Strategy for Launching All New Version of our LMS

Question

We have our Learning Management System for more than 5 years since last update. We have a good visibility globally with reputed clients. The present version is very traditional, by which I mean it has table listings of courses, traditional image icons and a decent feel.

We have decided to revamp the our LMS and deliver an all new experience to our users. And a great deal of work has already been done. Its in production and the design is looking great and user testing data sounding good too.(Fine tuning in progress)

In the mean time, I had been thinking to device a strategy to brace our users about whats coming their way. Its going to change the user interface completely. And users must have developed their way of doing 'things' in LMS. With new experience, they might have to unlearn few things and adapt to new interactions.

I am listing my thoughts for making our users well aware before the launch takes place.

1. Start with an email campaign that tells the user that a new experience will replace the present LMS in near future. I am not sure about chances of users reading the email and actually following it seriously.

2. Open a small pop-up window in present LMS with a carousel of images explaining or giving a glimpse of new interface

I would like to know if there is any standard practice avaialble in such scenario of changing the UI completly and Not Sending Shock Waves to users.

What is the best strategy? From UX point of view.

Answer 1

With my current company, we are doing the same thing: Redesign from scratch. I think this approach has some pros and a cons:

The pro is, that you can overhaul deprecated technologies, or you might even HAVE to do it, if you change something like a logistics provider or similar - maybe you do not have a choice but "to change it all".

From user perspective the con is, it also could be horrible: Everything changes over night. No adaption time, no smooth transition - just BANG! and everything is shiny. I would expect a returning-user-metric breakdown (or at least changes).

So generally, I prefer doing a smooth transition to ensure usability and decrease alienating users from the interface as much as possible. But, at the same time, if you are talking about an image-change, or rebranding, or if it possibly does not make sense to go step by step because the results are just SO different, smooth transitions do not make sense.

In any way - and I suppose you already decided on this point - I would probably point all these things in a positive (!!!) manner to existing customers:

• Look at us, we look nice now!
• Look at the new features that we have now!
• Look at what changed and what you need to know to continue using our products

Maybe a decent landing page that you target with an email campaign can introduce the changes? Or, if the changes are rather big, you might want to talk about it in a short introduction tutorial?

The most important thing - I think - is talking about the new merits and advantages that the new interface brings to the customer, as removing the friction to a new interface should be one of the important things.