How I Revamped an Inefficient Editorial and Tripled Output
I transformed Brad’s Deals’ internal CMS dashboard from a daily bottleneck into a smooth, editor-friendly tool. Just a few weeks after launch, the team’s output had tripled: editors went from sharing 5 deals per day to 15. This meant over 25,000 extra deals posted per year, all without increasing the team size.
Before
After
Impact
3x Increase in Deals Shared
Editors increased their postings from an average of 5 deals per day to 15, resulting in over 100 deals daily for the entire team.
That’s thousands of additional deals published each month, boosting revenue by increasing affiliate link clicks, conversions, and merchant partnerships.
My Role as Lead Product Designer
User research, ideation, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, design system implementation, design handoff, design review
Platform
Desktop Web App
The Team
Product Designer (1)
Project Manager (1)
Engineers (2)
Brad’s Deals stands out from competitors due to its dedicated editorial team, who handpick every deal shared with shoppers. For over two decades, editors used a legacy content management system, ContentHub, to publish deals. By upgrading to a new CMS, Contentstack, the team gained a more flexible and efficient way to create, manage, and publish content. However, this transition introduced significant workflow changes that impacted the editorial team’s daily processes.
The Challenge
The New CMS Created an Unexpected Slowdown
After 20 years with ContentHub, the editorial team struggled to switch to Contentstack. The default interface was confusing; it required excessive clicks for simple tasks and didn’t provide a quick view for information that editors relied on. Workflows slowed down significantly and many editors continued using the old system for their tasks.
The Opportunity
Tailoring the CMS to Editor Needs
I noticed the team struggled with the confusing interface and saw a chance to improve the Contentstack experience to better support how the editors actually work. My goal was to observe their workflows, identify their shared needs, and convert a frustrating tool into a user-friendly interface that could fully replace the old platform.
Contentstack’s Default Dashboard Interface
Turning Feedback Into a Feature Strategy
Understanding the Workflow Challenges
The product manager and I met with each of the seven editors to discuss their experiences with the old and new platforms. We wanted to know what they liked about each CMS and where they faced challenges.
We examined their workflows and feedback and identified these pain points: editors wanted quick access to deal details, fewer steps to view past posts, and a dashboard layout that matched their workflow.
“There are so many steps for simple tasks”
“The dashboard view doesn’t provide helpful details”
“It’s hard to find anything”
“I have to click into every deal to see the details”
Why the New Layout Wasn’t Working
Contentstack provided greater flexibility, yet its default layout wasn’t suited to the editors’ workflows. Key deal details were hidden, action buttons were grouped in a menu, and too much whitespace made scanning difficult. Even basic tasks like viewing a deal’s coupon code required multiple steps. This slowed down the editorial workflow and caused daily friction.
Deal Preview in new CMS
Key Legacy Features Editors Loved
Several key features from ContentHub stood out as valuable to the editorial team:
Deal descriptions and special instructions were easily visible
Quick access to action buttons (View, Edit, Expire)
Coupon codes were displayed prominently
Associated flags were clearly shown
Larger product images
In ContentHub, all critical information was surfaced up front. All editors agreed that they preferred exposed product details.
Deal Preview in legacy CMS
Validating Insights Through a Feature Survey
I asked each editor to picture their “ideal platform” and list the must-have features. While workflows varied from person to person, clear patterns showed which functions were valued most. We sent out a survey to help us decide which features to keep, remove, or redesign. This survey included every potential element from the legacy and new CMS.
Surprisingly, every field was considered essential by at least one editor. Since the user base was small, I was confident I could create a solution with every requested feature.
Translating Feedback Into Functionality
I aimed to create a platform that merged the best features of two systems: the familiarity and simplicity of ContentHub and the flexibility of Contentstack. I opted for a hybrid approach to avoid asking editors to relearn a new interface. I focused on keeping a layout and visual style they were familiar with while layering in the prioritized features uncovered during research.
Wireframing Key Details
I redesigned the deal cards to show the most important details up front, removed unnecessary whitespace, and exposed primary actions for easy access. Each element helps editors scan, assess, and manage deals.
I walked editors through multiple wireframe variations to understand which layouts felt most intuitive to them and incorporated their feedback to refine the final direction.
Various wireframe layouts
Defining the MVP Dashboard Card
Based on the survey results and wireframe feedback, I suggested a content card layout that blends old expectations and new capabilities. This card included all of the features editors considered essential (the 19 features in purple) and introduced new Contentstack enhancements that made the workflow even easier (the 4 functions in green). Each element was carefully picked to boost speed, clarity, and usability.
Proposed MVP Card:
1. Headline
2. Teaser
3. Store
4. Brand
5. View Link
6. Edit
7. Start Date
8. Expiration Date
9. Description
10. Instructions
11. Coupon Code
12. Expire Now CTA
13. Themes
14. Merchandise Type
15. Photo
16. Editor Name
17. Published Status
18. Click Count
19. Preview on Site
20. Copy Post Button
21. Multiple Images
22. Ability to copy a section
23. Quick links to related deals
Accounting for New Edge Cases
ContentHub only showed deals that were live. Contentstack displays all deals, whether they are live, in progress, or expired. Editors confirmed they wanted all deal information visible, regardless of publication status. They also asked for a subtle way to show the differences between states.
I created three card variations indicating deal status without disrupting the layout. Published deals featured all editor tools and a green status indicator. In-progress deals had a yellow indicator and limited available actions. Expired deals featured a red indicator, limited actions, and a gray background to visually deprioritize them.
Published, in-progress, and expired card statuses
The New Editorial Experience
The final dashboard blended the ease of ContentHub with the versatility of Contentstack. I exposed the filtering panel on the left side to make it easier for editors to sort and find deals quickly. I revamped the deal cards to highlight key details at a glance. They now feature product information, coupon codes, themes, and scheduling details.
Some native Contentstack components, like buttons, didn't allow for custom UI as expected. However, the overall layout was streamlined to match the mental model editors were used to. The result was a flexible, user-centered tool that modernized the editorial workflow.
Results
Increase In Individual Output
Editors went from posting an average of 5 deals per day to 15
Deals Posted Per Day
7 editors on the team adds up to thousands of additional deals published each month
Additional Deals Per Year
A direct result of faster workflows without hiring more staff
Additional Impacts
Eliminated Reliance on Legacy System
Editors no longer needed to reference ContentHub — reducing context-switching and fully transitioning to Contentstack.
More Visibility, Less Clicking
By surfacing critical details in each deal row, editors spent less time digging for information and more time optimizing deals.
Higher Editor Satisfaction and Adoption
Editors quickly embraced the redesigned workflow with minimal retraining because the UI matched their mental model.
Editorial Praise for New Dashboard
“WOW!! This is amazing!!!”
“Thank you for always listening to our needs and feedback.”
“I finally feel like I can learn the new platform. I was getting bogged down looking up information in the old CMS and posting in the new CMS but now I can use the new platform for everything!”
“I was wasting too much time navigating Contentstack before. Now it feels intuitive.”
“It’s even better than ContentHub!”
Reflection
With only seven editors, I had the rare opportunity to create something that directly improved each team member’s day-to-day workflow. Because I was able to personally connect with each editor and understand their needs and preferences, I could confidently design a solution that worked for everyone without overcomplicating the experience.
What made this project especially rewarding was hearing the impact firsthand. Editors reached out to share how much quicker, simpler, and more enjoyable their jobs have become due to this redesign. A few told me they couldn’t imagine going back to the old system. It was a great reminder that internal tools need design attention just like user-facing ones and that thoughtful UX can drive real business impact at scale.
