Users need access to a collaborative and informative centralized platform that allows them to manage ads because they want to feel in control making approvals so they can execute marketing campaigns.
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Landing Page
My Account
Billing
My Plan
Support
FAQ
Help
Report Analysis
Approve/Review
Calendar
Brand Messaging Guidelines
Onboarding
Paid Membership
Free Trial
Must Haves
Red Flags
Users, Status, and Campaign
Ad Reviews + Approval + Feedback
Brand Messaging Guidelines
Confirmation Sign Off
Traditional Ads
Dynamic Ads
Before Deployment
Deployment Day
Ad Ingredient Overview
Post Deployment (Pilot Period)
After conducting our research, we gained a clearer understanding of the approval process and key user pain points. To visualize the platform, we developed a site map.
While we initially planned to address multiple areas—onboarding, brand guidelines, and the approval process—user feedback and time constraints led us to prioritize focusing on the approval process. Given the two-week timeline, this allowed us to tackle the most critical issues first while leaving room for future enhancements.
SITE MAP
Monica’s Pain Points
😵💫
😤
😟
😩
🙁
Based on our research and interview insights, we outlined the steps Monica would take during the approval process and mapped out potential pain points she might encounter at each stage. This helped us pinpoint where improvements were needed to enhance her overall experience.
-A centralized place to communicate and collaborate
-Direction and understanding of where she is in the approval process
-Visual content to facilitate approval/review process
-To make timely approvals to execute marketing campaigns
-To have alignment on process, timeframe, communication with her SEM company partners
-To be aware of updates related to business, partnership, and process
GOALS
NEEDS
MONICA MILLER
Age: 32
Location: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Growth Marketing @ Chime
A new position at the company is opening up, and Monica wants to take on more responsibility to become the Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Chime.
Monica was created to represent our target users such as Super and Aura (fintech companies). Monica is a growth marketer who is executing her first marketing campaign. She serves as our guide to show us how she would go through the approval process and we used her throughout to serve her needs.
Meet Monica
USER PERSONA
Features
Client
Traffic By Intent
Competitor #1
Motive Metrics
Competitor #2
Skai
Login
Dashboard
Metrics
Admin
Paid Search Integration
Manage Users
Billing
Support
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
We then looked at marketing competitors to determine how other companies handle their data. Overall, we found that they have centralized systems, dashboards with filters and sorting options, metrics, and logins to help facilitate a polished, formal platform usable to their customers, a need for TXI’s users.
HEURISTICS EVALUATION
We conducted heuristic evaluations on the current spreadsheet used for the ad approval process. This involved assessing the usability of the spreadsheet against established user experience principles to identify areas of improvement.
Key Findings
User Control and Freedom
Users felt restricted in their ability to manipulate data. The spreadsheet's design did not allow for easy customization or navigation, leading to frustration and a lack of control over the approval process.
Clearer Workflows
The workflow within the spreadsheet was convoluted, making it difficult for users to complete tasks efficiently, especially if they were being given hundreds of lines of copy. This hindered their ability to make timely approvals and affected overall productivity.
Visibility of System Status
Users lacked clear indicators of their current progress within the approval process. This made it challenging to understand where they were in the workflow, contributing to confusion and reduced trust in the system.
USER RESEARCH
Our objectives were to understand the user journey for both the onboarding and approval stages, uncover their experiences and frustrations, and envision what an ideal flow might look like for the users.
Objectives
The Participants
For our research we interviewed four of TxI’s current clients who had experience with their onboarding and ad approval process. We were able to get more insight on how they interact with the spreadsheet for the approval process.
Overall, much of the research reflected each business had different needs. We needed to prioritize, so we decided to used our target users (super + Aura) to help prioritize findings and our persona
What We Discovered
Based on our insights, we found that the users had varying needs—some interacted with their PMs, others with legal, and some required better understanding of updates.
However, a common theme emerged: users wanted to feel in control. The current approval process and spreadsheet contributed to a sense of chaos, stemming from a lack of relevant information. Despite these frustrations, users expressed strong trust in TXI and appreciated working with the team.
Along with improving the ad review and approval process, TXI also aimed to create an onboarding experience that could cater to various team members. They wanted to implement brand messaging and guiding principles to provide clients with clear direction and support throughout the process.
Client Requests
1
Onboarding
2
Approval/Review
3
Brand Messaging Guidelines
The Problem
Our clients shared that their reliance on Google spreadsheets and email communication led to inefficiencies and data chaos. Wanting to move away from this disorganized system, they sought a polished, streamlined ad approval process that would maintain brand consistency, enhance the user experience, and present TXI as a more professional, established business beyond their current bootstrap approach.
To kick off the project, we met with stakeholders from Traffic By Intent (TXI), an AI performance marketing startup focused on optimizing ad campaigns for businesses. Our goal was to identify challenges and gather insights on their current ad approval process.
CLIENT INTERVIEW
RESEARCH
OUTCOME
The newly designed TXI ad approval platform has streamlined workflows and increased user control, leading to faster decision-making and improved collaboration. Users now feel more confident and supported, enhancing their overall experience. By integrating user feedback, the platform is not only responsive to current needs but also adaptable for future enhancements.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
OBJECTIVE
TXI is an AI performance marketing company focused on helping businesses improve their ad performance. By using advanced AI technology, TXI optimizes ad campaigns for companies. TXI faced significant challenges in their ad approval process due to reliance on spreadsheets, leading to data chaos. Users felt overwhelmed, struggled to manage the approval workflow, and had difficulty communicating updates. This disorganization slowed down campaign launches and impacted client satisfaction, highlighting the need for a more streamlined solution.
The objective of the TXI project was to streamline their ad approval process by replacing inefficient spreadsheets with a centralized platform that improved usability, maintained brand consistency, and enhanced collaboration.
TIMELINE
TEAM
ROLE
TOOLS
3 Week Sprint
3 people
UX Research, UX Design
Figma/Figjam, G-Suite
Traffic by Intent Ad Approval Platform
IDEATION
LOW
HIGH
EFFORT
HIGH
YES
MAYBE
NO
MAYBE
HMW set reminders to help users stay on task and make sure all approvals are up to date?
Managing Scheduling
Managing Spreadsheet
Visuals
Maintaining Trust
HMW make the overload of ads more manageable to go through? - for filtering new/existing
HMW make it easy to navigate the time-frames for ads? (eg. next quarter, what’s coming up?
HMW make the data more visual?
HMW make it easy for our users to see changes and updates made to the spreadsheet?
HMW we create a database of commonly asked questions by other users?
HMW make the platform for more than just the approval (eg. training, onboarding)
HMW make the overload of ads more manageable to go through?- for all future projects?
HMW make it so that ads are already decisioned by an AI
HMW create success stories of similar companies during onboarding?
HMW we use TxI’s robot mascot to build trust?
PRIORITY MATRIX
We used a priority matrix to determine which ideas to pursue, focusing on those with the highest impact and feasibility. By categorizing our findings into themes, we concentrated on the top-left quadrant of the matrix. This led us to four key areas for solution development: enhancing spreadsheet management with new features, incorporating visual guides for users, providing accessible resources for information, and fostering trust throughout the platform.
HOW MIGHT WE
With a clearer understanding of the process and Monica’s challenges, we moved into the ideation phase. Using a collaborative approach called How Might We (HMW), we brainstormed creative solutions to address the pain points. This method helped us narrow down the best ideas that could potentially lead to impactful solutions.
HOW MIGHT WE...
Explore the POSITIVE
Explore the OPPOSITE
SLICE the Problem
Identify UNEXPECTED
TESTING
USABILITY TESTING
We turned our sketches into low/mid-fidelity wireframes and prepared them for testing.
Research Objective
How successfully can users use the flow to approve ads in a timely manner and receive final confirmation? Do they feel more in control?
Final Sketches
Evaluating Test Findings
∙ To-Do’s should be more specific
∙ The amount of notifications/red bubbles on the page felt overwhelming
∙ Wanted less spacing at the top for additional room on the page.
∙ Wanted access to brand guidelines on this page to be able to look at while reviewing ad copy.
∙ Review section was confusing because it was unclear who was reviewing what.
∙ Felt no need for a dedicted new/existing column
∙ This page seemed too formal and unnecessary.
∙ Users wanted the option for partial approval in case they wanted time to think about some ads.
VISUAL DESIGN
COLOR AND LOGO
Robot Poses
Headline 1
Headline 2
Subheading
Poppins Bold 60
Poppins Light 40
Poppins Bold 30
Poppins is also used as the subtext. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nec massa diam lectus sed euismod tempus duis neque. Diam faucibus gravida vulputate nulla tellus vitae.
Montserrat is used for GRAPHS!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Porta sed aliquam amet nisl adipiscing amet quam. Malesuada leo dui rutrum pellentesque augue diam in ullamcorper.
TEXT GUIDE
TxI’S BRAND REFERENCE KIT
TXI provided us with a Brand Reference Kit to maintain brand style throughout the final design
View More Work
TAKEAWAYS
NEXT STEPS
Onboarding
Doing more research on how users go through the onboarding process and to find out what would make this the most helpful to help set them up for a successful partnership
Messaging/Feedback
Develop out the messaging and feedback section on the approval page to make collaboration easy and seamless, all done in one space
Further Testing Across Teams (Legal, PMM)
Talk to other members that marketers might collaborate with and see what they need in order to help
Users need access to a collaborative and informative centralized platform that allows them to manage ads because they want to feel in control making approvals so they can execute marketing campaigns.
THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Landing Page
My Account
Billing
My Plan
Support
FAQ
Help
Report Analysis
Approve/Review
Calendar
Brand Messaging Guidelines
Onboarding
Paid Membership
Free Trial
Must Haves
Red Flags
Users, Status, and Campaign
Ad Reviews + Approval + Feedback
Brand Messaging Guidelines
Confirmation Sign Off
Traditional Ads
Dynamic Ads
Before Deployment
Deployment Day
Ad Ingredient Overview
Post Deployment (Pilot Period)
After conducting our research, we gained a clearer understanding of the approval process and key user pain points. To visualize the platform, we developed a site map.
While we initially planned to address multiple areas—onboarding, brand guidelines, and the approval process—user feedback and time constraints led us to prioritize focusing on the approval process. Given the two-week timeline, this allowed us to tackle the most critical issues first while leaving room for future enhancements.
SITE MAP
Monica’s Pain Points
😵💫
😤
😟
😩
🙁
Based on our research and interview insights, we outlined the steps Monica would take during the approval process and mapped out potential pain points she might encounter at each stage. This helped us pinpoint where improvements were needed to enhance her overall experience.
To make timely approvals to execute marketing campaigns
To have alignment on process, timeframe, communication with her SEM company partners
To be aware of updates related to business, partnership, and process
GOALS
A centralized place to communicate and collaborate
Direction and understanding of where she is in the approval process
Visual content to facilitate approval/review process
NEEDS
MONICA MILLER
Age: 32
Location: San Francisco, CA
Occupation: Growth Marketing @ Chime
A new position at the company is opening up, and Monica wants to take on more responsibility to become the Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Chime.
Monica was created to represent our target users such as Super and Aura (fintech companies). Monica is a growth marketer who is executing her first marketing campaign. She serves as our guide to show us how she would go through the approval process and we used her throughout to serve her needs.
Meet Monica
USER PERSONA
☑
Features
Client
Traffic By Intent
Competitor #1
Motive Metrics
Competitor #2
Skai
Login
Dashboard
Metrics
Admin
Paid Search Integration
Manage Users
Billing
Support
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
☑
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
❌
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
We then looked at marketing competitors to determine how other companies handle their data. Overall, we found that they have centralized systems, dashboards with filters and sorting options, metrics, and logins to help facilitate a polished, formal platform usable to their customers, a need for TXI’s users.
HEURISTICS EVALUATION
We conducted heuristic evaluations on the current spreadsheet used for the ad approval process. This involved assessing the usability of the spreadsheet against established user experience principles to identify areas of improvement.
Key Findings
User Control and Freedom
Users felt restricted in their ability to manipulate data. The spreadsheet's design did not allow for easy customization or navigation, leading to frustration and a lack of control over the approval process.
Clearer Workflows
The workflow within the spreadsheet was convoluted, making it difficult for users to complete tasks efficiently, especially if they were being given hundreds of lines of copy. This hindered their ability to make timely approvals and affected overall productivity.
Visibility of System Status
Users lacked clear indicators of their current progress within the approval process. This made it challenging to understand where they were in the workflow, contributing to confusion and reduced trust in the system.
USER RESEARCH
Our objectives were to understand the user journey for both the onboarding and approval stages, uncover their experiences and frustrations, and envision what an ideal flow might look like for the users.
Objectives
The Participants
For our research we interviewed four of TxI’s current clients who had experience with their onboarding and ad approval process. We were able to get more insight on how they interact with the spreadsheet for the approval process.
Overall, much of the research reflected each business had different needs. We needed to prioritize, so we decided to used our target users (super + Aura) to help prioritize findings and our persona
What We Discovered
Based on our insights, we found that the users had varying needs—some interacted with their PMs, others with legal, and some required better understanding of updates.
However, a common theme emerged: users wanted to feel in control. The current approval process and spreadsheet contributed to a sense of chaos, stemming from a lack of relevant information. Despite these frustrations, users expressed strong trust in TXI and appreciated working with the team.
Users felt frustrated
with the communication
Users have preferences about the approval process.
Users value their partnerships.
One user tends to be the main point of contact
Users want better categorization of the spreadsheet and see reason for change
Along with improving the ad review and approval process, TXI also aimed to create an onboarding experience that could cater to various team members. They wanted to implement brand messaging and guiding principles to provide clients with clear direction and support throughout the process.
Client Requests
1
Onboarding
2
Approval/Review
3
Brand Messaging Guidelines
The Problem
Our clients shared that their reliance on Google spreadsheets and email communication led to inefficiencies and data chaos. Wanting to move away from this disorganized system, they sought a polished, streamlined ad approval process that would maintain brand consistency, enhance the user experience, and present TXI as a more professional, established business beyond their current bootstrap approach.
To kick off the project, we met with stakeholders from Traffic By Intent (TXI), an AI performance marketing startup focused on optimizing ad campaigns for businesses. Our goal was to identify challenges and gather insights on their current ad approval process.
CLIENT INTERVIEW
RESEARCH
OUTCOME
The newly designed TXI ad approval platform has streamlined workflows and increased user control, leading to faster decision-making and improved collaboration. Users now feel more confident and supported, enhancing their overall experience. By integrating user feedback, the platform is not only responsive to current needs but also adaptable for future enhancements.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
OBJECTIVE
TXI is an AI performance marketing company focused on helping businesses improve their ad performance. By using advanced AI technology, TXI optimizes ad campaigns for companies. TXI faced significant challenges in their ad approval process due to reliance on spreadsheets, leading to data chaos. Users felt overwhelmed, struggled to manage the approval workflow, and had difficulty communicating updates. This disorganization slowed down campaign launches and impacted client satisfaction, highlighting the need for a more streamlined solution.
The objective of the TXI project was to streamline their ad approval process by replacing inefficient spreadsheets with a centralized platform that improved usability, maintained brand consistency, and enhanced collaboration.
TIMELINE
TEAM
ROLE
TOOLS
3 Week Sprint
3 people
UX Research, UX Design
Figma/Figjam, G-Suite
For this project, I took on multiple roles, serving as the UX Researcher, Project Manager, and Visual Designer. I participated in all client interviews with TXI, conducted two user interviews, and managed the project timeline to ensure all deadlines were met. Additionally, I led the design sketches and brought TXI’s robot mascot to life, contributing to both the branding and user experience.
MY ROLE
Traffic by Intent Ad Approval Platform
IDEATION
LOW
HIGH
EFFORT
HIGH
YES
MAYBE
NO
MAYBE
HMW set reminders to help users stay on task and make sure all approvals are up to date?
Managing Scheduling
Managing Spreadsheet
Visuals
Maintaining Trust
HMW make the overload of ads more manageable to go through? - for filtering new/existing
HMW make it easy to navigate the time-frames for ads? (eg. next quarter, what’s coming up?
HMW make the data more visual?
HMW make it easy for our users to see changes and updates made to the spreadsheet?
HMW we create a database of commonly asked questions by other users?
HMW make the platform for more than just the approval (eg. training, onboarding)
HMW make the overload of ads more manageable to go through?- for all future projects?
HMW make it so that ads are already decisioned by an AI
HMW create success stories of similar companies during onboarding?
HMW we use TxI’s robot mascot to build trust?
PRIORITY MATRIX
We used a priority matrix to determine which ideas to pursue, focusing on those with the highest impact and feasibility. By categorizing our findings into themes, we concentrated on the top-left quadrant of the matrix. This led us to four key areas for solution development: enhancing spreadsheet management with new features, incorporating visual guides for users, providing accessible resources for information, and fostering trust throughout the platform.
HOW MIGHT WE
With a clearer understanding of the process and Monica’s challenges, we moved into the ideation phase. Using a collaborative approach called How Might We (HMW), we brainstormed creative solutions to address the pain points. This method helped us narrow down the best ideas that could potentially lead to impactful solutions.
HOW MIGHT WE...
Explore the POSITIVE
Explore the OPPOSITE
SLICE the Problem
Identify UNEXPECTED
TESTING
USABILITY TESTING
We turned our sketches into low/mid-fidelity wireframes and prepared them for testing.
Research Objective
How successfully can users use the flow to approve ads in a timely manner and receive final confirmation? Do they feel more in control?
FINAL SKETCHES
Evaluating Test Findings
∙ To-Do’s should be more specific
∙ The amount of notifications/red bubbles on the page felt overwhelming
∙ Wanted less spacing at the top for additional room on the page.
∙ Wanted access to brand guidelines on this page to be able to look at while reviewing ad copy.
∙ Review section was confusing because it was unclear who was reviewing what.
∙ Felt no need for a dedicted new/existing column
∙ This page seemed too formal and unnecessary.
∙ Users wanted the option for partial approval in case they wanted time to think about some ads.
TAKEAWAYS
NEXT STEPS
Onboarding
Doing more research on how users go through the onboarding process and to find out what would make this the most helpful to help set them up for a successful partnership
Messaging/Feedback
Develop out the messaging and feedback section on the approval page to make collaboration easy and seamless, all done in one space
Further Testing Across Teams (Legal, PMM)
Talk to other members that marketers might collaborate with and see what they need in order to help
© Kathleen Cho 2025
chokathleen97@gmail.com
© Kathleen Cho 2025
chokathleen97@gmail.com
VISUAL DESIGN
COLOR AND LOGO
Robot Poses
Headline 1
Headline 2
Subheading
Poppins Bold 60
Poppins Light 40
Poppins Bold 30
Poppins is also used as the subtext. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Nec massa diam lectus sed euismod tempus duis neque. Diam faucibus gravida vulputate nulla tellus vitae.
Montserrat is used for GRAPHS!
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur. Porta sed aliquam amet nisl adipiscing amet quam. Malesuada leo dui rutrum pellentesque augue diam in ullamcorper.
TEXT GUIDE
TxI’S BRAND REFERENCE KIT
TXI provided us with a Brand Reference Kit to maintain brand style throughout the final design