The State of Salesforce
In a post-pandemic world without in-person conferences, how do you engage with your customers, inform them about the future of your business, and provide insights into what's to come?
The Bluewolf IBM team, known for having the most impressive booth at Dreamforce (an annual Salesforce event), had to deliver their annual report through a different medium this year. Traditionally, they created a visually stunning 30-50 page PDF and distributed it directly at the event. However, without the event, they needed a new way to measure engagement, leads, response rates, open rates, and more.
Client:
Lindsey Sheldon, IBM Dreamforce
Team:
ACD: Caroline Schaffer
UI/UX: Kenzie Ashley
Motion Graphics: Eric Wilson
Producer: Dolores Palmisano
Account Director: Adam Dannewitz
The Approach
This year, the State of Salesforce would be transformed into an engaging experience, designed to remain evergreen and adaptable to new content and trends each year.
During the UX phase, we had to be agile and work under assumptions while the Bluewolf team was busy running reports, gathering data, and writing articles for each segment of the report. We worked in parallel, building wireframes with Carbon components and elements in mind:
The State of Salesforce Report was divided into three sections (themes).
We needed a hub with navigation to guide users to each theme.
Each theme featured an article that supported the trend, along with survey data.
We proposed incorporating user-generated data for engagement within the experience, allowing users to compare their standings against the survey data and reporting sample.
We wanted a section to highlight the authors of the articles.
The experience needed to explain the report's purpose and the methodology behind it.
The Content Themes
To clearly differentiate between subject matters while aligning with the brand language, we created distinct design elements and utilized a unique color palette to convey our stories. These elements came together in a downloadable PDF that IBM could track and gate to generate more qualified leads.
Intelligence with intention
Workforce of the future
Open tech and converging systems
Motion Studies
Drawing on IBM's design philosophy, we developed our approach to animation using two essential types of motion: productive and expressive. Each type creates a distinct impression, offering a clear means of contrast while also fostering a sense of collaboration—man and machine, organic and engineered.
Data Visualizations
To enhance the experience, we leveraged the report's data to introduce more animation. By integrating IBM Carbon Design System motion studies, we developed visually engaging, interactive data visualizations that captured the audience's attention.
Fully Trackable Reports
By gating the comprehensive downloadable report, we can track engagement and conversions from the site to leads. This approach also allows the IBM team to conduct test-and-learn analysis to evaluate whether the report is as effective as the website.
