Imagine walking into the kitchen of an Airbnb apartment. You open the cutlery drawer, only to find plates. On the shelf above the kettle, there are pots. Confusing? Absolutely! Over time, we've grown accustomed to the universal placement of kitchen tools. These familiar patterns guide how we navigate a kitchen, allowing us to step into an unfamiliar space and still make a cup of coffee with minimal effort.
This is the essence of user experience. Just as these conventions simplify navigation in the physical world, they become even more vital in the context of complex systems.
In this blog, I will review the leading principles we considered in the design alignment while integrating several independent products into the Radware Cloud Services Portal, which serves many users with a broad range of professional expertise levels.
How do we design a complex system from a "User-Centered" perspective?
Designing a complex system with a user-centered approach focuses on key principles that deliver an improved user experience through intuitive and effective solutions, keeping users engaged with the portal.
1. We defined who the user is
With every feature added to the portal, the question arises - who will operate it daily, or during an attack.
This definition helped us know whether our user is an expert and whether simplifying the configuration process is required.
Tooltips and guided walkthroughs are some of the tools that help users with new or complex features and reduce errors regardless of the user's level of expertise. Adding a tooltip with relevant information provides the user with certainty about the process itself and what happens after it.
2. Layout and Navigation
The screen layout should include all the relevant elements necessary for the user to complete tasks efficiently and quickly.
The primary structure of the layout includes a header, menu, and footer. Menu has short and simple categories, a clear screen title, and a "Back" button next to it. The current category is visually highlighted to maintain context. The screen content changes depending on the navigation in the portal and according to customer plan. In table views, pagination is implemented to facilitate searching and improve orientation.
By creating a clear framework Radware’s users can navigate effortlessly in their daily tasks and easily discover new features when added to the portal.
3. Simplicity and uniformity
A clean, intuitive interface reduces cognitive load and helps users orientate efficiently. By minimizing unnecessary noise and focusing on core functionalities, we created a uniform sequence of actions and responses, both in the user experience and in the visual aspect .
We created a uniform line of behaviors and defined guidelines for common actions and processes throughout the portal.
In our portal, there are many requirements for different configurations. We define two main configuration options that cover most of the configuration cases. In this example, we have a side-by-side configuration form and table. This kind of configuration allows the user to stay in content while filling out the form. The use of large clickable labels and consistent use of icons and colors can help the user scan and fill the form more efficiently. The consistency in this configuration method, even if it differs slightly from case to case, creates a sense of certainty and security in the process for the user.
4. Create a design system
Creating a uniform line is reflected in the visual aspect as well. Icons, buttons, and all other visual components have undergone a redesign or update in terms of color, font , visual language, etc. a consistent design with a common denominator.
For example, we defined a new color palette for light and dark modes applied throughout the portal. The use of a consistent color palette helps the user to identify the element hierarchy and to put in focus the relevant items on each screen. The dark theme is a new addition for users who prefer this kind of view. Adding the use of colors in cases that require differentiating actions and information.
Summary:
In conclusion, the principles mentioned above are just the tip of the tools in the designer’s toolkit. By using them daily, we can ensure a better customer experience for Radware users.
Defining our users serves as a guiding framework for solutions, while the simplicity and uniformity principle ensures a cohesive, thoughtful, and seamless experience across the portal.
The transition into the unified Management Platform allowed us to take a big leap forward regarding the user experience but in the end, the design process is endless.
Our day-to-day is a continuous effort to improve the customer experience for Radware’s users worldwide.