Introducing Dovetail’s new look—how we redesigned our interface for ease of use and simplicity

Using Dovetail should feel effortless—no matter who you are or what you need. Whether you’re a product manager refining a roadmap, a sales rep crafting the perfect pitch, or a researcher diving deep into customer insights, our redesigned interface helps you get to what matters faster.

Why we made this change

As Dovetail’s feature set grew, so did the variety of ways people used the product. What began as a platform for researchers is now the go-to for anyone looking for customer insights across a business. But with more features came more complexity, and many of you told us.

This feedback came especially from people like product managers, designers, and sales teams, who need to dip in, grab critical insights, and move on. Our navigation made it difficult for them to work quickly and confidently, and find what they’re looking for.

We knew we had to change that. Our goal? A product interface that’s intuitive, accessible, and delightful for every type of user. Whether you’re deep in research or just gathering quick insights, Dovetail 3.0’s redesigned experience helps you get where you need to go, fast.

A smarter way to navigate—no matter your role

Our new global navigation is designed to feel instantly familiar, even for new users. Inspired by everyday tools like YouTube and Instagram, the interface keeps the most important actions at your fingertips, and gets out of the way when you’re focused within a project or channel.

For example, imagine a product manager juggling multiple priorities—they need to quickly validate a customer problem to inform their roadmap. With our simplified navigation, they can get to customer insights without digging through layers of options. Similarly, a sales rep can seamlessly find the latest competitor analysis and positioning to win a deal faster.

When you jump into a project, our new header has simple tabs to guide you through each stage, from collecting data to uncovering insights, with fewer clicks. Breadcrumbs are now clearer everywhere in the product, so you never feel lost—even when diving deep into multi-layered projects.

Advanced features—like changing layouts and adding filters and sorts—have been tucked away behind a new ‘Refine’ button, making sure your content is front and center without distractions.

At any moment, starting something new is simple with the ‘New’ button in the sidebar, exposing Dovetail’s functionality and giving you instant access to the tools you need to keep your work moving forward.

How we approached the redesign

This journey began with one goal: making Dovetail easier for everyone. From seasoned researchers to those stepping in for the first time, we wanted to strike the right balance between depth and simplicity. Early in the year, we conducted moderated user testing with a range of people—from experienced Dovetail users to team members brand new to the platform, all in Dovetail.

We listened to their feedback and fine-tuned the navigation accordingly. The insights we created in Dovetail lead to the decision on a phased rollout of Dovetail 3.0, giving users time to adjust while toggling between the existing and updated versions. This gradual transition allows you to explore 3.0 at your own pace while ensuring a smooth transition.

Early testers have already told us the difference is clear: less confusion, faster results, and more confidence navigating the platform, and we’re continuing to gather feedback as we refine the experience even further over the next few months.

What this means for you

With Dovetail 3.0, clarity is baked into every interaction. Whether you’re reviewing customer insights, adding new data, or presenting key findings to your team, the experience is now smoother and more intuitive.

By minimizing complexity and only showing advanced options when necessary, we’ve made the platform cleaner and easier to navigate. This redesign is part of our ongoing commitment to help you focus on the work that matters without getting bogged down in unnecessary steps.

As Dovetail continues to evolve, we remain committed to making your experience seamless. This new navigation is just the beginning—a faster, smarter way to access insights and move your work forward.

Over the next few weeks, individual users can enable or disable our new Dovetail 3.0 experience. Learn how to toggle it on and provide us feedback to improve the experience.