7 SaaS UX Redesign Challenges and Solutions

The user experience is a crucial part of the customer journey in any business model. This is especially true for a SaaS (Software as a Service) tool that thrives on monthly subscriptions. Just one misstep and churn may be around the corner at any moment! Here are the common challenges during SaaS UX Redesign and what to do about it.

1. Issues associated with user roles

SaaS tools are usually targeted towards different types of users with varying access levels to features. Therefore, a sudden Saas UX redesign can confuse both new and old users who may not know where to begin.

Potential Solution: A good first step is to ensure a landing page, especially on mobile, that explains the different roles and account types. This can be in the form of a video or an infographic. The UX Redesign should minimize any possible confusion by categorizing the information into digestible chunks. Another way to accomplish this is by having separate sub-tabs or sub-menus that can lead users to their preferred part of the website, based on their needs.

Key UX redesign considerations for user roles:

a. The UX Redesign should be able to cater to both free and paid users

b. It must be apparent if the user is a business/enterprise or an individual user (along with their access level).

c. If there are varying levels of paid plans, it must be clear what reduced features the free users will have access to.

d. UX redesign should also cater to existing strategies for upselling and cross-selling amongst user roles.

2. Dashboard for different users:

Depending on the type of user (access level), the dashboard can vary greatly. To complicate matters further, they may also have different roles (e.g., managers vs administrative assistants). UX redesign can be highly cumbersome if users are unaware of the new Saas dashboard and cannot navigate to their preferred part of the tool within the usually expected time frame.

Potential Solution: Maintaining a streamlined version of the SaaS platform is not always possible if there’s a heavy reliance on design. But, it will still require research to keep tabs on what users are looking for when they’re in specific parts of the tool. A good idea is to conduct user interviews, surveys, and usability tests to get better feedback on how they use different aspects of the tool or what can be done to improve their experience. The UX Redesign can also go a step further by allowing users to dynamically switch between their old and new dashboards. This will give them some time to adapt to the changes, promoting a fairer learning curve.

Key UX redesign considerations for Dashboards:

a. Priority on ease of use.

b. If a user is logged out, it should be clear where they are and how they can get back to their dashboard.

c. Page load time for dashboards should be kept in check.

d. The notification system on dashboards should be clean and non-intrusive to the overall experience.

e. The new dashboard UX must be intuitive to new users and maintain relevancy for existing ones.

3. Data visualization issues:

Depending on the industry, generic data visualization may not be enough. In some cases, there may even be a disparity between industry standards and the expectations of the users. This can lead to problems if users are not aware of all the data visualization changes with the Saas UX Redesign.

Potential Solution: The bespoke aspects of data visualization are usually not directly affected by the UX Redesign, so they will most likely remain untouched. The big challenge is finding a way to communicate with all users about what’s new and what hasn’t been changed within the standard norms. You should be proactive with communication and the positioning of your message regarding the different changes that will affect users.

Key UX redesign considerations for Data Visualization:

a. It is vital to impart visual clarity on whether the data visualization is new or old.

b. It must be clear how the data visualization has changed.

c. Communicate the reason for the change.

d. Data visualization must not affect load time.

e. Users with low data visualization literacy should be taken into account.

When it comes to redesigning the UX for Saas tools, there are a lot of additional issues that a designer might face. The source of all these difficulties may be simply one: the enigmatic process of UX design!

The best approach to deal with it is for designers to demystify the design process itself. Once all stakeholders are aware of each other’s expectations, they can make better decisions that define the best UX for the enterprise-grade Saas solutions.

Over the last 10 years, we have delivered hundreds of projects for US and Indian companies across various sectors - Financial & Banking, Hospitality, Logistics, Healthcare, Social Media, and Enterprise Software.