We recently spoke with Ratomir Jovanovic (Head of Product Operations) and Jason Nelligan (Senior Software Engineer), about Webio's new UI redesign, which revealed a thoughtful blend of innovation, user-centric design, and forward-thinking features, such as - 
With the new AI developments, the Webio platform required a new vehicle for them to be used to their fullest effect, and so the new Webio UI was created. One of the design aims was to enhance agent experience by putting the power of AI into the hands of the agents themselves.
By facilitating a perfect combination of AI and agents working hand-in-hand, the quality of customer engagement improves. This harmonious blend brings the right levels of human intimacy and AI efficiency where each works to their strengths.
The results: increased agent productivity, better query resolution and happier customers.
Here’s what Ratomir and Jason had to say about the drivers behind the UI design.
The masterminds behind the new UI aimed to simplify the UI to make the powerful AI features more accessible and user-friendly with a light-weight styling that is easy on the eye. The team developed a scalable design system that allows for quick enhancements and the addition of new functionalities. This philosophy reflects a deep understanding of the users' needs and a commitment to delivering an effortless customer and agent experience without compromising on power or flexibility.
Right now we are in an era of automation and AI, and so Webio started from a position of thinking how AI can help agents to facilitate conversations. The design team identified user problems and worked from there towards a solution that best presents AI to the agents who use the Webio platform.
The new UI introduces several key elements poised to improve the user experience. Among these, the Conversation Board feature stands out, promising to offer an intuitive and interactive way of viewing conversations. Set to be released in 2024, it has great potential to enhance how agents manage conversations.
Furthermore, the new visual Bot Builder has already made waves, simplifying the creation of campaigns and bots by graphically representing the bot's workflow with drag-and-drop elements, making it easier to understand and use. The added AI Bot Builder feature is due for release later in 2024 which will equip users with even more tools to build sophisticated bots, quicker.
Webio's design process is deeply rooted in customer feedback and the approach begins with identifying the problems customers face. The Conversation Board feature, for instance, was developed directly from customer sessions, showcasing the team's commitment to addressing real user problems and needs. This approach not only ensures that the UI meets actual user demands but also fosters a sense of community and involvement among Webio's clientele. 
Jason Nelligan, one of the key figures behind Webio’s UI design evolution, gives us more insight into the technical prowess driving the changes.
Tackling Complexity with Innovation
One of the big challenges in reworking the UI was developing the Bot Builder section. This feature (a personal favourite of both Ratomir and Jason) required creating an interactive drag-and-drop functionality, rendering elements correctly, and connecting steps using interactive edges to illustrate the bot's workflow. It was more than the visual appeal but also about integrating the UI with the backend, ensuring a smooth and intuitive experience for the user.
Enhancing Performance and Efficiency
The new UI improves performance with technical adeptness, for example, by calling the API only when needed which improves data retrieval speed. Other smart tech usage includes the likes of code splitting and lazy loading to break down the application into smaller chunks and reduce load times.
Looking ahead, the future looks promising, with several more features planned for 2024, marking the beginning of an exciting journey of growth and innovation for Webio and its users. Finally, the new UI isn't just about aesthetics, it's a thoughtful convergence of user-friendly design, advanced AI features, and a customer-centric approach, all geared towards empowering users to make full use of Webio’s AI expertise.
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