WorkDocs
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As the sole designer, I helped evolve the WorkDocs secure file storage and sharing product, producing simple and beautiful experiences that balanced enterprise-level functionality with ease of use.
Overview
My previous design team had implemented a design style that, while succeeding in modernizing the look of the product, had no significant effect on the user experience. The product team had added more features, but the sidebar navigation was too busy and not logically grouped. The color palette left the UI feeling heavy.
Customer
At a high level, the customer use cases centered around building a simple, scalable, small-to-medium-business file share and storage solution that facilitated a collaborative team environment.
A preview program, feedback form, and business development meetings generated external and internal customer feedback and requirements. Tasks were prioritized, and then grouped where possible.
Design solution v1
The initial redesign focused on an updated framework for layout and control and updated navigation. I worked up some IA options and validated them through card sort exercises and user testing with quick design prototypes.
Feature-specific work included production of user flows for key interactions and new features, including file backups for Drive (a native desktop app) in-app collaborative editing and open with Microsoft 365. I also produced decision flows and prototypes for features like commenting and notifications.
The new navigation framework defined the positioning of actions, settings, location controls, and main navigation and provided a solid foundation upon which to structure the UI.
I worked to simplify and refine design patterns, including a more limited color palette, moving from twenty-four colors down to seven. The updated WorkDocs blue (#1B8DE2 2382 C) reinforced the WorkDocs brand and, against a light theme, served to highlight primary actions and focus user interaction. It also provided a wash of color to key areas such as the drag and drop overlay state.
Contextual controls were a core part of the redesign. Based on the user’s intent these controls change, and I added a handful of one-click actions for invite, share, favorite, and lock/unlock. A redrawn set of icons represented many of these actions in the UI.
Feedback & testing
I carried out several rounds of guerrilla research with internal Amazon employees using design prototypes and set tasks to gather data on my design work. I was also able to send targeted surveys to existing customers that helped validate design decisions, find opportunities for improvement, and steer future product development.
After launching the first UI update user reactions were mostly positive. There was some cognitive load for existing users when using the new IA and icon-based actions for the first time. Feedback gathered through my own research and user forums highlighted that users valued sharing, permissions, and easy on-boarding. This guided the second release and evolution of the web UX.
Design solution v2
User feedback and focus on simplification of the controls presented opportunities for a better experience across the entirety of the product.
In designing the updated web client UX, I looked at the Polaris AWS design language for places to drive consistency and where I might extend patterns.
Because the users are different, directly following AWS console design patterns wouldn’t have been appropriate for the WorkDocs consumer-facing UI. I conducted my own accessibility testing and, where possible, I made use of existing Polaris research, applying updated patterns to areas such as lists and using tables with checkboxes for selection.
I removed as many icons as possible, replacing them with actions that remained in familiar locations, but in a larger, text-based button style.
This use of familiar controls reduced the learning curve for on-boarding and sharing and made the UI more extensible for future additions.
User feedback from design teams who were using the service as a design depository and proofing tool led to a more visual treatment for the grid view, and Admin users had a clean overview of their site and controls.
Impacts and learning
I contributed to several product releases over my first year on the team, and WorkDocs saw an increase in its user base of over 30% during that time. By focusing on clear work areas, straightforward navigation, and intuitive controls, my work helped move user content to the forefront.
Business requirement vs user need
Finding a balance between business objectives and user requirements is a key element of designing for the enterprise space.
Extensible systems
The base framework and design patterns I developed for WorkDocs provided a flexible and consistent UI that will allow the team to evolve the product in the future without making major changes to the underlying design system.