
Custom Objects
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ActiveCampaign
What is…
ActiveCampaign provides customer experience automation (CXA) tools primarily for small and medium businesses (SMBs).
AC is focused primarily on email marketing automation, but has expanded into several channels including landing pages, forms, Conversations (similar to Intercom), and a CRM.
Introduction
THE EXTENSIBILITY TEAM
Making data work for our customers, no matter where it’s from
Product Designer | Danny Rudzinski
Product Manager | Christina Foley
Engineering Manager | Matt Lathrop
The Engineering Team | Backend, Frontend, Full-stack
The “Three Musketeers/triad/three legged stool/etc”
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Introduction
App: Seems pretty obvious, but can be surprisingly confusing. An app is, at its core, anything that allows an AC user to send data into or out of AC, and also allows a user to somehow manipulate that data.
Marketer: A marketer is almost always the target user at ActiveCampaign. They range in size and sophistication from single person shops to 1000+ person companies and everything in between.
Third-party developer (3PD): A developer who doesn’t work for AC, but builds an app or integration using the AC App Studio.
Standard objects: The standard data objects contacts, accounts, and deals are data buckets for marketer’s customer info and the backbone of ActiveCampaign.
Helpful Vocabulary
Introduction
The Genesis
More and more users are connecting apps and creating ever more intricate data structures on the AC platform.
As we talk to users we continue to hear calls for more flexible data models that will more accurately fit the way they do business.
Problem
DATA IS NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL
USERS NEED MORE CONTROL OF THEIR DATA
APPS DON’T ALWAYS COMMUNICATE WELL
USERS NEED MORE TOOLS TO TARGET CUSTOMERS
The Genesis
More and more users are connecting apps and creating ever more intricate data structures on the AC platform.
As we talk to users we continue to hear calls for more flexible data models that will more accurately fit the way they do business.
Problem
An AC ‘study hall’ where we often talk to users
THE RESEARCH
Initial research was conducted to better understand the problem space
INSIGHTS
User Interviews
We followed up with some users from the study halls, and other users that had given prior feedback related to our data model. These interviews helped us understand the current system’s shortcomings.
Contextual Analysis
We watched users interact with their accounts to understand how they were operating within the current data structure.
Hacker showcase
Our users have come up with some very creative ways of hacking our data structure, and we’ve compiled some of these over time. We reviewed these together as a team.
THE PROBLEM
We have started to hear calls from customers for a more robust and versatile data model within AC.
Expanding beyond the current data model of contacts, accounts, and deals will be necessary to provide what our users need.
To better serve our customers - especially larger and more complex organizations - we need to build a comprehensive data management tool.
Problem
PERSONAS
Marketers and Developers
OPPORTUNITIES
To move the needle for our users
CHALLENGES
The tough stuff
KEY RESEARCH INSIGHTS
The main takeaways from talking to our users.
INSIGHTS
Flexibility is Key
Current data models are too restrictive. Users need a way to add and organize data in a way that makes sense for the way they work.
Keep it Simple
When possible, users prefers data to be configured for them. If an app can automate data setup, it should. Our non-dev users are expert marketers but not coders so any solution must be no code.
Data in Context
Data of all kinds needs to be readily available whenever a user needs it. This means both within automations and when viewing customer information.
Custom Objects
And so we made…
Custom objects build on the default objects (contacts, deals, and accounts) and allow users to customize their data management to match the way they work.
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SOLUTIONS
Unfortunately…
I no longer have access to my research and ideation files 😕 So we’re going to jump right into the final designs.
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SOLUTIONS
EXPLAINED
CUSTOM OBJECTS
There are two types of custom objects:
SOLUTIONS
APP-DEFINED CUSTOM OBJECTS
CUSTOM OBJECTS
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SOLUTIONS
USER-CREATED CUSTOM OBJECTS
CUSTOM OBJECTS
These custom objects are created by the user and are usually for more advanced use cases.
Here you can see a custom object called ‘Downloads’ that includes several fields.
Every user-created custom object must be associated with one of the standard objects (Contacts, Accounts, or Deals). This determines where the information for the object is displayed and how it is utilized.
SOLUTIONS
USER CREATED
SOLUTIONS
OBJECTS IN CONTEXT
CUSTOM OBJECTS
When a custom object is associated with a standard object, it will be displayed in the context of that standard object.
Here is an example of a Calendly ‘Demos’ custom object displayed within the ‘Contact’ standard object.
SOLUTIONS
Custom objects in context on a Contact
OBJECTS IN CONTEXT
CUSTOM OBJECTS
When a custom object is associated with a standard object, it will be displayed in the context of that standard object.
Here is an example of a Calendly ‘Demos’ custom object displayed within the ‘Contact’ standard object.
SOLUTIONS
Custom objects in context on a Contact
OBJECTS IN CONTEXT
CUSTOM OBJECTS
When a custom object is associated with a standard object, it will be displayed in the context of that standard object.
Here is an example of a Calendly ‘Demos’ custom object displayed within the ‘Contact’ standard object.
SOLUTIONS
OBJECTS IN CONTEXT
CUSTOM OBJECTS
When a custom object is associated with a standard object, it will be displayed in the context of that standard object.
Here is an example of a Calendly ‘Demos’ custom object displayed within the ‘Contact’ standard object.
SOLUTIONS
USING OBJECTS
CUSTOM OBJECTS
Custom objects are very powerful record keeping tools, but they can do a lot more than that:
SOLUTIONS
Outcomes
THE IMPACT
10%
Customer retention increase when using COs
500+
User-created custom objects
4/5
Top apps using custom objects
2.6
Average apps connected
+.5
CUSTOMER RETENTION WITH VS WITHOUT CUSTOM OBJECTS
POSTMORTEM
POST-MORTEM
WHAT WE LEARNED
The initial release went smoothly and indicators are showing a warm reception to custom objects. However, there are several key takeaways from this release:
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THANK YOU!
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Questions?
APPENDIX
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FUTURE PLANS
CUSTOM OBJECTS
Grouping and arranging custom objects.
POSTMORTEM
FUTURE PLANS
CUSTOM OBJECTS
Importing custom objects from CSV.
Export to follow.
POSTMORTEM
FUTURE PLANS
CUSTOM OBJECTS
Permissions for custom objects access.
POSTMORTEM
Apps on AC
Over 100k users now have an app connected to their account (this graph is outdated). Most accounts have an average of 2.1 apps connected. The growth of app use on AC is steady and will continue to increase.
CONNECTIONS OVER TIME
The Design Process
Following a standardized, repeatable process we can fully understand the problem space and ensure that the solution addresses the user’s problems in a holistic way.
Problem
THE PROBLEM
RESEARCH
INSIGHTS
SOLUTIONS
VALIDATION
POST MORTEM
THE RESEARCH PLAN
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
RESEARCH
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Research Methods
OVERVIEW
Here you can see a 30,000 foot view of the research plan that will be deployed for this project.
Project Kickoff
Initial Research
Prototype
Internal Testing
Iterate
User testing
Iterate
Beta launch! 🍾🍾🍾
RESEARCH
RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
Using these research methods we can better understand the problem space and the needs of our users.
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
USER
SURVEY
SUPPORT�INSIGHT
USER
TESTING
Talking to our users helps define the problem space.
A brief survey uncovers pain points and needs.
CS documents a lot of useful feedback from customers.
Before release a group of users tests the prototypes.
RESEARCH
PROTYPES & TESTING
After validating rough designs and sketches with the team and customers I put together a high-fidelity prototype for further validation. I showed this prototype to five customers to gather feedback.
SKETCHING THE SYSTEM
I start exploring solutions by putting pen to paper to get a wide array of ideas and questions documented.
To ensure I fully understand the design’s impact I also map the various flows and interconnected experiences to ensure we are taking a holistic approach to the problem.
SOLUTIONS