This morning, I carved out time to work on some internal process improvements for Astrica. As a startup, there’s always room to improve how we operate. We always are looking around the next corner – what processes work today but will fail tomorrow as we are growing very fast?
My challenge was onboarding new employees. I need a quick and consistent way to alert Finance, HR Benefits, and IT of new hires. I decided to use some form and automation capabilities in SharePoint for the first time. Sorry, Microsoft, but ServiceNow’s workflow automation capabilities are still my favorite. While in Microsoft I see the features I want are available but connecting the workflow steps is not clear. The details behind each trigger action or task don’t complete the workflow loop.
That experience got me thinking about shifting from a highly intuitive UI to a poorly designed one. It can be infuriating. Have you felt any of these feelings (like I just did):
- Frustration – When basic tasks take way too many clicks or the system feels like it's working against you.
- Confusion – When labels are unclear, workflows are inconsistent, or buttons don’t do what you expect.
- Impatience – When load times are slow, pages refresh unnecessarily, or there's a lack of automation.
- Helplessness – When there’s no easy way to recover from errors, undo actions, or find help.
- Resentment – When you're forced to use an inefficient system, making you long for the better one you just left.
Example of a Bad UI Experience
Imagine switching from ServiceNow’s intuitive workflow automation to an older, clunky IT ticketing system where:
- You must manually refresh the page to see updates (ugh).
- The search function is practically useless.
- It takes five separate clicks just to assign a ticket.
- Error messages are vague and unhelpful (e.g., "Invalid entry" instead of telling you what’s wrong).
It’s enough to make you want to scream.
Tenets of a Great User Experience (You’re my model, ServiceNow!)
- Simplicity & Clarity
- Every action should be intuitive. ServiceNow’s UI, especially with Next Experience, reduces clutter and makes key actions easily discoverable.
- Efficiency & Automation
- Users should spend minimal time on repetitive tasks. ServiceNow’s Flow Designer and AI-powered chatbots (Now Assist) eliminate unnecessary manual steps.
- Consistency
- A great UI follows predictable patterns. ServiceNow's unified interface across ITSM, HRSD, and CSM ensures users don’t have to "relearn" basic actions when switching modules.
- Speed & Performance
- Slow systems kill productivity. ServiceNow optimizes performance with cloud-native architecture that ensures quick response times.
- Accessibility & Inclusivity
- A good UI works for everyone. ServiceNow adheres to accessibility best practices (e.g., WCAG compliance, keyboard navigation support).
- Error Prevention & Recovery
- Users make mistakes—good design helps them recover. ServiceNow provides smart suggestions, inline validation, and rollback capabilities to prevent costly errors.
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- A great UI surfaces useful insights rather than just displaying raw data. ServiceNow’s Performance Analytics offers real-time dashboards that drive action.
- Personalization & Adaptability
- Users should be able to tailor the experience to their needs. With ServiceNow’s Workspace UI, users can customize dashboards and filters for their specific roles.
Only Happy Thoughts
So, did I solve it? Did I create a simple form for capturing and communicating new hires? I was able to capture a basic workflow. There are more edits brewing, plus a future business case for adopting ServiceNow!
Bad UI is like driving a car with a broken speedometer and a sticky gas pedal. ServiceNow, on the other hand, is more like a Tesla with autopilot—it helps you work smarter, not harder. Astrica is ready to guide you on your exploration of great user experiences. Let’s get the conversation started! 🚀