Crafting Connections: Enhancing User Experience and DesignOps for Text In Church
About
Text in Church empowers churches to connect and engage with their members through a cloud-based church management solution. Recognizing the potential for an improved user experience, Text in Church sought a design partner to refresh their software's UI/UX and streamline their design workflow.
The Challenge
Prior to partnering with us, Text in Church had collaborated with another agency on their software design. Unfortunately, communication gaps led to inconsistencies between the design files and the live software. The development team was forced to make independent design decisions, resulting in a disconnect between the intended vision and the final product. This lack of cohesion hindered Text in Church's designOps (design operations) and created inefficiencies in their workflow.
A journey to clarity
Our collaborative approach began with a comprehensive audit, uncovering the inconsistencies between the design files and the live software. We recognized these issues stemmed from communication breakdowns and prioritized addressing the underlying designOps challenges.
Through a collaborative workshop, we partnered with Text in Church to identify their key pain points:
- File management: Disorganized design files hampered navigation and performance.
- Design system: The lack of a central design system led to inconsistencies.
- Design governance: Unclear design ownership and decision-making processes created confusion.
- Review process: An inefficient review process slowed down development.
- Design Standards: Inconsistent design standards resulted in a disjointed user experience.
To tackle these challenges strategically, we employed an impact/effort chart. This visual tool helped us prioritize the issues based on their potential impact and the effort required to address them.
Before we started using Tenscope, we didn’t have cohesive designs, a design library, or anything in place to support success. The biggest benefit we've found with Tenscope is the consistency in the designs. For the longest time, we struggled with that.
DesignOps Optimization
Housekeeping Session
A thorough review of all design files identified unnecessary assets and inconsistencies. We streamlined the file set, removing outdated elements and consolidating relevant screens.
File Structure Establishment
The original file structure, which lumped everything together, was replaced with a well-organized system. We categorized files into five distinct folders: Text in Church, Talk in Church, Component Library, Mobile App Design, and Archive. This improved navigation, enhanced performance, and facilitated easier access to specific design elements.
Design System Creation
A core component of our strategy was the establishment of a comprehensive design system. This system included a centralized component library containing reusable UI elements and a well-defined set of design tokens. Design tokens ensure consistency across the interface by governing colors, typography, spacing, and other design attributes. Furthermore, we optimized the design system for responsiveness, ensuring a seamless user experience on various devices. This not only streamlined design and development but also laid the foundation for the creation of a consistent dark and light theme for the software.
Communication Improvements
Recognizing the importance of clear communication, we fostered closer collaboration between the design and development teams. We established regular touchpoints and implemented a streamlined review process to ensure everyone was aligned throughout the development cycle.
DesignOps Optimization
Our designOps intervention delivered a multitude of benefits for Text in Church:
- A comprehensive design system: The newly established design system equipped Text in Church with a centralized library of reusable UI components and a set of design tokens that ensure consistency and efficiency. This streamlined the design and development process, saving time and resources.
- Enhanced user interface: We redesigned and updated various features within the Text in Church app, improving the overall user experience for church members and staff.
- Mobile app improvements: The mobile app redesign, coupled with the integrated design system, guarantees a consistent and user-friendly experience for members on the go.
The Impact
By optimizing Text in Church's designOps and enhancing their UI/UX, we empowered them to:
- Increase development efficiency: The well-organized design system and clear communication channels streamlined the development process, allowing developers to focus on building new features.
- Improve user experience: The redesigned interface and features provide a more intuitive and engaging experience for Text in Church members.
- Lay a foundation for future growth: The established design system provides a solid foundation for future innovation and development within the Text in Church platform.
Conclusion
Our partnership with Text in Church demonstrates the transformative power of strategic design and efficient designOps. By addressing underlying workflow challenges and creating a user-centric design system, we empowered Text in Church to streamline their development process, enhance user experience, and position themselves for future success.
We are passionate about helping businesses like Text in Church achieve their design goals. If you are facing design challenges or seeking to optimize your design workflow, contact us today and let us help you unlock the full potential of your design vision.
Working with Text In Church has been an inspiring journey. The collaboration with their team allowed us to refine communication strategies, making interactions more meaningful and personal. By enhancing mobile and web experiences, we’ve created a smoother, more efficient platform that has significantly boosted member engagement. Users have noticed the positive changes, expressing how much easier it is to stay connected and informed. This project highlighted the profound impact that thoughtful design and effective communication can have on strengthening community ties and enhancing user experiences.
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