UX DESIGN
UX Case Study: Usability Improvements for Ceretax Tax Automation Software
*Please be advised that the product discussed in this Case Study is protected by an NDA. Only my role, decisions and actions are an accurate representation based on the archived data for the purpose of protecting my agreement with Ceretax.
WORKFLOW
Research & Discovery
Ideation & Wireframing
Usability Testing
Dev Handoff & Collaboration
TEAM
Magali Secilio
Product Manager
Development Team
TIMELINE
2023
2 months
PRODUCT
CereTax 2024
Metrics
business
Feature engagement increase
Improved usability
Optimized complex data
users
Intuitive UI
Time on task
Project Overview
As a UX/UI Designer at Ceretax, I was tasked with enhancing the usability of key product areas to improve user engagement. The product serves accountants, tax consultants, and business owners with in-depth tax compliance knowledge, requiring an efficient and intuitive design to match their expertise.
The software's complex Navigation buried essential features deep within multiple layers, causing users to underutilize advanced functionalities. Another pain point was the over-reliance on pop-ups, which created friction and disrupted workflows. My primary objectives were:
Improve feature discoverability and user engagement.
Replace disruptive pop-ups with a more user-friendly interaction model.
Create intuitive table designs where multiple rows and columns are interactive.
Challenges & Opportunities
LOW FEATURE ENGAGEMENT
Key functionalities were hidden under excessive layers of navigation, resulting in user frustration and limited adoption.
OVERUSE OF POP-UPS
Users encountered multiple pop-ups consecutively, which disrupted workflows and led to complaints.
Complex Data Presentation
The product relied heavily on tables, where many rows or columns needed to be interactive, which users found confusing.
OPPORTUNITY
Simplify the user experience while maintaining the depth and complexity of features required by knowledgeable users.
My Role & Responsibilities
Conducted stakeholder interviews and gathered insights from product managers and support teams to identify areas with usability issues.
Analyzed user behavior patterns to understand how users navigated hidden features.
Explored alternative interaction models to replace pop-ups with less disruptive UI patterns.
Designed interactive tables with intuitive cues to help users navigate complex datasets.
Collaborated with developers to ensure the feasibility of proposed solutions and align them with business goals.
Design Process
1.RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY
I collaborated with internal stakeholders and teams to identify the product’s key usability issues. Product managers reported that important features — such as “Tax Calculation Overrides” and “Filing History by Jurisdiction” — were underused because they were buried under nested tables. Additionally, support teams flagged user frustration with repetitive pop-ups during data entry and report generation.
Design Process
2.ideation and wireframing
Based on these findings, I outlined three key design goals:
Improve Navigation: Restructure feature access by reducing menu depth and surfacing important functions with shortcuts.
Replace Pop-Ups: Introduce drawers and tabs to present supplementary information without disrupting the main workflow.
Enhance Table Usability: Make interactive elements within tables easy to recognize and use.
I sketched low-fidelity wireframes to explore potential solutions and shared them with stakeholders for feedback. After several iterations, I moved to high-fidelity mockups, focusing on:
Drawer-based navigation to replace intrusive pop-ups.
Tabbed layouts to consolidate content within a single view.
Interactive table cues (e.g., row highlights, tooltips, and inline actions) to clarify how users could interact with data.
Design Process
3.usability testing
I conducted usability testing sessions with six internal users familiar with the software. The testing focused on two core scenarios:
Navigating features previously hidden under multi-level menus.
Interacting with tables containing editable rows and clickable columns.
Test Results:
Navigation Success Rate: 90% of participants found the targeted features faster compared to the old design.
Reduction in Disruption: 85% of users preferred drawers and tabs over pop-ups for supplementary tasks.
Table Usability: Participants reported that the new interactive cues made it easier to understand where to click or edit data.
Design Process
4.development handoff and collaboration
I worked closely with developers to translate the designs into a functional product. I provided interactive prototypes and detailed design specifications to ensure a smooth implementation. Regular check-ins throughout the sprint cycles allowed us to address technical challenges early and keep the project on track.
Outcomes
QUANTITATIVE RESULTS
Feature Engagement: Engagement with hidden features increased by 35% within the first month of launch.
User Workflows: Completion time for certain workflows improved by 20%
Pop-Up Replacement Success: 75% of users reported that drawers and tabs improved their experience by reducing disruptions.
Qualitative Feedback:
qualitative feedback
"The new navigation makes it so much easier to find what I need without digging through menus."
"I love the use of drawers — I can focus on my task without getting interrupted by pop-ups."
Lessons Learned
This project reinforced the importance of minimizing workflow disruptions while balancing feature depth with ease of use. By using drawers and tabs, I was able to deliver a smoother user experience without compromising functionality. Collaborating with developers early in the process also ensured that my designs were technically feasible and aligned with business priorities.
Work
Maggie Secilio
Contact
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