This web app is a management console for a technology that integrates a company’s tech stack into an identity source provider. A user can manage technology & services and everything from simple access management & share quotas to failure-tolerant cluster configurations.

User Research

We have curated the most insightful / frequent feedback from user forums, suggestions boards and direct feedback from users who are working with the BETA version of the software. Here is a snapshot of feedback and the common themes that we discovered.

“The existing product is too slow to load data, I can do the same task by command line and bash scripts much quicker.”

“The existing product makes it too hard to carry out simple tasks - some need 5 or 6 plugins and the jumping back and forth slows the process down.”

“In the existing product I need 5/6 plugins sometimes to carry out a task. The sequence of steps is important so I need a lot of up front knowledge of the system to do anything.”

“ Some tasks like server updates are slow and cumbersome to carry out. It would be good to be able to manage them in a more automated way.”

“Common tasks like managing user share sizes should be manageable at scale. Not being able to select from anywhere in the tree and manage as a batch slows the process down completely.”

“The tree shows information overload and the view is inconsistent. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the type of objects you are looking for. Filtering is essential.”

68.2%

Of users want the ability to batch process common tasks in the product. These tasks are slow and cumbersome to carry out and a major time drain.

77.6%

Of users don’t understand the ‘Proxy User’ feature. ‘On the agenda’ users are mostly non-technical so technical language is not useful.

48.1%

Of users find the tree view inconsistent and too difficult to find what they are looking for. This feature is the basis navigating the system and a large part of all interactions.

User Personas

Peter, Server Admin

Scenario
Works in a small team of server admins on the organisations file shares & storage for business operations. He is focused day to day on maintaining / improving existing services as well as putting time into building out new service offerings.
Goals
Manage trustees rights and set NSS quotas through the system. Maintaining and monitoring the platform components. Managing storage and service accounts & users.
Needs
Needs to work efficiently as there is a lot to get through. Needs to understand any issues in the system so he can fix them before they are affecting end users.
Actions
Manages users and storage quotas for team & personal shares. Monitors service availability and resolves any issues. Run cloud backups for important information.
Thoughts
Interesting in new technologies and learning new programming languages. Always looking for new ways to speed up regular tasks so spends time setting up bash scripts.
Feelings
Reluctant to use the existing tool for many tasks as logging in via SSH and running commands is more efficient and familiar. If there was a more streamlined experience this could be different.
Pain Points
The existing software doesn’t allow them to automate tasks so configuring batches of servers would be a big time saver. Health monitoring of tech is essential to keep services up and running.

John, Principle Server Admin

Scenario
John works for a large multinational broadcaster and is responsible for all file shares & backups. He has a small team of server admins working underneath him that maintain / administer services like personal employee shares and build out storage-related services.
Goals
Staying up to date with current versions of the system / server updates is essential. Linking the software into his organisation’s auth systems is essential to simplifying user access.
Needs
I need to be able to see the board member’s schedule so that I can allocate their time efficiently without overlap. I need to be informed when they have comms that need attended to in a timely manner.
Actions
Likes to get involved with the day to day work were possible but time is restricted. Making decisions on new technology and piloting new digital services for employees.
Thoughts
Interesting in new technologies and learning new programming languages. Assesses alternative software technologies to keep up to date with features and compares to the current solution.
Feelings
Feels the existing system slows the server admins when it comes to batch processing common tasks and running updates. This time could be used for adding new features or maintaining other areas of the system.
Pain Points
Keeping the system / servers up to date is a cumbersome task and not automated enough. There is no backup of the database driving the system so if this gets lost or corrupt all the file system structure of siloed files is lost.

The Solution

A better tree experience

The existing tree view is overpopulated – the queries are always on live data and need to be efficient. Providing ‘contexts’ that show the tree from a particular point of view that relates to the current task. This avoids cognitive overload and focuses the user on relevant information.

The existing tree lacks the tools to filter and narrow down results to help the user find exactly what they are looking for, particularly at a file system level.

Rethink the structure

Organise the UI based on the technology and the related tasks so it’s easier for a user to locate the feature the user is looking for. There are 100+ plugins in the existing product making it difficult to find anything.

The current product is divided out into plugins that carry out individual tasks like add, edit, or delete items / subitems creating a lot of segregation and duplication of features / functionality.

More guided flows / automation

Users have indicated more detailed and guided workflows for common tasks would be helpful. Tasks will be completed in a much more efficient manner and not require up front knowledge to understand.

Handling common tasks on scale (such as modifying user quotas) will remove a lot of existing repetition and provide users currently working in command line more incentive to shift to the web app.

An Updated Identity Tree View

The new tree view opens as a modal. This method of integration was chosen as the tree is used in different places such as selections for a form element or as a step of a wizard.
The new tree view opens as a modal. This method of integration was chosen as the tree is used in different places such as selections for a form element or as a step of a wizard.
This is how selection would appear in a single selection mode (only one item can be selected from the entire tree).
This is how selection would appear in a single selection mode (only one item can be selected from the entire tree).
This is how selection would appear in a multiple selection mode (no limit to selections).
This is how selection would appear in a multiple selection mode (no limit to selections).

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