Improving Releases at JOOR with User-Centered Design and Operational Efficiency

As the Design Director at JOOR, Inc., a leading wholesale platform for fashion brands and retailers, I stepped into a dual role to lead a high-stakes initiative in the absence of a project manager. The project involved migrating outdated code on jooraccess.com, which provided an opportunity to modernize both the platform's backend infrastructure and its user experience. A key focus of this effort was a redesign of the global navigation system—a seemingly straightforward design task that was complicated by the challenges of deployment and user adoption.

While the navigation redesign itself was simple, the real challenge lay in delivering this update to our diverse global user base in a way that minimized disruption and maximized user satisfaction. The outdated beta testing process at JOOR forced features onto users without their consent, leading to frequent complaints, churn risks, and overburdened support teams. Recognizing this issue, I spearheaded the development of the Opt-in/Opt-out Tool, a user-centered solution that allowed users to choose when and how they engaged with new features.

By implementing this innovative tool, we not only streamlined the rollout of the new navigation but also reduced support workload, improved user sentiment, and restored trust across cross-functional teams. The project ultimately transformed our approach to beta testing and became a foundational element of JOOR's release strategy.

Background

JOOR, a global wholesale marketplace SaaS platform, faced significant challenges with product releases. Our users, predominantly in the fashion industry, operate within "Market" periods for eight months a year—critical sales periods where new functionality disruptions can have severe consequences. Previous releases, like the Order Review page redesign, resulted in over 400 Tier 1 support incidents within five months of the beta launch. This created operational fatigue for support teams and eroded cross-functional trust.

As Director of Product Design and acting Product Manager, I took on the challenge of launching a redesigned navigation bar (navBar) during this difficult period. The goals were to:

• Rebuild trust with internal teams and users.

• Minimize disruptions during beta testing.

• Increase feedback and satisfaction through user-driven participation.

Problem Statement

JOOR's traditional beta release process involved forcing functionality on entire user accounts. This approach created:

1. High support workloads due to opt-out requests.

2. Frustration among stakeholders, especially Customer Support and Product Support teams.

3. Low feedback participation rates make it difficult to iterate effectively.

The solution needed to:

• Target the right users for beta participation.

• Reduce support workload during beta phases.

• Enable users to control their experience while gathering actionable feedback.

Approach

I proposed a user-centric redesign of the beta testing process to address these issues, centered on the Opt-in/Opt-out Tool. Here's the step-by-step approach:

1. Stakeholder Alignment

• Conducted usability testing with internal teams to address concerns.

• Collaborated with customer and product support teams to prioritize beta release strategies and release timing.

2. User Selection Strategy

• Filtered beta participants based on usage behavior, language settings, and churn risk.

• Prioritized diverse groups, including non-English users, to test translations and UX across demographics.

3. Beta Testing Process

• Beta Group 1 (4,125 users): Focused on Pro Brands during a quiet period (Dec 4–Jan 1).

• Results: 48.6% participation, five incidents reported (0.24% issue rate)

• Beta Group 2 (4,553 users): Expanded group to refine features based on initial feedback.

• Results: 48.6% participation, three incidents reported (0.17% issue rate).

4. Opt-in/Opt-out Tool Implementation

• Designed and implemented the widget to allow users to enable or disable new features.

• Incorporated a sentiment feedback mechanism to capture user opinions.

Results

1. Quantitative Metrics

• Participation Rates: The average participation rate across beta groups was 48.6% before the Opt-in/Opt-out tool. The average participation rate with the tool is 54%.

• navBar incident Rates: Reduced to <0.25% (5 incidents per group). 

• navBar launched with the tool: 0

2. Feedback Submission: Sentiment survey responses increased significantly with the Opt-in/Opt-out tool. (From 0 to 77)

3. Sentiment Feedback

• User responses varied, with highlights including:

• Positive: "Great work! So much easier to use."

• Negative: "Not user-friendly—too disruptive."

• Poll Data: 31 users rated the new navigation “Great” vs. 3 rating it “Horrible.”

4. Operational Efficiency

• The support team workload was reduced by eliminating manual opt-out requests.

• Immediate resolution of a critical internal menu issue during beta.

5. Stakeholder Satisfaction

• Support leaders deemed the navigation release “...the quietest in JOOR’s history.”

Key Innovations

1. Opt-in/Opt-out Tool: Enabled user autonomy and reduced operational strain.

2. Data-Driven Design: Leveraged behavioral data to target the right beta participants.

3. Cross-functional collaboration: Built trust by addressing stakeholder concerns early.

Lessons Learned

1. Start Small: Iterative testing with segmented user groups ensures smoother rollouts.

2. Empower Users: Allowing users to control their beta participation builds goodwill.

3. Centralize Feedback: Direct integration of sentiment tools drives higher response rates.

Next Steps

• Expand the Opt-in/Opt-out tool for all future feature launches.

• Refine sentiment collection to include detailed qualitative responses.

• Continue stakeholder engagement to improve internal processes.