What happened

On November 14th, we released an updated design for the bookings page. Shortly after deployment, we identified that the new experience had several usability issues including layout inconsistencies, visual elements that needed refinement, and information placement that differed from what our users were accustomed to. We quickly recognized these issues and reverted to the previous version to ensure continuity of service for our users.

What we learned

This incident highlighted several areas where we can strengthen our release process:

Timeline and planning

The designs for this update were completed several months before implementation began, which created a gap between the design phase and development. This taught us the importance of maintaining closer alignment between design completion and implementation timelines.

Review process

We identified opportunities to enhance our review and testing procedures, particularly for significant UI changes that affect daily workflows. Our team is implementing more structured checkpoints to ensure thorough evaluation before releases.

Communication

We recognized that clearer communication channels between team members during handoffs and throughout the development process would help catch potential issues earlier in the cycle.

Testing environment

We learned that our preview and testing infrastructure needs enhancement to better simulate production conditions, allowing us to identify issues before they reach our users.

Release timing

There was an implicit pressure to complete the work before our regular monthly release date. We've learned the importance of explicitly prioritizing quality over arbitrary deadlines.

What went well

Despite the challenges, our team responded quickly and efficiently. We were able to identify the issues, make the decision to revert, and restore the previous experience promptly, minimizing disruption to our users.

How we're improving

We're taking concrete steps to prevent similar situations in the future:

Enhanced review process

• Implementing explicit approval checkpoints for major UI changes

• Establishing clear test cases and documentation requirements for significant updates

• Creating a labeling system to identify changes that require additional review

Better testing infrastructure

• Improving our seed data and test environments to better represent real-world usage

• Developing more robust preview deployment capabilities

• Exploring A/B testing mechanisms for gradual rollouts of significant changes

Clearer communication

• Establishing regular update channels for features in development

• Setting explicit check-in points one week before planned releases

• Implementing a policy that features must be complete two days before release dates, or they'll be moved to the next cycle

Quality first approach

• Reinforcing that when timelines aren't explicitly critical, we default to ensuring the highest quality rather than meeting arbitrary dates

• Improving onboarding processes to ensure all team members understand our release standards

Our commitment

We take full responsibility for this experience and are committed to learning from it. The improvements we're implementing will help us deliver the high-quality, reliable experience you expect from Cal.com. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to enhance our platform.

If you have any questions or concerns about this incident or our improvement plans, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team.