Solving a CX Problem with a Custom Report Generator
Background
Flightpath has always promised more than just top-tier podcast analytics—it’s promised a team that delivers insights tailored to each client’s needs. In the early days, that meant manually pulling monthly reports and running one-off queries for specific questions.
As the platform scaled, so did the demand for custom reporting. To keep up without sacrificing quality, we built Report Builder: an in-app tool that empowers users to generate their own reports using templates curated by our CX team. What started as a resource-saving measure quickly became a standout feature—now one of our most praised tools and a key part of our sales pitch.
Responsibilities: Product Design, Research, Experience and Interface Design, Dev Support
Worked With: Chief Data Officer, CTO, Customer Experience Rep, Contract Developer
Primary Goal: Clients can build and pull the reports they need from the database, without needing a CX rep to do it for them.
Secondary Goal: CX Reps can build client-specific templates without knowing how to code.
Mixpanel data showed that, in its first month, Report Builder was being used by 100% of our clients and had become Flightpath’s second most-used feature.
-Client Feedback
Research Methods
I focused on two perspectives to ground the research:
Quantitative analysis: I partnered with our Head of Data to review six months of client requests—about 50 in total—to identify the most frequently requested reports and the context behind those requests.
Qualitative interviews: I spoke with five ad ops specialists across our client network to uncover pain points in their use of Flightpath Data and better understand the goals they hoped to achieve with improved access.
This research helped us develop a user persona and problem statement for Sarah the Ad Ops specialists, who was experiencing this pain point around data access.
Problem Statement for Sarah
Sarah, an Ad Ops specialist, needs quick and reliable access to tailored analytics reports in order to make strategic decisions and demonstrate impact to stakeholders.
Currently, Flightpath’s valuable data is difficult to access in a streamlined, self-serve format, limiting her ability to apply insights effectively. Without a more efficient reporting solution, she risks missing opportunities to align her team’s work with broader company goals.
Providing this feature will empower her to confidently leverage Flightpath’s data, drive strategy, and showcase results
Design Challenge: Optional Fields Feel Overwhelming
During testing, we found that complex forms with optional fields often felt overwhelming and detracted from Jessica’s feeling of empowerment, hindering their ability to fully utilize the tool.
To address this, I took inspiration from Airtable’s approach to filters, where each additional condition adds a new row dynamically.
Sketches and Wireframes
Inspired by Airtable's approach to customization, I created a form that the user could build themselves. Once the user has selected the type of report they want to generate, only the required fields are shown. An affordance at the bottom of the form gives power users the ability to add more complex inputs and restrictions.
Report Builder delivered far more than just custom reporting. It gave users direct access to the insights and expertise that set Flightpath apart. By bridging the gap between raw data and actionable storytelling, the feature reinforced our core value proposition: empowering clients with tools that drive efficiency and revenue. Originally designed for power users, the interface’s flexibility and intuitive design made it widely accessible, turning a specialized tool into one of our most universally praised features.
This project taught us the value of constraint. Limited development resources forced us to distill the MVP to its essential core, ultimately leading to the creation of a modular form that became central to the product’s success. It also reaffirmed the importance of narrative design. By centering user control and autonomy, we transformed a technical reporting need into a feature that felt personal, powerful, and deeply aligned with our product philosophy.