Project planning
Stakeholder interviews
Design & Prototyping Concept validation Developer hand-off
CONTRIBUTION
Product Managers
Engineering team
Design system & Accessibility team
QA team
I led the design process, collaborating with a staff product designer for insights.
ROLE
| June - Oct 2023
COLLABORATION
Streamlining complex user flow to enhance efficiency in Telco Cloud Network
Simplified the process for network operators to discover issues
Overview
As part of VMware's Telco team, I led the redesign of the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) integration process within the Telco Cloud Service Assurance (TCSA) platform. The goal was to simplify and streamline workflows, enabling network operators to efficiently monitor and resolve issues in telecommunications cloud networks.
Too many steps, less direction
The existing SNMP integration process was cumbersome and disjointed, requiring users to navigate scattered steps on a third party platform and manually configure parameters, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
Simplifying the complex
We redesigned the workflow into a unified interface. With automation, intuitive navigation, and a streamlined approach, allowing users to maintain control while improving overall efficiency.
The customer previously relied on Watch4net for SNMP integration, but since it’s being discontinued, they needed SNMP integration to be built directly into TCSA. This would allow users to monitor and manage network operations while seamlessly integrating SNMP functionality into a simple, unified interface.
The existing SNMP integration in TCSA was highly manual and tedious—users had to create a collector, manually add devices and masks for each integration, and couldn’t access or modify previously configured parameters.
The Requirement
Implementation process
How We Got There…
Collaborated with stakeholders across product and engineering teams to identify key features, understand user needs, and define the project scope.
Requirement Gathering
Design Iterations
Created wireframes and prototypes to visualise the user interface and conducted usability testing to gather feedback for improvements.
Final Development
Worked with engineering teams to implement SNMP integration features and ensured with QA team to validate functionality before deployment.
1.Understand
Background
VMware and Telco
VMware simplifies telecom IT by improving how their networks work and enabling seamless connectivity between on-premises and cloud infrastructures.
The Telco team plays a crucial role by developing innovative solutions that empower service providers. TCSA is (Telco Cloud Service Assurance) is a platform for people who manage networks and find issues in telco network operations and fix them.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) integration helps find network devices and collect real-time data, making it easier to find issues in the VMware Telco Cloud.
An SNMP Collector is a tool that gathers performance data from devices like routers, switches, and servers, improving visibility, reliability, and overall network performance by tracking health metrics and sending alerts for any problems.
Capability discovery is the process of automatically identifying and listing the features and functions of network devices. It enables the system to efficiently gather information about devices, ensure that the devices are utilised effectively and any potential issues are addressed proactively.
2.Problem
The old user flow(Legacy tool)
Scattered interface → Broken steps → User frustration
Two separate navigations
No clear progression of the task flows
The user has to go to different places for settings of same parameter
Related actions not grouped intuitively
This is a high-level simplified representation of information architecture for watch4net, offering an overview of how users navigates the interface. The components inside the boxes with same color are relevant to each other, but scattered on the interface.
In TCSA, the current workflow to integrate SNMP was painfully manual where users have to create a collector and manually add the devices and masks for every integration.
There is no way to access or modify the previously added parameter for the integrations.
The old inteface(Legacy tool)
Taking a closer look…
Why is this a Problem ?
There’s no centralized way to manage key parameters such as devices, masks, or polling groups, forcing users to repeat the same tedious steps across setups.
No Centralized Management
Users must manually configure parameters, like devices and metrics, for every single setup, turning the workflow into a repetitive and time-consuming chore.
Repetitive Manual Tasks
The non-linear interface offers no clear direction for completing tasks. With too many pathways, users feel overwhelmed, reducing overall productivity.
No clear path
SNMP integration in TCSA requires users to navigate multiple broken steps without a unified flow, making the process confusing and inefficient.
Fragmented Navigation
What are we trying to do?
Redesign the SNMP workflow in TCSA to create a more unified solution for network operations
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) integration is essential for discovering network devices and collecting real-time data, helping users quickly identify issues within the VMware Telco Cloud.
Bring Familiar Features from the legacy tools into TCSA for an easy and intuitive workflow
Users previously relied on legacy tools like Watch4net, which involved tedious, manual tasks with a scattered navigation. As per client-driven requirements, we brought those familiar features into TCSA and made them efficient and easy for both novice and advanced users
Eliminate Repetitive, Manual Processes for Better Efficiency
The existing SNMP workflow in TCSA required users to manually upload collectors, agents, masks, and polling groups for each setup—an inefficient and time-consuming process.
3.Solution
The new user flow
How does it work now ?
Collectors and Integrations
List of SNMP integrations
Collectors
Basic Details
Add/Edit an Integration
Devices
Capability Discovery
Masks
Polling Groups
Notifications
List of alerts and alarms
This is a high-level simplified representation of information architecture for watch4net, offering an overview of how users navigates the interface. The components inside the boxes with same color are relevant to each other, but scattered on the interface.
Single interface → Automated discovery → Simplified integration
The Design
Breaking it down…
1. Simplified Configuration and Visibility
Before: Users had to manually configure collectors, adding devices and masks for each integration, with no way to modify existing parameters. Important settings and details were split across multiple sections, so users had to dig around to find what they needed.
After: Introduced a easy setup with global storage for devices and masks, making configurations reusable for better efficiency and reducing redundancy. Integrated a child data-grid interface that provides in-context access to settings, all in one place.
2. Task Flow Navigation
Before: Scattered navigation with multiple ways to perform the same task, leading to confusion and a high learning curve.
After: Designed an intuitive step-by-step flow with Progressive Disclosure where only relevant information is displayed at each step.
3. Automated Capability Discovery
Before: Users had to manually input parameters for capability discovery, increasing effort and errors.
After: Automated capability discovery matches devices with applicable masks and suggests configurations.
4. Flexible Polling Groups
Before: Users had to manually assign devices and masks in polling groups along with the polling period without clear guidance or automation.
After: Introduced polling groups that automate device-mask assignments and suggests polling period with flexibility to edit manually and customisable time intervals.
5. Improved Usability
Before: Users had to manually assign devices and masks in polling groups along with the polling period without clear guidance or automation.
After: Introduced polling groups that automate device-mask assignments and suggests polling period with flexibility to edit manually and customisable time intervals.
7. User Mental Model Alignment
Before: SNMP integration was buried under "Alarms," disconnected from user expectations about collectors and integration workflows.
After: Reorganised the hierarchy to align with user mental models, enabling logical connections between tasks and outcomes.
Collaboration
Developer Hand off
I collaborated frequently with the stakeholders, especially engineers to understand the technical concepts related to the project. Handing off the designs to the development team was straightforward and easy because I was collaborating with the stakeholders on every step to ensure their feedback was incorporated in the designs. There were multiple small iterations along the process. I used Figma to create the designs and organised them with annotations and labels for better understanding. Finally, accessibility team signed off for every user interface element and interaction.
Impact and Results
What Improved & Why It Matters
Accessibility scores improved by 30%, thanks to simplified navigation and intuitive design that cater to users of all technical levels.
Improved Accessibility
Enhanced Usability
Worked with engineering teams to implement SNMP integration features and ensured with QA team to validate functionality before deployment.
The redesigned interface drastically reduced configuration time, making workflows faster and more efficient for network operators.
Streamlined Workflows
Conclusion & Learnings
What I Learned From This
Simplifying Complexity
Breaking down SNMP integrations taught me how to make complex systems easier to understand and use, while balancing familiar features for a smoother transition.
Advocating for Design
As the solo designer in the Telco team, I learned to promote design decisions and collaborate directly with engineers and PMs, navigating dynamic changes along the way.
Balancing Familiarity and Flexibility
I learned to adapt to shifting priorities after an acquisition and gained fresh perspectives by working with an exceptional team, which helped me grow as a designer.
