Improving visibility of Dynamic Content performance warnings
product design
2025
overview
As a Product Designer at Listrak, I was tasked with improving the authoring experience in our email builder by proactively warning users about performance risks related to overusing Dynamic Content. Using the Double Diamond framework, I collaborated cross-functionally to identify pain points, explore solutions, and deliver a user-friendly warning system that helps marketers avoid delays in email delivery.
design framework
Double Diamond
tools
Figma, Jira
deliverables
Wireframes, Prototypes, Handoff Documentation
collaboration
Product Managers, Front-end Engineers, Product Designers
problem
Users had no visibility into how Dynamic Content could affect email performance, often finding out too late that their emails were delayed or undeliverable due to overuse.
what is dynamic content?
Dynamic Content allows users to include different email content to contacts who meet (or don’t meet) a filter without sending separate emails.
User flow leading to failed send
designing for multiple workflows
The process for adding Dynamic Content differed between HTML/CSS emails and those built in Composer, Listrak’s drag-and-drop editor. I needed to find a streamlined way to warn users across both workflows without introducing unnecessary design variations that would complicate engineering implementation.
challenges
challenges
communicating an invisible risk
The root problem, performance degradation, isn’t visible to users. It was important to educate and warn without relying on technical language, making UX copy and UI placement essential for user understanding.
test sends gave false confidence
If users exceeded the recommended amount of Dynamic Content and sent a test email, the system confirmed it was sent, even if it never arrived. Without backend detection, I needed to find a way to warn users proactively during the test
send process.
limited real-time feedback
Without backend systems flagging performance risks in real time, the UI had to do the heavy lifting. Designing preemptive, non-intrusive warnings required careful judgment and collaboration across teams.
discover phase
immersing myself in the problem space for a thorough understanding
Analyzed Jira tickets
Reviewed failed email scenario
Mapped user flow for inserting Dynamic Content
process overview
process overview
discover phase
immersing myself in the problem space for a thorough understanding
Analyzed Jira tickets
Reviewed failed email scenario
Mapped user flow for inserting Dynamic Content
process overview
process overview
discover phase
immersing myself in the problem space for a thorough understanding
Analyzed Jira tickets
Reviewed failed email scenario
Mapped user flow for inserting Dynamic Content
process overview
process overview