Adobe Marketo migration: driving user adoption through strategic design

Adobe Marketo migration: driving user adoption through strategic design

Adobe Marketo migration: driving user adoption through strategic design

Our B2B users had been using the same workflow for over 5 years. When we announced necessary platform changes, the pushback was immediate and intense. Focus groups revealed deep anxiety about learning new systems, fears of reduced productivity, and genuine concern about making mistakes with business-critical data.

This wasn't just a design challenge—it was a human psychology challenge.

Our B2B users had been using the same workflow for over 5 years. When we announced necessary platform changes, the pushback was immediate and intense. Focus groups revealed deep anxiety about learning new systems, fears of reduced productivity, and genuine concern about making mistakes with business-critical data.

This wasn't just a design challenge—it was a human psychology challenge.

733%
increase in
customer adoption

Background

Background

Background

Marketo launched in 2006 as a marketing automation platform, with its Lead Management system (MLM, known as "Classic") debuting in 2008. When I joined in 2016, the company was midway through "Project Avengers"—a comprehensive redesign initiative later renamed "Sky" that aimed to modernize both the technology stack and user experience.

The challenge was significant: Marketo's legacy platform served thousands of users across complex marketing workflows. Our six-person design team (which I helped grow to 12 members) was tasked with redesigning this behemoth application while maintaining business continuity.

Marketo launched in 2006 as a marketing automation platform, with its Lead Management system (MLM, known as "Classic") debuting in 2008. When I joined in 2016, the company was midway through "Project Avengers"—a comprehensive redesign initiative later renamed "Sky" that aimed to modernize both the technology stack and user experience.

The challenge was significant: Marketo's legacy platform served thousands of users across complex marketing workflows. Our six-person design team (which I helped grow to 12 members) was tasked with redesigning this behemoth application while maintaining business continuity.

The scenario

The scenario

The scenario

Despite substantial investment in the new Sky platform, user adoption remained critically low. Less than 600 users had opted into the new experience, creating a significant business risk and threatening the ROI of our redesign efforts.

The Vice President of Product and Chief Product Officer assembled our task force to address this challenge immediately.

Despite substantial investment in the new Sky platform, user adoption remained critically low. Less than 600 users had opted into the new experience, creating a significant business risk and threatening the ROI of our redesign efforts.

The Vice President of Product and Chief Product Officer assembled our task force to address this challenge immediately.

My role

Lead Product Designer, group lead, workshop facilitation, research oversight

Lead Product Designer, group lead, workshop facilitation, research oversight

Duration: 3 months

Team:
2 Product Designers
2 Product Managers
1 UX Researcher

Research & discovery

Research & discovery

Research & discovery

Competitive analysis

Competitive analysis

Competitive analysis

I initiated our research by examining how other enterprise software companies managed similar platform transitions:

I initiated our research by examining how other enterprise software companies managed similar platform transitions:

Complete rollout examples

Complete rollout examples

Complete rollout examples

Salesforce Classic → Lightning

Asana (legacy → current platform)

Modular rollout examples

Modular rollout examples

Modular rollout examples

Pendo's phased approach

Amplitude's feature-by-feature migration

User interviews

User interviews

User interviews

Our team conducted interviews with 13 users, including both power users ("Champions") and typical users. Key findings included:

Our team conducted interviews with 13 users, including both power users ("Champions") and typical users. Key findings included:

Primary barriers

Primary barriers

Primary barriers

Incomplete feature parity between Classic and Sky

Quality concerns with existing Sky features

Loss of trust due to previous negative experiences

Workflow disruption fears

User sentiment: "Users working in Sky run into roadblocks where particular Sky features are not complete. In order to avoid these roadblocks, users are staying in Classic so as to not disrupt their workflows."

User sentiment: "Users working in Sky run into roadblocks where particular Sky features are not complete. In order to avoid these roadblocks, users are staying in Classic so as to not disrupt their workflows."

Strategic approach

Strategic approach

Strategic approach

Design principles

Design principles

Design principles

Based on our research, I established four core principles for our migration strategy:

  1. User Control Over Forced Migration
    Give users explicit control rather than mandating switches, which would maintain the status quo

  2. Transparent Communication
    Rebuild trust through friendly, upfront messaging that puts decision-making power in users' hands

  3. Progressive Enhancement
    Use task-based milestones to gradually introduce users to new features and demonstrate value

  4. Quality First
    Ensure complete feature parity and high quality before any migration occurs

Based on our research, I established four core principles for our migration strategy:

  1. User Control Over Forced Migration
    Give users explicit control rather than mandating switches, which would maintain the status quo

  2. Transparent Communication
    Rebuild trust through friendly, upfront messaging that puts decision-making power in users' hands

  3. Progressive Enhancement
    Use task-based milestones to gradually introduce users to new features and demonstrate value

  4. Quality First
    Ensure complete feature parity and high quality before any migration occurs

Solution evaluation

Solution evaluation

Solution evaluation

I led workshops to evaluate four potential approaches:

Option 1: Complete Migration
Rejected - Required full Sky completion before any user transition, creating unacceptable delays

Option 2: Functional-Level Switching
Partially Viable - Allow switching between complete functional areas, but required resource reallocation

Option 3: Feature-Level Switching
Viable - Enable switching for individual ready features while maintaining parallel Classic access

Option 4: Merge & Blend (Recommended)
Selected - Phased approach mixing Sky and Classic experiences for seamless workflow continuity

I led workshops to evaluate four potential approaches:

Option 1: Complete Migration
Rejected - Required full Sky completion before any user transition, creating unacceptable delays

Option 2: Functional-Level Switching
Partially Viable - Allow switching between complete functional areas, but required resource reallocation

Option 3: Feature-Level Switching
Viable - Enable switching for individual ready features while maintaining parallel Classic access

Option 4: Merge & Blend (Recommended)
Selected - Phased approach mixing Sky and Classic experiences for seamless workflow continuity

The merge & blend solution

The merge & blend solution

The merge & blend solution

Phase 1: Hybrid Interface
Maintain familiar Classic navigation with ready Sky features in the main interface

Phase 2: Visual Alignment
Gradually introduce Sky visual design to Classic navigation, preparing users for interface changes

Phase 3: Navigation Transition
Replace Classic navigation with Sky navigation once feature parity is achieved

Phase 4: Complete Sky Experience
Deliver the full redesigned platform experience

Phase 1: Hybrid Interface
Maintain familiar Classic navigation with ready Sky features in the main interface

Phase 2: Visual Alignment
Gradually introduce Sky visual design to Classic navigation, preparing users for interface changes

Phase 3: Navigation Transition
Replace Classic navigation with Sky navigation once feature parity is achieved

Phase 4: Complete Sky Experience
Deliver the full redesigned platform experience

Validation through user testing

Validation through user testing

Validation through user testing

I coordinated validation sessions with 13 users, including both Champions and typical users. Results showed:

I coordinated validation sessions with 13 users, including both Champions and typical users. Results showed:

Unanimous preference for Merge & Blend approach in Champions forum

Strong positive response in 1:1 interviews

Clear preference for Classic navigation during transition (familiarity over aesthetics)

Expected behavior: Users wanted experience toggles to remember their last state

User Feedback: "I personally love that because it gives you a little bit of what you're used to, and a little bit of something new, so you're not feeling completely uprooted from what you know and how you know how to work."

User Feedback: "I personally love that because it gives you a little bit of what you're used to, and a little bit of something new, so you're not feeling completely uprooted from what you know and how you know how to work."

Implementation & enablement

Implementation & enablement

Implementation & enablement

Technical architecture

Technical architecture

Technical architecture

Admin Controls: Marketo administrators can enable Sky preview for their organizations

User Opt-in: Individual users choose when to preview Sky features

Progressive Defaults: Features become Sky-default as they reach readiness

Fallback Options: Classic remains available during transition period

User journey design

User journey design

User journey design

Entry Points: Multiple pathways for users to discover and try Sky features

Gentle Nudging: Periodic messaging highlighting Sky benefits for opted-out users

Dashboard Integration: Sky preview widget in My Marketo for easy access

Results & impact

Results & impact

Results & impact

Quantitative outcomes

Quantitative outcomes

Quantitative outcomes

Increased Adoption: From <600 to 5,000+ user opt-ins

Successful Rollout: Switching experience launched Q1 2020

Feature Parity: Achieved navigation consistency between Classic and Sky

Platform Integration: Successfully implemented Adobe's Unified Navigation

Process improvements

Process improvements

Process improvements

Cross-functional Alignment: Established clear communication protocols between design, product, and research teams—which prompted formalization of Product Requirement Documentation

User-Centered Decision Making: Created frameworks for validating migration strategies with actual users

Strategic Planning: Developed repeatable methodologies for managing complex platform transitions

Key learnings

Key learnings

Key learnings

  1. Trust is Fragile
    Previous negative experiences created lasting user resistance. Rebuilding trust required transparency and user control, not forced adoption.

  2. Familiarity Wins Over Beauty
    Users consistently preferred familiar interfaces over visually superior but unfamiliar designs during transition periods.

  3. Gradual Change Reduces Friction
    The phased Merge & Blend approach allowed users to adapt incrementally rather than facing dramatic workflow disruptions.

  4. Research Drives Strategy
    Direct user feedback and competitive analysis were essential for developing a viable migration path that balanced business needs with user preferences.

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