Facebook: Lead Ads
Desktop + Mobile App
ROLE
Product Designer
OVERVIEW
As a Principal Product Designer, I've had the privilege of working on some of the most challenging and impactful projects in the digital space. One such project was with Facebook, where I stepped in to cover for a designer on maternity leave, focusing on the Lead Ads product. This opportunity allowed me to immerse myself in a project critical to Facebook's business, generating over 2 billion dollars of annual revenue and engaging over 280k monthly active advertisers.
SUMMARY
Lead Ads is a sophisticated advertisement tool designed to capture prospective customers' contact information for products that require more than a single online transaction, such as real estate, automobiles, and enterprise software. Since its inception in 2015, Lead Ads has experienced rapid growth, evolving from a straightforward form to a comprehensive product with features like CRM integration, native dealer booking, and custom disclaimers to meet diverse business needs.
REDESIGN FOR MODERNITY
The primary challenge was updating Lead Ads to align with Facebook's new design language, ensuring a fresh and modern user interface. This revamp was critical in maintaining the product's appeal and functionality amidst Facebook's evolving aesthetic standards.
ENHANCING LEAD QUALITY THROUGH QUALIFYING QUESTIONS
A significant aspect of my role was to enhance the quality of leads for advertisers. Collaborating closely with the product manager, we identified the need for "Qualifying Questions" that would allow advertisers to screen potential leads more effectively. For example, a home insurance company could ask, "Are you a homeowner?" to ensure that only relevant leads were captured. This involved developing interfaces, high-fidelity wireframes, and annotations to guide both advertisers and consumers through the process. Our designs underwent rigorous critique and revision cycles to meet both Facebook's and advertisers' standards.
SALESFORCE INTEGRATION REVAMP
Another key component of the project was improving the Salesforce integration process, which had been identified as confusing by both users and the Lead Ads team. By delving into user research and collaborating with the development teams, I designed a new, intuitive integration workflow. This included a comprehensive onboarding process with clear, step-by-step instructions for SMBs to efficiently connect their Facebook ad leads with their Salesforce accounts. The focus here was on clarity and usability, ensuring that the integration process was as smooth as possible for users.
LEARNING AND IMPACT
This project taught me the importance of deep user research and the value of designing with clarity in mind, especially when dealing with complex integrations like Salesforce. The challenge of jumping into a well-established team and product mid-cycle honed my ability to quickly assimilate and contribute effectively. It underscored the complexities of designing at scale and the nuanced impact even minor changes can have on a platform as large as Facebook.
My work on Lead Ads not only contributed to enhancing the product's functionality and user experience but also played a part in sustaining its significant role in Facebook's ecosystem. This experience has been a highlight of my career, offering invaluable insights into product design and development in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.