How I Simplified Complex Data with a Pivot Table Redesign?
Our users felt like the pivot table was an untouchable tool, avoided due to its complexity and the need for technical knowledge. The old pivot table was practically unusable—plain, hard to read, and lacking any guidance. This case study shares how we transformed it into an intuitive, user-friendly feature that makes data analysis accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
My Role
Lead Designer
Platform
Web & Mobile app
Timeline
1 Month
Overview
What Kissflow Does?
Kissflow is about building custom apps for business with no code and also offers tools for managing cases, and workflow efficiently.
"Quickly build, Market ready Apps in Moments"
What was the problem?
Imagine being in math class in school, struggling to understand algebra or maybe integration & calculus, frustrating right? That's how our users felt.
Using the old pivot table report was like the same complex math problem that requires knowledge. On top of that old pivot design made it nearly impossible to consume.
Background
How I initiated the improvements?
It had been a year since I joined Kissflow, and we felt like the Reports & Analytics module was outdated and stuck. It was lagging—not just in performance but in meeting market standards in design. I realized that this module was being overshadowed by other Kissflow modules like Workflow Automation, Project Management, and Low-Code App Building.
When fixing bugs isn't the complete solution?
Determined to turn things around, I talked to the stakeholders about the issues. Their response was encouraging; they trusted me to lead the improvement project. We first planned to make a list of UX issues and bugs and fix them, so I teamed up with the PM, and we spent three days listing all the bugs and UX problems.
But things got interesting, the list got too big and had many items. So just fixing bugs felt like putting band-aids on a leaky pipe.
Discover
How the improvements are planned?
Since we realised it clearly needed a revamp, I proposed a plan to break down the improvement into multiple phases and ranked them based on user data.
With that, we started with Consumption since it had the most users, but within Consumption, the Pivot Report feature was barely used. So we began there.
Analytics & Reports improvements phases
Metrics of Reports & Analytics consumption
Metrics of Reports consumption
Now, here is where the pivot improvements started
Research
What Users and Stakeholders want?
To start, I wanted to understand the purpose of the pivot feature, the reasons for its implementation, and the challenges users were facing. Therefore, we conducted interviews with users and stakeholders to gather insights into both business and user needs.
User Insights
"The pivot was too complex for me to understand, felt like I need to learn that before use that."
"It lacks some necessary and needed features to do basic functions like sort and filter"
"Many UX issues and bugs were seen, making the tool frustrating to use."
Stakeholder Insights
"The design must align with industry standards"
"We have less number of pivot report users, we need to increase the adoption rate."
"Resolve UX issues, bugs, and visual problems that users were complaning about."
Goals
What are the goals?
From the initial research and analysis, we defined our goals for the project
Enhance Design
Increase Adoption
Fix UX Issues & Bugs
Easy to Use
Introduce Basic Features
Ideate
How the Design was Approached?
I started the next process by analyzing market leaders and competitors. I gathered standard pivot table design guidelines and collected inspirations from the internet.
Iterate
Iterative Design
Based on the analysis, I explored multiple design approaches and conducted thorough user and A/B testing. Each iteration was guided by user feedback, leading to continuous improvements in the design. This approach resulted in a product that effectively met user needs and exceeded their expectations.
Final Design
How Minor Design Tweaks Won Users?
I tried to understand their feedback and made small but important changes such as adjusting row heights and bolding specific text.
When we tested this new design, users loved it. They didn’t like the design initially because they were biased by the look of pivots in Excel and Sheets. Those small cells were what they were looking for.
View Designs >>>
Post launch
Did the improvement payoff?
The revamp led to a significant increase in the usage of the Pivot Report. People started using it more, and the usage rate is now 30% higher. This improvement greatly enhanced user satisfaction and engagement.
What Did We Learn?
Revamping the Pivot Report was a journey of discovery and improvement. By listening to users and making thoughtful changes, we created a user-friendly and appealing solution. The new design improved satisfaction and engagement, making the module much more effective.
User Feedback is Crucial
Listening to users and understanding their needs and pain points is essential for creating effective solutions.
Iterative Design Process
Small, incremental changes based on user feedback can lead to significant improvements.
Familiarity Matters
Users often prefer designs that align with what they are accustomed to, highlighting the importance of balancing innovation with familiarity.
Data-Driven Decisions
Analyzing usage data helps identify key areas for improvement and guides the design process.