Delivered UI design for a new and complex product (estimated $25 million ARR), in a large scale project on a tight schedule. Fostered great collaboration with cross functional teams to push constraints in favor of better usability, resulting in a product that received accolades from industry analysts.
UX Manager, Lead Designer
Zero Sign-On
Value Proposition
Log in without Usernames or Passwords
Passwordless access to work applications using on-device biometric or mobile phone.
Safe and convenient.
Unlock your computer using your phone
Passwordless computer unlock
using mobile device.
Easy and secure.
Use any device for work anywhere
Use any device such as personal or work device, from any location to access work resources.
Higher productivity and flexibility
Project Overview
These were the main factors that made this a challenging project from a UX manager point of view.
Large Scope
New desktop and browser applications
Extension of the admin console by 40%
Large Scale
8 Geo-distributed agile teams
4 UX designers + 1 Researcher
Extension of the mobile app by 30%
Multi OS support for desktop and mobile apps
New Technology
FIDO and Web authentication
Endpoint management
Tight Schedule
9 month for version 1.0
8 months for version 2.0
Persona
(Employees, contractors, etc)
Need to be productive at work to achieve career goals
Expect software to be easy of use and help them excel at work
Concerned about their privacy and security of the company data
(IT, Service desk staff)
Busy managing multiple IT applications and troubleshooting system issues
Extremely concerned about threats to the company infrastructure and intellectual property
Focussed on investing staff hours on important tasks and reduce time spent on trivial tasks such as password troubleshooting
END USER
IT ADMINISTRATOR
Design Principles
END USER
IT ADMINSTRATOR
Seamless
Intuitive
Delightful
Simple
Efficient
Consistent
Cross Functional Collaboration
Flow Diagrams
These helped in getting PM, UX, Dev and QA on the same page
UX Deliverable Timeline
It helped set expectations for cross functional teams and keep the UX team focussed.
Design Reviews
These were vital for ideation and cross functional buy-in
Slack Channel
This helped quickly sync with the cross functional team on minor items such as design tweaks.
Iterations and User Testing
Design was groomed over several iterations based on feedback from design reviews with customers, usability testing and surveys to beta users.
Final Design
Design Process
DESKTOP APPLICATION
What is it? Enables the computer for passwordless sign-in to the computer and to work applications
Key usability qualities. Intuitive and modular getting started experience. Clean design and friendly language, hide the complexity of the application.
End User centered
IT admin centered
Role: UX Lead/Manager
WEB AUTHENTICATION PAGES
What is it? Presents authentication options to the user, to sign-in to an application, based on admin policy and user preferences.
Key usability qualities. Clear guidance and clean design. Refined over usability testing and beta feedback.
Role: UX Lead/Manager
MOBILEIRON MOBILE APP
What is it? Existing mobile app was extended to include support for new authentication methods such as Approve Sign-In request.
Key usability qualities. Intuitive and efficient design. Consistent in appearance with the Web authentication pages. Refined over usability testing and beta feedback. High success rate now.
Role: UX Lead/Manager
ADMINISTRATION CONSOLE
What is it? Existing administration console was extended to house the setup, policy and reporting features.
Key usability qualities. Inputs are grouped and contained in accordion so its easier to focus and execute in the preferred order. Each group adds an incremental functionality and can be tested, to reduce possibility of errors. On-screen guidance, clear feedback and quick access to documentation
Role: Designer
Overall Authentication Experience
The end user authentication experience is governed by IT policy , user’s profile and the option user selects.
Below are two of over 20 different use cases.
Sign in with your fingerprint
Quick.
Secure.
Easy.
Unlock with your phone
Secure.
Easy.
Flexible
Feedback
Scan QR code is so easy and modern. I especially like logging in once and not having to do it again for the day.
- Usability testing Feedback
I have been using Push notification for a few days. It feels so seamless and easy now, I can't go back to typing password.
- Beta survey feedback
Zero Sign-On offers a good balance of usability and security that will prove effective against password.
- Analyst
The step-by-step guidance with status, is very helpful. Process can be improved by automating the sync with Cloud but this is a good start.
- Beta survey feedback
Reflection
From design perspective this product has a couple of “firsts” for the company. It introduces animation and modern graphics to meet the vision of delightful end user experience. On the IT admin UI, it introduces the use of accordion based layout to simplify the setup process. I'm proud of having led those improvements.
This project also saw a cross functional shift in emphasis towards pushing constraints for better user experience. This is a result of efforts by the UX leads over the past couple years to contribute early on to the requirements definition process, build strong relationships with cross functional leads, present user research findings to the broader team and frame every design discussion from the perspective of the user.
Retrospective with the UX designers involved revealed a unanimous sense of achievement. Personally I’ve gained more confidence in people management and executing design for such a complex project in a tight timeline.
Next Steps
Analyze metrics and feedback from usability studies to uncover areas for improvement.
Collaborate with PM and Engineering leads to plan the work on design features that didn't make into the release.