Digital Transformation to a Single Pane of Glass
This case study illustrates the move to a single SKU product offering.
Enterprise Software | Product design | UX/UI
Problem
Our company mandate was to migrate from federated cloud applications to a coalesced platform of capabilities, reducing the sales catalog from bundles and separate products - Cloud Integration, BusinessConnect, API Management, MDM, and Data Analytics into one product, one SKU. The goal was to bridge each app’s UI to a single consistent experience we called a Single pane of glass.
Solution
The complexity of scale of the platform led us to one solution - a schema approach to mapping out the mental model for the interactions. While common patterns like integration, configuration, deployment, and monitoring stood as foundational models we simply could not predict all the use cases to which the user engaged with the services.
Execution
My role & contribution: Art Direction | Leadership | UI Design & Design System
Team contributors: Engineering Leads | Product Managers | Designers | Users & volunteer testers
Architecture for 2nd digital transformation
Start at the Summit (Problem)
Every app on the platform possessed its own unique features uncommon to each other but when integrated and collectively folded into a platform proved to be a formidable solution for enterprise companies.
My problem to solve was to assess each product roadmap to:
determine schemas for ux patterns,
derive the features applicable to known use cases
draft wireframes and scope effort to cost out design support.
Background
At the third business quarter of every year, the company holds a product managers summit meeting to present next year's product roadmap. Each PM presents the product roadmap for their application in detail with the Features roadmap, swimlanes for product time frames, the releases dates and any additional key details for the strategic goals. Needless to say the importance of having the roadmap properly outlined is key to resource planning, budget allocations, sales forecasts, and revenue targets. Also in attendance are the CTO, VP of engineering, VP of Sales, and the Revenue team.
Focus on the User
The team created qualitative personas based on interviews, and observations. My role was to administer the process -- facilitate the sourcing of key individuals in the company and externally using UserZoom, participate with interviews and observations, and get sign off from the stakeholders on the work.
Each persona has core needs and pain points. These help to inform us in the design yet they were evolving due to paradigm shift of cross functionality in the Control Plane. For example, Ian the integrator's "Needs" is to collaborate on his API models. With cross functions in the Control Plane Ian could not only collaborate, but operate and develop one as well.
OMAR
the operator
Needs
• Keeps the environment in optimum performance and efficiently running
• Needs to monitor systems without writing code.
• Needs to be able to troubleshoot the issue and resolve quickly
Pain Points
• He wants to automate actions to repeat and scale.
• Monitors systems trouble shoots all the time
• Reports and status updates
IAN
the integrator
Needs
• Needs to connect systems without writing code.
• Needs to collaborate on his API Models
• Wants to write a service once and configure it later.
• Needs to deploy technology into ecosystems (into the external website - analytics, a/b testing, personalization,
Pain Points
• Integrating the data sources from different systems
• Working with companies with 24+ different apps for most organizations
• Provisioning environments
DENI
the developer
Needs
• Being able to keep to roadmap of projects / functionality
• Architect scalable solutions across the organization
• Needs to deploy technology into ecosystems (into the external website - analytics, a/b testing, personalization,
Pain Points
• Delivering projects on time, on budget
• Scope creep from changing requirements.
• Data Governance
Validation and Production (Iteration)
From the users needs, we began to draft sketches of the dashboard UI. Based on the use cases, I lead the designers to create design options for the Key features of the platform:
Provisioning
Management
Observability
Utilizations
Monitoring
To validate these patterns, my team conducted usability testing with representative users to ensure the framework addressed their needs effectively. Their feedback helped us refine the interactions and prioritize features.
As a result, the validated designs were then transitioned into production through close collaboration with engineering, ensuring that the patterns maintained their functionality and usability at scale.
A/B Testing / Variables
The A/B testing on the card component also surprised us.
Option A aesthetically scored well for the composition and simplicity yet Option B scored well for functionality, and readability. The trade offs in the design meant the consistency would be affected.
Moreover, the variables for location, and empty states, added extra complexity to the design states.
Option A - Services
Option B - Geography and status
Variables - Region switching
Variables - Empty states
Results and Reflections (Solution)
Outcomes
A schema-based configuration model was introduced to align with users’ existing mental models of system setup. Usability testing results showed:
Task completion rates improved by 26%, as users could predict and locate actions more intuitively.
Time on task decreased by 37%, indicating a more efficient, expectation-aligned UI.
User error rates dropped by 41%, demonstrating that the structured schema reduced confusion in workflows.
Support tickets related to navigation decreased by 30%, reinforcing that users adapted quickly to the new structure.
Streamlining navigation reduced clicks needed to access key features by 40%, making the experience more seamless
The designed dashboard reduced the average task completion time from 12 minutes to 6 minutes, improving operational efficiency by 50%.
Launched 3 pillars to the Cloud Platform
Control Plane
Data Plane
Developer Hub
Design System for the Control Plane
Reflections
Upon reflection of the project and the accomplishments of our efforts, it’s gratifying to experience the collaboration, the trials, the heated discussions, and the satisfying sense of completion. I’m reminded of an expression, “Done is better than perfect.” So in that sense, I know I could do more to make it perfect, but happy it’s all done.
To have worked on managing large-scale UX initiatives in enterprise settings, gives me the confidence to tackle multifaceted, multi effort initiatives. Keeping grounded to the mission, staying objective, and championing for the user are my keys to success.