Qualtrics – Style Meets Function

🧩 Problem

As Qualtrics expanded into a multi-solution platform, much of its core interface—particularly the dashboard and survey builder tools—lagged behind in usability and design consistency. Legacy components confused users, especially new or non-technical ones, and the product experience varied widely depending on where users were in the platform.

Mobile use was rising fast—especially among executives checking dashboards—but key tools weren’t responsive or intuitive across devices.

🚧 Challenge

Modernize core workflows without disrupting power users. The product needed to:

• Unify outdated components under a scalable, modern design system

• Simplify complex flows without removing advanced capabilities

• Prioritize mobile experiences for on-the-go decision-makers

All while maintaining the flexibility enterprise users relied on.

🔍 Process

Research Methods:

• Stakeholder Interviews: Aligned with cross-functional teams across verticals

• Support Ticket Analysis: Identified recurring friction points

• Competitive Benchmarking: Studied Medallia, Typeform, SurveyMonkey

• User Feedback: Reviewed call logs and onboarding sessions

Key Insights:

• Users felt disoriented in deep flows with little guidance

• Inconsistent patterns broke mental models

• Mobile usage was growing, but experience lagged

• Users needed help making smart choices—not more complexity

Design Goals:

• Simplify high-friction workflows

• Align legacy tools with the Qualtrics design system

• Create responsive, mobile-friendly layouts

• Introduce guidance without adding overhead

✅ Solution

Survey Builder Improvements

• Cleaned up layout with real-time previews

• Smarter defaults and template starters

• Contextual prompts and inline tooltips to guide users

• Reduced clicks with autosave and inline editing

Dashboard Redesign

• Drag-and-drop module editing with unified toolbars

• Card-based, mobile-optimized layout for execs

• Edit/view toggles and progressive disclosure of advanced settings

Design System Integration

• Migrated outdated patterns to modern components

• Standardized spacing, buttons, inputs, and iconography

• Improved accessibility (contrast, type scaling, keyboard nav)

Mobile Optimization

• Responsive layouts for survey editing and dashboard views

• Tap-friendly targets and vertically stacked info blocks

• Clear CTA placement across screen sizes

Validation & Testing

• Conducted moderated usability sessions with internal teams and enterprise/edu users

• Tested on dashboard builds, mobile workflows, and survey creation

• Feedback showed improved clarity, reduced overwhelm, and faster task completion

📈 Impact

• ↓ Support Volume: Fewer tickets around dashboards and survey creation

• ↑ Mobile Use: Executive dashboard usage on mobile doubled post-launch

• ↑ Engagement: Power users explored new features more often

• ↑ Onboarding Success: New users completed setup faster with less help

• ↑ UI Consistency: Teams across Qualtrics adopted the new patterns

💭 Reflection

This work showed me how scale introduces friction—unless design actively fights it. Unifying tools under a consistent system helped restore user confidence, while thoughtful guidance and smart defaults made even complex tasks feel intuitive.

It wasn’t about simplifying everything—it was about simplifying the path to everything. Whether someone was building a survey from scratch or checking a dashboard on their phone, the goal was the same: make Qualtrics feel powerful, without making users work for it.