Summary
In my role as a User Experience Designer at IBM, I contributed to the design and development of Developer Experience Portal, a web application aimed at helping developers efficiently monitor their progress in building and deploying secure software. As part of an agile development team, my role involved collaborating closely with both developers and stakeholders to ensure the design was not only visually engaging but also user-friendly and aligned with the needs of the end users.
Key Responsibilities
User Research & Studies
I conducted in-depth user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather insights into the needs, pain points, and typical workflows of developers. This helped inform the design process and ensured the product was tailored to their requirements.
I started out from meetings with stakeholders describing broader needs of the business unit that the new portal would need to meet, then moved to discovery research. I first interviewed my own agile team of developers who would be building the software before expanding to users in the business unit.
After hearing from my fellow coworkers and other software developers about what they wanted to see and the pain points of current software they were using, I created prototypes based on their feedback. These prototypes went through several rounds of improvement with research before the final product was ready in 3Q. The final designs were user-approved and close to fool-proof, which resulted in DX Portal winning the Design Hero Award for outstanding design for a new web application.
Photo by picjumbo.com
Interface Design
I designed intuitive web interfaces for DX Portal, focusing on creating a seamless experience for developers tracking their project milestones and deployments. I worked on wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups using tools like Figma. Going from my wireframes with custom shapes to using IBM’s Carbon Design system, a screen flow took place of the web application.
Collaboration with Cross-functional Teams
I worked closely with developers, product managers, and other designers to iterate on designs and ensure that they were feasible, functional, and met user needs. I participated in daily standups and sprint planning sessions, ensuring that design solutions were integrated smoothly into the development process.
Usability Testing
Conducted regular usability tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the designs, making adjustments based on user feedback. This helped refine the user experience, ultimately delivering a product that was both efficient and enjoyable to use. After the initial round of discovery research, I conducted user tests to ensure ease of use and being able to find and understand key metrics. These included preference tests and navigation tests.
Iterative Design Process
Throughout this process, I emphasized an iterative design approach of continuously refining and enhancing the application based on user feedback and stakeholder input. Our NPS score reflected that and we would regularly check to see what users were saying when DX Portal was finally live.
Click the above button to view the designs. Due to privacy requirements, they are password protected. Contact me if you would like to receive one.
