Algolia New Navigation

As the Senior Product Designer, I led the redesign of our navigation system, guided by extensive user feedback and research. The new design enhances user experience, improves functionality, and supports our expanding range of products.

Role
Senior Product Designer
Team
2 Product Designers, 3 Frontend Engineers, 1 Product Manager
Research
User Interviews, Analytics, Usability Testing
Platform
Web
Timeline
6 months (2022)
Algolia New Navigation

Project Overview

Algolia's rapid growth led to an expanding product suite, making the existing navigation system increasingly complex and difficult to scale. Our goal was to create a new navigation system that would accommodate our growing product offerings while improving user experience and maintaining clarity.

Navigation system before and after comparison

The Challenge

We faced several key challenges in redesigning the navigation:

  • Complex product hierarchy with multiple levels of navigation
  • Different user types with varying needs and permissions
  • Need to maintain familiarity while introducing new features
  • Performance considerations for global deployment

Research & Discovery

Our research phase included:

User research and interview sessionsNavigation analytics dashboard
  • Analysis of user behavior data and navigation patterns
  • Interviews with 25+ users across different segments
  • Competitive analysis of similar B2B products
  • Technical feasibility studies with the engineering team

Design Process

1. Information Architecture

We restructured the navigation hierarchy to better reflect user mental models and common workflows, reducing the number of clicks needed to access key features.

Information architecture diagram

2. Interaction Design

We developed new interaction patterns that maintain context while navigating between different sections, including a new quick-access menu for frequently used features.

3. Visual Design

The new design system emphasizes clarity and hierarchy while maintaining consistency with our brand identity. We introduced new visual cues to help users understand their current location and available actions.

4. Prototyping & Testing

We created high-fidelity prototypes and conducted multiple rounds of usability testing to validate our design decisions and gather feedback.

Navigation prototype iteration 1Navigation prototype iteration 2Navigation prototype iteration 3

Implementation

The implementation was rolled out in phases:

  • Beta testing with select customers
  • Gradual rollout to different user segments
  • Monitoring and addressing feedback
  • Performance optimization and bug fixes

Results & Impact

Performance metrics and user satisfaction results

The new navigation system has been well-received by users and has shown significant improvements:

  • 30% reduction in time spent navigating between features
  • 25% decrease in support tickets related to navigation
  • 92% positive feedback from user satisfaction surveys
  • Improved scalability for future product additions