Data Axle

Data Axle helps companies of all sizes to be more effective by making our data actionable. Offering data-rich sales enablement tools that combine sales, marketing, and analytics to help small to medium sized businesses find, reach, acquire and retain new customers. Data Axle also provide API's that integrate with Salesforce and Dynamics to give clients fast, flexible, and dependable access to our data. As VP of Product Design at Data Axle, I led the redesign of Data Axle Genie, a product tailored for businesses of all sizes.

Challenges

  • User experience issues hindered product engagement, causing a gap between capabilities and usage.

  • Confusing interface lacked intuitive guidance, reducing user satisfaction.

  • UX problems contributed to sales stagnation, impacting revenue growth.

  • Legacy technology limited innovation and addressing evolving user needs.

  • Inaccurate data undermined user trust and product value.

  • Worked without a dedicated design team, driving UX improvements independently.

  • Advocated for UX focus in a sales-driven culture to achieve long-term success.

Role & Responsibilities

  • Build and scale design team as the VP of Product Design

  • Manage a team of 8 fully remote Product Designers

  • Collaborate with the product and engineering team on a shared vision for success

  • Establish a design process and foster design culture

  • Advocate and lead researching efforts (Qualitative Data)

  • Plan product roadmap with VP of Product Management and Engineering

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Workshops

During my time at Data Axle, I led a variety of workshops designed to drive innovation and enhance collaboration across teams. I conducted value proposition exercises for the marketing team, brainstorming sessions for the design team, and team-building and alignment workshops across multiple departments. These workshops were instrumental in unblocking team members, enabling quicker decision-making, and fostering an environment where experimentation with new ideas could thrive.

IMG_7553

Design Focused

omaha

Leadership Alignment

RESEARCH

User Interviews

I initiated user interviews with some of our SMB clients to get a better understanding of how they used our products and what pain points they were experiencing with our Sales and Marketing services. We downloaded all of our notes by categorized them into pain points, behaviors, needs, goals, quotes, and ideas..

UXR3
Andy Castelluccio (Leviton)
UXR2
NU Energy Payroll
userjourney

UNDERSTANDING CURRENT USER JOUNEY

whiteboard

MAPPING THE DESIRED USER JOUNEY

Process and Collaboration

Process and Collaboration

Once there was an understanding as to what projects to focus on, I championed the establishment of a design process that was aligned with the workflows of our product and engineering teams. I pushed for smoother collaboration by suggesting improvements to our process and emphasized transparency by inviting key stakeholders to access and comment on our design files. This approach ensured that there were no gaps in visibility, and frequent design reviews were held to maintain alignment and keep everyone on the same page.

Workflow

Organization, Communication, Iteration

I ensured that all projects and files were organized for easy access, making it simple to discover and track any ongoing work by our designers. I also advocated for multiple iterations of new projects, encouraging thorough exploration of all possibilities during the initial design reviews.

structure

Data Axle Genie Redesign

I spearheaded a comprehensive redesign of a web application, leading a team of six product designers. We conducted in-depth user interviews with existing and potential clients to understand their needs and challenges. Based on this feedback, we reimagined key aspects of the web app to make it more intuitive and engaging, particularly for new users, many of whom were small business owners with limited tech experience. The redesign was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback, both for its visual appeal and the enhanced overall user experience.

Wins

  • Start to Run Search: NXG: 90% vs IMG: 86.7%
  • Search to Save list conversion rate: NXG: 39% vs IMG: 23.3% 
  • % of users who engaged with lead status feature: NXG: 14% vs IMG 8.1%
  • % of users who engaged in any prospecting action (Lead status, tag, notes, follow ups): NXG: 14.4% vs IMG: 8.5%

Room to improve

  • Export: 9.2% NXG vs 22.7% IMG
  • Save notes: 1.8% NCG vs 3% IMG
spread