buzzfeed ad manager
Company
BuzzFeed
Year
2022-2023
Increasing the efficiency of the post-sales ad operations process using user insights and data. Saving over 3 hours/work week of
Overview
BuzzFeed Ad Manager is an internal B2B web tool that supports the The Ad Sales team. This team requires automated support to maintain ad campaign details, uploading creatives and trafficking branded formats to their destinations.
Our team collaborated with Sales stakeholders to launch an internal tool that reduced errors and gave our coworkers back some of their time.
My Role
Lead Product Designer
Team Lead
User Research Lead
Industry
Digital Media
Advertising
Service
UI/UX Design
User Research
Duration
1 Year
Fig. 2: Dashboard of BuzzFeed Ad Manager (BAM)
The Process
While our engineering leads rebuilt the API connections and backend framework for BAM, I began a research sprint to learn more about the work flow of the Ad Sales team. Insights from these interviews helped inform the overall information architecture of the updated dashboard.
Fig. 3: Evaluating information architecture
Socializing our Solution
The digital ad sales space is complex with a variety of agencies, exchanges and tools needed to work in tandem to deliver results. I created design artifacts to better communicate both internally and externally on the value of our team's work.
Fig. 4: Creating a visual artifact to bring simplicity to the complex ad market
Applying Insights from UXR
I recruited 10 members across the Account Management and Distribution teams to participate in virtual work studies. In these studies I was able to observe their work flow, highlight their frustrations and identify key moment where errors could go unnoticed.
Fig. 5: Creating alternate table views for different BAM users
Building and Testing
In order to reach our launch deadline for the relaunch of BAM I used the sprint framework to handoff designs as solutions were found. Our team held weekly project meeting to ensure we were all marching towards the same goals.
Fig. 6: Creating alternate table views based on user's need
Fig. 7: Building flexible forms for the ad creation surface
Impact + Reflections
In our quarterly survey (Q4 2022) of BuzzFeed Ad Manager users 75% of users were extremely satisfied with the tool and 95% reported increased efficiency in their work flow. This improvement translates to giving users back 30 minutes/day to work on tasks that require creative thought.
BuzzFeed Ad Manager as a system benefitted from the knowledge of the users. Since its launch, so much about the ad operations landscape has changed and with that came the need for change in the system.
Fig. 8: A new look to BAM's Ad Creator experience