An AI feature that improves collaboration in building automation
Timeline:
12 Weeks
Sep-Dec 2024
Team:
IU HCI/d Team
Salesforce Automation Team
Role:
User Interview
Competitive Analysis
Ideation
Prototyping
Testing
Tools:
Figma
FigJam
Whiteboard
Whimsical
OUTCOME
AI-generated simple diagram: Instantly turn complex flows into simplified diagrams, saving hours of manual recreation
Seamless sharing & export: Share diagrams with stakeholders, gather comments directly on them, and keep all feedback in one place
Centralized notes: Add shapes, connectors, or sticky notes directly on the diagram to capture reminders, insights, and decisions for quick reference and alignment
CONTEXT
In Fall 2024, I worked on a Salesforce-sponsored project with the goal of creating a more collaborative experience in building automation flows
IMPACT
75%
Work efficiency
Behind The Scenes Of Automation
Think about this:
Every time a new customer signs up, a welcome email needs to be sent, their account has to be created, and records updated in the system. Doing all this manually is tedious and error-prone
That’s where automation comes in. Using Flow Builder, Salesforce admins can automate processes by setting up triggers, actions, and conditions
BACKGROUND
Salesforce Flow Builder
But...There’s A Problem
Building automation is rarely a solo effort. It requires continuous alignment across different stakeholders. While Salesforce Flow Builder is powerful for building automations, collaboration in practice often takes more time than building the flow itself
With AI, admins can instantly generate simplified diagrams, share them for feedback, and align with stakeholders all within Flow Builder.
AI-Powered Simple Diagram
SOLUTION
How did we get there?
Digging Into The Challenge
RESEARCH
10+
Semi-structured interviews
3+
User testing
15
Competitive analysis
Where Collaboration Breaks Down
Admin
Builds and manages automation flows
Defines requirements and provide feedback
Client
Checks flows before launch to ensure they work well
UAT
Discovery
Building
Testing
Documenting
Client requirements are often ambiguous and require repeated clarification
Admins re-visualize the flow in external tools for explanation
Lucidchart
Miro
Feedback is scattered across channels, hard to track and consolidate
Word
Teams
Monday
Long feedback cycles force admins to re-learn the flow
The complexity of the flow leads to high onboarding effort for new admins
Requirement handoff
Understanding & clarifying requirement
Provide feedback
Deliver flow, request confirmation
Confirm documents usability
Handover documents
Deliver test version
Bug feedback
Knowledge gap
Scattered feedback
Flow complexity
🕑 Admins spend excessive time recreating flows
Because clients cannot easily understand the technical workflow diagrams, admins have to build simplified versions in external tools. This extra step consumes hours that could have been spent on actual building
📝 Feedback is scattered across channels
Feedback live in emails, chat threads, and documents, forcing admins to search across multiple places just to piece together relevant input. This scattering makes collaboration slow and error-prone
😣 Complex flows are hard to understand
With hundreds of elements in a single flow, both admins and non-technical stakeholders need to re-learn the structure every time they return to it. This complexity adds cognitive load and time to re-learn the flow
Key Challenges
Generate Simple Diagram & AI Summary With One Click
FEATURE 1
「 Say goodbye to hours of manually rebuilding flows outside Salesforce 」
With one click, the system generates a clear, AI-powered simplified diagram along with an AI summary
This not only saves hours of rework for admins but also makes complex flows easier for the team to understand and discuss
Keep Everything In One Place
FEATURE 2
「 No more hunting for scattered notes across different platforms 」
With notes and edits built into the simplified diagram, admins can capture insights, make adjustments, and keep everything in one place for easy reference
This keeps all notes in one place, reducing scattered communication and making them easy for clients to follow
Share And Comment Seamlessly
FEATURE 3
「 Communication Made Simple, Feedback Made Clear 」
Clients can open simple diagram link in their browser and leave comments on the diagram
This keeps discussions in one place, reduces back-and-forth delays, and ensures faster alignment
Color Coding
ITERATION
Before
After
Use the same color coding as Flow Builder to enhance consistency
Effectively distinguish different elements
Difficult to understand
Not visually appealing
Tabs
Before
After
Safe editing without affecting the actual flow
Manage multiple simple diagrams easily
Share a particular version with stakeholders
Toggle design conflicts with mental models
Too many simple diagrams on the same canvas
Scattered buttons lead to navigational inefficiency
What Admins Love About Our Design
USER FEEDBACK
“For someone who doesn't know how to read a technical flow, this can feel less intimidating and more accessible”
-- Salesforce Consultant
-- Salesforce Architect
“Being able to have something like this that I could export and show my clients the high level would be helpful”
TAKEAWAYS
What I’ve Learned
Ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and keeping all team members on the same page are key to effective collaboration
Time and research are always limited. Instead of trying to solve every problem, focusing on the most impactful solutions that bring the greatest value to users
Things rarely go exactly as planned, and that's perfectly fine. Embracing change and seeing it as a chance to grow
Want to know more? Let’s have a chat!
taliaren0826@gmail.com
© 2025 Talia R