Lexa Keenen
outlook-add-in-cover-2.jpg

GlobalMeet Add-In

By reimagining the install flow, we unlocked discoverability, trust, and new growth potential for GlobalMeet.

Project Overview:
GlobalMeet’s Outlook Add-In was a highly used but low-visibility product. It suffered from poor discoverability and a complicated installation process, despite offering critical meeting scheduling capabilities.

Business Goal:
Increase adoption and reinforce brand reputation by modernizing the Add-In for inclusion in the Microsoft AppSource store, creating a seamless install experience and showcasing GlobalMeet as a trusted, modern collaboration platform.

User Need:
Customers struggled to find, install, and understand the purpose of the Add-In, despite its utility.

My Role:
As the Product Designer, I led the end-to-end UX effort—auditing the current experience, simplifying the feature set, applying brand guidelines, and reimagining the experience from discovery through usage.

Success Metrics:

  • Reduce drop-off in the install process

  • Increase discoverability via the Microsoft Store

  • Reinforce brand values through UX/UI

  • Submit and approve the Add-In for AppSource publication

The Gap:
Despite being the most engaged-with product in the suite, the Add-In was nearly invisible to new customers. Installation required hunting through a help site and following a 14-step, multi-tool process that created friction and abandonment.

Team :
 An informal, passionate cross-functional team rallied around this side project:

  • Product Owner: Cheryl

  • Design Director: Rishi

  • Software Engineer: Charles

  • UX/UI Design: Myself

Step-by-Step journey through complicated discovery and installation process for GlobalMeet’s Microsoft Add-In

Design Process:

  • Discovery: I conducted a UX audit that mapped the user journey through discovery and installation flows, identified user drop-off points, and outlined all the featured available in the tool

  • Key insights:

    • Low Discoverability

    • High Drop-Off Risk in Install

    • Unclear Product Purpose

  • Constraints:

    • This was an off-roadmap, side project initiative

    • Tight timeline and very limited engineering resourcing

    • Scope limited to the Add-In UI, not email templates or other touch points

  • Collaboration: Shared key insights with the team, which led to two key decisions:

    • Submit the Add-In to Microsoft Store to fix discovery and installation

    • Define a focused MVP to streamline features and reduce complexity

  • UX Recommendations:

    • Cut features from 8 to 3, keeping Scheduling, Settings, and Support

    • Created new landing screen to express product value

    • Proposed a "Sign up for free" CTA for prospective customer acquisition

Site Map of “Start My Meeting” and “Schedule Meeting”

Site Map of “GlobalMeet Tools”

What We Built:

  • Redesigned Add-In with simplified architecture and updated UI to reflect the new GlobalMeet brand

  • Created a Microsoft-compliant version of the Add-In for the AppSource Store

  • Designed a welcoming landing screen with brand-aligned messaging and lead-gen CTA

Before & After:

  • ✖️ 14-step install → ✅ 1-click install

  • ✖️ Confusing navigation → ✅ Simplified sitemap

  • ✖️ No discovery path → ✅ Findable in Microsoft AppSource

My Contribution:

  • Led audit and synthesis

  • Drove UX decisions

  • Applied brand to digital product UI

  • Collaborated with engineering and product for MVP scoping

Results:

  • Successfully published to Microsoft Store

  • Improved discoverability and install accessibility

  • Clarified product’s core purpose as a scheduling utility

  • Team nominated for an internal company award

  • New opportunity for lead generation through Add-In

  • Reinforced brand values through Add-In: Energetic, Confident, Collaborative, Trusted

What I Learned:

  • Even side projects can deliver outsized impact when they solve real user pain points.

  • A thoughtful UX audit can quickly reveal leverage points that change the trajectory of a product.

  • When the product and brand voice align, customers feel it—and it builds trust.

What I’d Do Differently:

  • Push to include the full communication journey (e.g., onboarding emails)

  • Extend usability testing to observe installation in real time, ideally earlier

Key Takeaway:

Small, high-leverage experiences—like a plugin or Add-In—can become brand touchpoints if we invest in them thoughtfully. Treat every user journey as a chance to reinforce your product promise.