Transfer
In October 2021, Zapier announced Transfer, a new experience with Zapier's platform.
In our initial findings, users reported that they didn't completely understand the difference between Transfer and our existing workflow experience (called a Zap).
I completed an audit of the content, and identified areas to be more informative, educational, and empowering.
- The UI copy mixed "Zap" terminology liberally with Transfer within the user interface (including "trigger" and "Zap").
- Content was very Zapier-centered instead of user-centered.
- We did not offer any examples of ways to use Transfer to accomplish common goals.
- There were no expectations set about the limited number of apps available to use during the beta.
- The icon we were using for Transfer was synonymous with data storage, and wasn't intuitive for the functionality.
Collaboration
- Reviewed survey responses from the product marketing team and noted that users liked to use Transfer to "repair" a Zapier workflow (Zap) that did not run. Together we advocated to add a path to access Transfer within the user flow for creating a new Zap.
- Worked with the designer to clarify distinct concepts for the "source" and "destination" for the user's data in the context of setting up a Transfer.
- Added a "Beta" tag and microcopy to set expectations on the limited number of apps available to use as a data source.
- Worked with the product manager and design systems team to update the icon to an arrow to more closely align with the functionality.
Solutions
In this screen, I made recommendations to center the user and their desired goal in the headline, instead of emphasizing the power of Zapier itself.
In the empty state for the new feature, I worked with the designer to create a more informative experience that centered the user's goals.
- Prompt the user to create a Transfer, instead of calling out that they don't have any created.
- Emphasized importing records and a batch process (based on user interviews and Google Search Console data) to illustrate what goals users can achieve.
- Added a link to a guide that walks users through how to set up and run a Transfer and suggests more common use cases.
The previous empty state for Transfer on the left, with edits applied to add more context, examples, and user-centered language on the right.
Results
- Adding context and resources to the empty state for Transfer resulted in a noticeable increase in new Transfers completed from the empty state.
- Adding a link to use Transfer within the traditional Zapier workflow (Zap) editor also led to an increase in usage.
- Transfer was well-received by users and partners on launch day with consistent feedback about the clarity of the user experience.
This new user experience still exists in Zapier today.
