Account Management - Consolidating User Account Types on RealtiWeb
LawyerDoneDeal - RealtiWeb Web Application
2024 - 3 months
Three types of accounts are supported on RealtiWeb: Administrator, Standard, and Basic User. With new projects in the development pipeline offering functionality exclusive to Administrator and Standard accounts, streamlining account management became essential to ensure more users can benefit from RealtiWeb's modernized tools and enhanced capabilities.
Role
UX Designer
Team
1 Design Lead, 1 Developer, 1 Consultant
Platform
Responsive Web
RealtiWeb is a leading Canadian conveyancing software designed for real estate lawyers and clerks to complete and close legal transactions. It offers tailored solutions unique to each province’s laws and regulations.
As the UX designer, I designed the process of transferring Basic user accounts into Standard accounts in order to allow more users to benefit from RealtiWeb's modernized tools and enhanced capabilities.
Context
*This project is under a NDA and the context has been slightly altered to protect confidential information. However, the design process, challenges, and solutions accurately reflect the nature of the original work. For more information, please contact me for more information about this project and my experience at LawyerDoneDeal.
The Problem
With Basic accounts being discontinued and replaced by Standard accounts in RealtiWeb, account administrators needed a seamless way to transition users without disrupting day-to-day workflows.
For users with a Basic account:
A workflow that allows Administrators to create for them a Standard account and ensure all information is seamlessly transferred
For users with both a Basic and Standard account:
A workflow that allows Administrators to correctly match the user’s Basic account with their Standard account and ensure all information is seamlessly transferred.
My Objectives
Provide administrators the flexibility to smoothly transition users at their discretion.
design a process where these changes can be completed without disrupting day-to-day workflows on RealtiWeb
simplify all possible actions to ensure the process is not tedious and monotonous
craft clear copy for the transition process to ensure Administrators understand the process and prevent data loss when transitioning out of Basic user accounts
The Biggest Challenges
Navigating Programming Constraints - The Developer’s Fear of Overwriting Existing Data
A major obstacle was the way Basic and Standard accounts were stored in the backend—each in separate databases. The lead developer was hesitant to allow direct data migration between the two tables due to the risk of overwriting critical information. This meant that while administrators needed a way to transition accounts smoothly, the databases themselves couldn’t directly exchange information.
The Solution
Despite the technical constraints, the front-end transition process needed to still feel intuitive and effortless for administrators.
My primary focus during the design process was to create a seamless account transition workflow for administrators before considering how existing technical constraints would impact the design. I collaborated closely with the developer, ensuring alignment between design and implementation.
Automating the Transition
To streamline the transition process and reduce manual workload, auto-matching was introduced. Users with both a Basic and Standard account were automatically paired based on their username. This eliminated the need for administrators to manually match every account, allowing them to focus only on cases requiring manual intervention.
Screen designs an Administrator comes across during the account transition process.
Designing with Safeguards to Preserve Existing Data
Several safeguards were implemented into the design to ensure a smooth and controlled transition, specifically for matching Basic accounts to Standard accounts.
Allow overwrite checkbox
Rewriting only the username in the backend
Using alerts for progressive disclosure
Allow Overwrite Checkbox
To give administrators control during the transition, my design lead suggested to add an "Allow Overwrite" checkbox. This step required administrators to explicitly confirm any changes, ensuring they took responsibility for the action and promoting careful decision-making during the account matching process.
Rewriting only the Username
In the backend, we ensured that only usernames were replaced when matching Basic and Standard accounts. Rather than overwriting existing data, new rows were created in the data table for any information being transferred. This approach preserved the integrity of existing data, preventing the loss of critical user information while updating the account details.
Using Alerts for Progressive Disclosure
To guide administrators through the transition process, alerts were strategically designed to escalate in urgency, gradually leading administrators to the Settings page to begin transitioning accounts. Each alert became more action-oriented, utilizing color and copy that pushed the user toward the next step while keeping the process clear and manageable.
Reflection
The Best Solution may not always be the Perfect Solution
The design process had a lot of back-and-forth with the development team to fully understand the limitations of working with two separate databases. As we explored these constraints, I had to iterate on the design multiple times to accommodate the technical realities we were facing.
In the end, the final design still had limitations, particularly with the auto-matching feature. Since it didn’t include the safeguard checkbox for overwriting information, not all data from Basic accounts could be fully transferred to the Standard one. To resolve this, we created a help article to address user questions and provide additional clarity.
Through this experience, I learned that the best solution isn’t always the perfect one. Sometimes, it's about finding the solution that works best within the given constraints. This project taught me the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and managing expectations in both design and development.