Adobe Connect_
Introducing a web app and transforming the outdated experience of a legacy conferencing app using Adobe’s new design system
Adobe Connect is B2B product targeted at companies that need reliable, secure, and highly customizable virtual conferencing solutions for hosting large scale interactive webinars, trainings, and virtual collaboration. I led design strategy and execution to completely overhauled the outdated desktop app experience into a modern, accessible one using Adobe’s latest design system, significantly enhancing usability, boosting user engagement, and increasing retention rate and designed the new web app to introduce a new touchpoint for increasing user acquisition.
Platform - Web & desktop app
Team - 2PMS, 1 Design Manager, 1 Product Designer
Role - Design strategy, UX design, Design Systems, Prototyping
Duration - 2.5years
1. The business problem + context
Until 2017, all Adobe employees used Adobe Connect for their work meetings. However, Adobe decided to switch to BlueJeans, which was more affordable and had a better user experience. This prompted a key question in my mind: If the Adobe Connect team couldn't convince Adobe employees to stick with its own in-house conferencing solution, how could they convince their customers?
By Q3 2017, Adobe Connect’s customer retention rate dropped by 18%, resulting in a revenue loss of $XX million. Why were we losing customers?
Product cost is too high compared to competitors
Obsolete tech stack causing usability and feasibility issues
2. The design opportunity
I joined the Adobe Connect product team in Q1 2018 as the sole designer at this pivotal point when the engineering team decided to move on from Adobe Flash to React js.
Adobe Connect had not received any significant design system updates since its launch in 2005. It felt like clunky software from the early 2000s, with too many features crammed into one screen. Many of these features were buggy, and the overall product performance was sluggish.
How might we modernise user exprience to meet the evolving needs of the remote work culture?
This presented an ideal opportunity to:
Leverage a design system that could introduce consistency and efficiency.
Streamline the user experience across various workflows to address usability issues.
Adobe Connect before and after redesign
3. The strategy to build a scalable product foundation for growth
A complete product overhaul - from design to technology
Redesign the product using Adobe's latest design system, Spectrum, to deliver a modern, consistent, and intuitive user experience that breathes new life into this outdated product.
Rebuilt the product using latest and reliable technology stack; Html5 + React js. that allows the product to scale, create innovative solutions like better audio/ video quality, integrated dial-in telephony services and other features from the backlog.
1. Who are the customers?
Adobe Connect is B2B product targeted at companies that need reliable, secure, and highly customizable virtual conferencing solutions for hosting large scale interactive webinars, trainings, and virtual collaboration.
1.5M Users
Around 1 million users from government agencies and educational institutions in North America and Europe make up the largest portion of the customer base. This is followed by 0.8 million users in training & consultings, and the remaining 0.7 million users in corporate enterprises worldwide.
Focus on e-learning users
Data indicates that 73% of lost customers (approximately 182,500 users) were from the education and training sector. Consequently, we decided to focus our efforts on improving the experience for users in this sector.
2. User roles with in the product
The product has 3 user roles that mimic the real world conference responsibilities.
The Host
A host creates Adobe Connect rooms to enable activities planned for the session. He invites users to participate in the session and moderates the session. Host controls who gets to speak and share screen/ desktop/ documents.
The Presenter
Leads the sessions by talking to the participant and sharing screen/ desktop/ documents.
The Participant
Based on the rights granted by the hosts, participants can speak, chat, view content, participate in polls and breakout session the sessions by talking to the participant and sharing screen/ desktop/ documents.
3. User personas
I conducted interview with the customer success managers and in house product experts to define the user personas in the e-learning industry.
I wanted to redesign product experience that will match the users expectation and will have edge in a highly competitive market Working closely with the product manager and a few engineers, we performed an extensive review and benchmarking of Adobe Connect against six leading online conferencing platforms: Zoom, BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Google Meet, and GoToMeeting.
1. Familiarizing myself with other conferencing solutions
I focused on reviewing the user experience for the following flows:
Onboarding - sign up and download appLogin
Joining a meeting - Select meeting
Joining audio video conference
Engaging with content - viewing screen chat, reactions, collaboration
Sharing content - screen share, file share - pdf, videos
Collaboration - breakout rooms, whiteboards
Recording and playing back recordings
2. Insights form competitor analysis
Ease of Use and Accessibility and Are Key Drivers
Top conferencing platforms focus on easy access, letting users join meetings quickly with minimal setup. This simplicity reduces friction, improving user satisfaction and driving adoption.
Customization Is a Competitive Differentiator
Customizable platforms let users tailor their environments for webinars and trainings. However, when these features are hidden in complex interfaces, it detracts from the overall experience.
Collaboration Tools Are Essential for Engagement
Platforms with intuitive collaboration features like breakout rooms, polls, and chat see higher engagement. These tools are essential for interactive sessions in education and corporate settings.
Clear and Reliable
Audio and Video Experience
High-quality audio and video are essential for effective virtual communication. Platforms that provide clear and reliable audio and adaptive video perform better in low-bandwidth environments, minimizing disruptions.
Scalability and Performance Impact Large Events
Seamless scalability during large meetings is a key differentiator. Platforms that maintain performance with high participant volumes are valued for large webinars or trainings.
Cost and Integrated Features Drive Decision Making
Pricing is critical. Platforms offering integrated features like built-in telephony at lower costs are more appealing to budget-conscious users, reducing the need for multiple services.
Product release plan
To facilitate a seamless migration, I worked very closely with the product managers to define the scope of the next releases. The redesigned product with a new touchpoint would be rolled over 2 years with 2 big releases.
Project Timeline
1. Release 10 / MVP Web app for participant role
Our goal for the MVP release was to test the new experience with the participant role first.
The participant experience is less complex compared to the host/presenter experience, as all participant features are a subset of the host features. This helped us to define smaller scope for the MVP release.
We decided to introduced a new touchpoint, a web app for the participants. With the 2018 release, participants could join a session using a web browser with access to limited features. The approach would allow us to evaluate the new experience without any disruption to the existing desktop app experience.
The scope included redesigning key features, making incremental improvements to overall usability, and adding new, useful features that address key user pain points.
Release 10 - Web app design plan
2. Release11 / Desktop app for all roles
The feedback collected from previous release informed the design decisions for the new product experience on desktop for all role - participant, host and presenter. In August 2020, Adobe Connect 11 had a successful release to launch the end to end redesigned experience.
1. Release 10 / MVP Web app for participant role
I broke down the product experience into phases that form a structured way to evaluate and optimize the user journey.
I broke down the product experience into phases that form a structured way to evaluate and optimize the user journey.
Defining sprint scope and goals
UX Analysis and Competitive Benchmarking
Collaboration with PM & customer success
Mockup Creation
Stakeholder Reviews and Design Iteration
High-Fidelity Design & Prototype
Gorilla Usability Tests
UX Walkthrough
D E S I G N
The design principles are derived from the user insights by analyzing user archetypes, understanding their needs and pain points. These 3 principles address the fundamental needs of the diverse user base—spanning educational institutions, government agencies, and consulting/training professionals.
1. Efficiency
Users, whether students, government employees, or professionals, value tools that help them save time and reduce complexity to enhance learning experience. They want to focus on the content or collaboration rather than dealing with technical hurdles or unnecessary steps. This aligns with their desire for smooth access, quick setup, and streamlined navigation.
2. Engagement
In virtual environments, active participation is critical to keeping users involved. Whether it's a student in a class, an employee in a workshop, or a trainee in a corporate session, users seek meaningful ways to connect with the content and the people around them. This value emphasizes the importance of interaction, collaboration, and being able to contribute effectively.
3. Empowerment
Users need to feel in control of their experience, be it through customization, clear communication, or having reliable, secure systems. Empowerment also means that users can trust the platform to meet their professional goals, support inclusivity, and give them confidence that their work or learning will not be disrupted by usability or technical issues.
The high-fidelity mockups showcased here are the result of a rigorous iterative design process. This process involved close collaboration with product management and customer success teams to align on user needs and business goals. I worked alongside the design manager and system designer to ensure consistency with Adobe’s design system, incorporating feedback from stakeholder and customer critique sessions to refine each feature. Regular UX walkthroughs with engineering were crucial in validating feasibility and aligning on implementation, ensuring that each design decision translated smoothly into the final product.
For the UX design I had deep engagement with the design system—not just as a set of rules to follow but as a living framework to work within, adapt, and improve for the benefit of both current and future designs.
Using the right component the right way
I applied the Spectrum design system’s components thoughtfully, ensuring that each element—whether buttons, icons, or form fields—was used as intended to maintain Adobe’s standards for accessibility and consistency. Given Adobe Connect’s existing complexity, this approach helped me to improve usability. By following Spectrum’s design principles, I ensured that the product looked and felt like an Adobe tool, enhancing brand coherence and usability.
Extending component capabilities
In redesigning Adobe Connect, some user needs required capabilities that the standard Spectrum components didn’t fully address. For example, adapting components to handle unique conferencing features (like custom layouts for hosts) would allow you to meet specific requirements without deviating from Spectrum’s foundational guidelines. This likely included adding flexibility to existing components, which helped maintain a familiar user experience while adding functionality unique to Adobe Connect’s conferencing environment.
Contributing to the
design system
As the project progressed, I developed new patterns or design solutions that could be shared back with Spectrum, enriching the design system with learnings from Adobe Connect’s needs. By identifying gaps in the existing system, such as layouts or components better suited for virtual collaboration, I contributed to making Spectrum a more versatile toolkit for other teams. This strengthened the design system, enabling it to support Adobe Connect and other future products more effectively.
Design iterations for key screens - Home, Sign-in, Audio/ Video Conference Options, Meeting Room
Handover to engineers
Through close collaboration with developers, we created clear guidelines and documentation, ensuring alignment between design and development.
To gather feedback from stakeholders I organized many design critique session. These sessions helped me to align design efforts with the stakeholders expectations and to gather useful feedback and comments from people who are not directly involved the product design process.
UX walkthrough with customer success
Attended the customer success conference in Washington DC where the high fidelity prototype was presented to 250+ attendees. The sales reps are are power user and this UX walkthrough session with them was an engaging experience. We received positive feedback, questions and concerns regarding the proposed user experience. It was a valuable opportunity to gather insights from a diverse group of individuals.
Interactive demo sessions with customers
Leading up to the release of Adobe Connect 10, we hosted three live demo sessions with customers online within the new build product. These sessions provided customers with hands-on experience of the upcoming release and helped us to collect feedback to guide design decisions for future releases. These sessions also assured that the redesigned experience meets the preferences of the customers.
D E L I V E R
Adobe Connect 11
NEW
Home
It is used to launch rooms and it also houses all the rooms you have visited in the past. In the new home you can setup your audio and video preferences or configure some useful settings to help you join sessions seamlessly.
NEW
Sign in
Enables frictionless access for internal and external participants without compromising security. This screen is fully customisable. Customers can add their logo and change the image to align it with their company’s branding
NEW
Audio Video options
A lobby screen with easy Mic, Speaker, Camera setup and testing options before entering the Adobe Connect room.
Connect Room
The Adobe room is full customisable. Host can choose from 9 different pods to create multiple layouts and cater to an engaging and collaborative conference experiences.
NEW
Managing layouts made easier with a wider panel. Users can now search, select and copy/paste multiple layouts.
NEW
NEW
NEW
NEW
Recordings
Interactive recording playback that feel just as real as the live sessions. The host of the session can even edit the recording to clip out certain activities or any particular portions of few secs/mins. These curated recordings serve as comprehensive on-demand e-learning content.
After the launch in 2020, Adobe Connect’s NPS increased from +20 to +40, in reflecting a significant boost in user satisfaction. The outdated, complex experience gave way to a streamlined web app, enhanced usability, and improved performance, particularly in audio/video quality.
50% increase in live online learning events over four years
“With Adobe Connect, our lecturers enjoy using multiple Share pods simultaneously, such as displaying a slide deck in one pod while inputting annotations or equations in a second pod. You can’t do that with other similar products.”
Zoe Gipson
Product Development Manager
The Open University
Made eLearning accessible to over 300,000 members
“We set out to make content creation and distribution simpler, quicker, and more user-friendly. That’s certainly happening, but I am just as thrilled to see how the new technologies we’ve put in place have turned every educator at USMC into a potential content creator.”
Larry Smith
Director of Educational Technology
US Marine Corps
80% lesser in-person training with effective virtual sessions
“With Adobe Connect, trainers know if learners are engaged or if they need help with the content, taking the guesswork out of managing classrooms and participation. Delivering content seamlessly with a high level of interaction makes the training effective.”
Rachel Argen
Instructor-Led Training Manager
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union
Measuring the impact of a redesign project requires a holistic view, combining metrics that assess design impact, user satisfaction, and business performance.
30% Increase in Adoption
The introduction of the web app removed major barriers to entry, making it easier for participants to access meetings without downloading additional software. This increase in adoption reflects how streamlining access significantly improved user engagement, especially for participants joining via browsers.
50% Reduction in Time on Task
Core actions, such as joining a meeting, now take half the time compared to the previous version. This improvement in efficiency has enhanced the overall user experience, allowing participants to focus on the content rather than navigating the platform.
5% Increase in Retention Rate
The retention rate grew from 85% to 90% post-redesign, driven by improvements in usability, performance, and user satisfaction. The seamless, more intuitive experience kept users engaged, reducing churn and strengthening customer loyalty.