Project Overview

• Product: Ironstream Hub

• Industry: IT and Data Management

• My Role: UX Manager & Architect

• Team:

  • Project Manager

  • Technical Architect

  • UX Designer

  • UX Manager & Architect (myself)

• Timeline: Project initiated in 2022, launched late 2022

Business Challenge

Pain Points

• Customers couldn't manipulate data before it reached its target

• Current filtering didn't allow precise data delivery

• IBM Z customers needed multiple Ironstream instances for different Splunk indexes

• Lack of user interface for new Ironstream Hub facilities

• Manual configuration file editing was cumbersome and error-prone

Business Objectives

• Improve user experience for Ironstream configuration

• Enhance data control and configuration capabilities

• Enable single-instance data delivery to multiple targets

• Streamline the configuration process

• Accelerate deployment of Ironstream Hub

Key Stakeholders

• IT Administrators (Javier Ramirez, Gary Linden)

• Security Officers (Tom Brown)

• Mainframe System Operators (Judy Williams)

• Precisely Product Management

• Development Team

Process and Methodology

Research

• Conducted discovery and initial research session with the UX team

• Analyzed current UI and user journeys

• Studied concepts and relationships in complex data pipelines

Design Thinking Approach

1. Empathize: Identified user personas and their specific goals/tasks

2. Define: Clearly outlined pain points and project goals

3. Ideate: Brainstormed solutions during UX architecture planning

4. Prototype: Created wireframes and high-fidelity designs

5. Test: Conducted internal testing and user feedback sessions

Project Timeline

• Stage One: Discovery & Initial Research

• Stage Two: Creating & Testing Wireframes

• Stage Three: Detailed Designs

• Stage Four: Development and Live Launch

Design Evolution

Initial Concepts

• Created UX architecture diagrams and user flows

• Developed wireframes using Mural for internal testing

This is a visual representation of Complex Data Pipeline with definition of each concept and terminologies.

Typical example of how a pipeline works in Hub.

Relationship between the Source and the Target in a given pipeline.

How multiple sources can feed data through a filter and to the target.

A detailed journey map that we took our stakeholders through to understand the problem and journey.

The beginnings of the low fidelity flows.

We started taking the information that we gathered during the first few workshops and put them into a screen to show what the canvas housing the pipeline could look like.

Iterative Design Process

• Refined designs based on internal feedback

• Moved from wireframes to high-fidelity designs in Figma

Final Design

• Developed a comprehensive UI for Ironstream Hub

• Key features: Pipeline management, source/target configuration, process addition

Team Leadership and Collaboration

Guiding the Team

• Led the UX team through the discovery and research phase

• Facilitated collaborative design sessions

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Worked closely with Project Manager and Technical Architect

• Ensured alignment between UX design and technical requirements

Mentorship and Skill Development

• Guided the UX Designer through the project process

• Encouraged knowledge sharing within the team

Impact and Results

User Feedback

• Positive reception to the new user interface

• Improved ease of configuration for Ironstream Hub

Business Outcomes

• Successfully launched new features on schedule and within scope

• Enabled customers like Optum to move Ironstream Hub into production use

Lessons Learned

• Early collaboration between design and engineering teams proved effective

• Agile methodology allowed for quick iterations and improvements

Reflection

Personal Growth

• Enhanced skills in managing complex UX projects

• Improved ability to translate technical requirements into user-friendly designs

Challenges Overcome

• Balancing the needs of various user personas

• Simplifying complex data pipeline concepts for user interface

Leadership Skills Demonstrated

• Strategic thinking in UX architecture planning

• Team management throughout the design and development process

• Stakeholder communication, ensuring alignment with business goals

• Business acumen in understanding and addressing key pain points

Conclusion

The Ironstream Hub project significantly improved the user experience for managing complex data pipelines. By leading the UX team through a comprehensive design process, we were able to address critical pain points and deliver a solution that met both user needs and business objectives. This project showcased my ability to manage complex UX challenges, collaborate across functions, and deliver impactful results in the IT and data management sector.