Reimagined Campaign Dashboard

Opportunity

During my work researching a potential new feature making it easier to find and select templates, it became clear that we had larger issues than simply choosing templates. While not originally in scope, several frustrations surfaced repeatedly through user interviews and journey mapping.

In response, I initiated a side project: the Campaign Dashboard—a centralized basecamp designed to give users a clear, connected view of campaigns, including related templates, sends, and performance data.

I led the effort end-to-end: validating the need through research, and aligning across teams.. The result was a tangible improvement in both user experience and operational visibility, and a strong foundation for future product evolution

Approach

Once I realized during user interviews that there was confusion across the board around templates, I brought in all of the teams for a series of workshops where we went through all of the ways they choose and use templates - both outer newsletter templates and pre-made content templates. Frustrations were prevalent across the board, but these frustrations were farther reaching than just choosing templates. I documented every pain point and gathered several overarching themes in ways we needed to improve not just around templates - but how our users work in Carta across the board.

Some of the largest pain points throughout both teams were difficulty of locating and reusing past campaign content, a misunderstanding of the term "Content Templates" (our premade content users can drop into an email newsletter), and struggles to differentiate between layout structures and actual campaign content.

Some of the largest pain points throughout both teams were difficulty of locating and reusing past campaign content, a misunderstood the term "Content Templates" (our premade content users can drop into an email newsletter), and struggle to differentiate between layout structures and actual campaign content.

While researching for creating a feature to make it easier to find and select templates, I uncovered a significant amount of issues. I first interviewed Newsroom, Engineering and Marketing users and when it became clear that we had larger issues than simply choosing templates, I brought in all of the teams for a series of workshops where we went through all of the ways they choose and use templates - both outer newsletter templates and pre-made content templates. Confusion and frustration were prevalent across the board. I documented every pain point and gathered several overarching themes in ways we needed to improve not just how users choose templates, but how our users work in Carta across the board.

Approach

While researching for creating a feature to make it easier to find and select templates, I uncovered a significant amount of issues. I first interviewed Newsroom, Engineering and Marketing users and when it became clear that we had larger issues than simply choosing templates, I brought in all of the teams for a series of workshops where we went through all of the ways they choose and use templates - both outer newsletter templates and pre-made content templates. Confusion and frustration were prevalent across the board. I documented every pain point and gathered several overarching themes in ways we needed to improve not just how users choose templates, but how our users work in Carta across the board.

Some of the largest pain points throughout both teams were difficulty of locating and reusing past campaign content, a misunderstood the term "Content Templates" (our premade content users can drop into an email newsletter), and struggle to differentiate between layout structures and actual campaign content.

Problems and Solutions

Problems and solutions

Template Problems

In Carta's current Campaigns section a user has to 1. find their Camapaign and then click into it. From there, they have several tabs they can choose from, but everything is hidden. To choose an outer email template the user has to 2. click into the Campaign Settings and scroll down to choose an Email Template. They have to know the name of their template to do this. If they want to add any kind of preset layout or content they need to build that by going into 3. the Content Templates tab and building a letter. If they want to change the look and feel of their email they can go into Campaign Settings again to edit their Template Options.

The word template is overused to a point that it's muddied and confusing. Furthermore there's no visual representation of what any kind template looks like, how it works, etc.

In Carta's current Campaigns section a user has to 1. find their Campaign and then click into it. From there, they have several tabs they can choose from, but everything is hidden. To choose an outer email template the user has to 2. click into the Campaign Settings and scroll down to choose an Email Template. They have to know the name of their template to do this. If they want to add any kind of preset layout or content they need to build that by going into 3. the Content Templates tab and building their layout. If they want to change the look and feel of their email they can go into Campaign Settings again to edit their Template Options.

The word template is overused to a point that it's muddied and confusing. Furthermore there's no visual representation of what any kind of templates looks like or how they work.

In Carta's current Campaigns section a user has to 1. find their Campaign and then click into it. From there, they have several tabs they can choose from, but everything is hidden. To choose an outer email template the user has to 2. click into the Campaign Settings and scroll down to choose an Email Template. They have to know the name of their template to do this. If they want to add any kind of preset layout or content they need to build that by going into 3. the Content Templates tab and building their layout. If they want to change the look and feel of their email they can go into Campaign Settings again to edit their Template Options.

The word template is overused to a point that it's muddied and confusing. Furthermore there's no visual representation of what any kind of templates looks like or how they work.

Solutions

In this reimagined dashboard, all of the information that a user needs is on one page, navigated to via sidebar. Instead of digging through tabs or clicking out to a separate Settings page, the user can click to their Settings then over to the Reusable Content section and back to the main area. Outer templates are still set in the Settings, but they're searchable and able to see visually if it's the template the user needs.

Content Templates would exist no more, replaced by a Reusable Content section that houses different types of reusable content that is searchable, tagged, and visually identifiable.

In this reimagined dashboard, all of the information that a user needs is on one page, navigated to via sidebar. Instead of digging through tabs or clicking out to a separate experience, the user can navigate to their Settings then over to the Reusable Content section and back to the main area. Outer templates are still set in the Settings, but they're searchable and easy to see.

Content Templates would exist no more, replaced by a Reusable Content section that houses different types of reusable content that are searchable, tagged, and visually identifiable.

In this reimagined dashboard, all of the information that a user needs is on one page, navigated to via sidebar. Instead of digging through tabs or clicking out to a separate experience, the user can navigate to their Settings then over to the Reusable Content section and back to the main area. Outer templates are still set in the Settings, but they're searchable and easy to see.

Content Templates would exist no more, replaced by a Reusable Content section that houses different types of reusable content that are searchable, tagged, and visually identifiable.

While the template naming and inability to find things in Carta were two of the larger issues, several smaller frustrations popped up throughout my interviews and workshops. Email and Content Templates weren't the only things users had difficulty finding. Carta has so many features hidden under so many tabs it's easy to get lost. Finding send metrics, viewing A/B test data, seeing which emails are sending, are part of an A/B test send, are in drafts, are in error states - all of these things are buried. This reimagined Campaigns Home section of the dashboard surfaces relevant information for that Campaign. A user can see what is sending or is scheduled to send, A/B test information and dynamic lists tied to that Campaign and most importantly, email metrics front and center.

Result

While the dashboard is still in progress, early responses have been overwhelmingly positive and the work has influenced Carta’s roadmap and inspired new ideas for how we bring clarity, insights, and connectedness to all of Creator Tools.

This project pushed me to think beyond UX polish and into system-wide strategy, research leadership, and cross-team design cohesion. I’m proud not just of the UI, but of how deeply I questioned assumptions and redesigned Carta’s Campaigns section from the ground up.

There’s more to do, but this project laid the groundwork for a more usable, unified, and impactful Carta experience.

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Email Letter Builder 👉

👈 Campaigns Dashboard