Context

Voluum is a platform used by expert media buyers, but as with many long-lived SaaS products, legacy complexity crept in over time. Multiple features were bolted onto the navigation over the years, creating clutter and even conflicting flows.

Two different products, Voluum Tracker and Voluum DSP, were both sharing the same left-side panel. With DSP scheduled for sunset, it was the right moment to rework the experience and focus fully on what Voluum was evolving into.

We also knew that our current panel was creating friction for new users. Too many features were presented up front, even those only relevant to expert power users. This made onboarding new clients harder and the learning curve steeper than it should be.

Problem

• Legacy UI with too many conflicting elements
• Two products sharing one panel — one was being discontinued
• Features that were expert-only constantly visible and distracting
• Overwhelming experience for new users
• Growing technical debt on the frontend

We confirmed these assumptions through internal interviews with our customer-facing teams. They echoed what we suspected — advanced users were ignoring clutter, but new users were often confused or even intimidated by the interface.

To align the whole company, we ran workshops with developers to evaluate technical feasibility, and with leadership to confirm product direction. Card sorting exercises with customer success teams and clients helped us validate how the new navigation should be structured.

Solution

We explored 3 different navigation structures, each progressively simplifying the layout. Differences between them were mainly in hierarchy and labeling choices.

• Conducted internal workshops with dev and leadership
• Ran card sorting with CS/AM teams and selected clients
• Ran two rounds of usability testing — first with 3 options, second narrowed to 2 refined versions
• Balanced discoverability for power users with clarity for new users

Ultimately, we landed on a version that prioritized primary user actions, grouped advanced features under expandable sections, and removed redundant items. The experience became simpler, more modern, and more aligned with where the product was heading.

Results

Although named “new navigation,” this project marked a broader transformation at Voluum — it introduced a culture of evidence-based design and a focus on consistency. From that point on, new features were added only when they proved useful to real users.

• Discovery phase surfaced feature ideas that still power today’s backlog
• 45 out of 46 beta users chose to keep the new navigation after just one week
• CS and AM teams reported smoother onboarding and fewer early blockers
• Year-over-year SUS score rose by 2.1 points after the release
• Refactored navigation reduced technical complexity, enabling faster iteration

This wasn’t just a UI change — it set a new product standard: strategic, consistent, and centered around real user needs.