In App Feedback Overview - Lightning Design System

The In App Feedback Framework consists of research, design, and implementation guidelines for hearing directly from users within the product.

An illustration of a laptop and a smartphone on a blue background, each device displaying a 4 out of 5 star rating.

Why Collect In App Feedback?

The user is at the center of our products. Throughout the Salesforce ecosystem, we collect feedback from users in many different ways—such as research studies, surveys, and in person experiences like Dreamforce. However, collecting feedback within the app uniquely helps us to understand how end users experience technology in the moment, bringing the voice of the end user to the center of product decisions.

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Benefits	Drawbacks
Reach users in the moment. Get a snapshot of user sentiment regarding a specific moment or interaction in the product rather than relying on moments of reflection in surveys or other research methods.	Captures the what, but not always the why. In App Feedback can help to diagnose issues, but due to the short length, it it doesn't effectively capture sentiments or motivations with the nuance that other research methods may capture.
Reach users at scale. Potentially reach the entire user base, not just a subset of users who respond to surveys, attend customer events, or opt in to longer usability studies.	Potentially interruptive for users. Asking a user to give feedback while they're in the middle of a workflow could create negative sentiment and bias in the user. We want to be mindful of how we intercept the user to maintain a positive experience and collect quality feedback.
Hear from targeted groups of users. Leverage usage data to segment the user base to hear from specific audiences. For example, you could surface an In App Feedback mechanism to users who have only been in the product for 3 months or less, or to users who frequently visit a specific page.
Track sentiments over time. Surfacing the same mechanism multiple times to a user over a period of time enables us to measure the impact of product and design changes on the user experience.

Benefits

Drawbacks

Reach users in the moment.

Get a snapshot of user sentiment regarding a specific moment or interaction in the product rather than relying on moments of reflection in surveys or other research methods.

Captures the what, but not always the why.

In App Feedback can help to diagnose issues, but due to the short length, it it doesn't effectively capture sentiments or motivations with the nuance that other research methods may capture.

Reach users at scale.

Potentially reach the entire user base, not just a subset of users who respond to surveys, attend customer events, or opt in to longer usability studies.

Potentially interruptive for users.

Asking a user to give feedback while they're in the middle of a workflow could create negative sentiment and bias in the user. We want to be mindful of how we intercept the user to maintain a positive experience and collect quality feedback.

Hear from targeted groups of users.

Leverage usage data to segment the user base to hear from specific audiences. For example, you could surface an In App Feedback mechanism to users who have only been in the product for 3 months or less, or to users who frequently visit a specific page.

Track sentiments over time.

Surfacing the same mechanism multiple times to a user over a period of time enables us to measure the impact of product and design changes on the user experience.

Values & Goals

Trust is our #1 value. Gathering feedback is an opportunity to build trust with users by ensuring their voice is heard and valued. It's important to close the loop with users, thanking them for their feedback and prioritizing any issues surfaced in their comments. An effective feedback loop puts the customer front and center, while also reinforcing research goals, creating a positive user experience and surfacing valuable insights that can drive the business forward.

A Venn Diagram showcasing that Customer Goals are at the center of Business goals, User experience goals, and research goals. — Customer goals are a central part of an effective feedback loop

Planning the Scope of Your Project

There are a few steps to keep in mind as you embark on your journey of collecting feedback from users. While these guidelines cover design and research strategy for implementing effective feedback mechanisms, be sure to talk to your engineering partners to understand implementation strategy and technical constraints early in the process. Check out the Scenarios page to see how all the pieces fit together for an effective feedback mechanism.

A flowchart uses shapes to represent steps in a process. Each shape has text that describes that step. Shapes are each connected by arrows to guide the viewer through each step in the process. — A flowchart to help determine if In App Feedback will help you achieve your goals

Next: Scenarios

Guidelines