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What is this CPN Configurator？
Overview
VMware Cloud Partner Navigator (CPN) is a unified SaaS platform designed for cloud providers, making it easier for them to offer multi-cloud services. Within CPN, the Configurator streamlines order compilation and cost calculation, facilitating easier product configuration and order placement. This tool enhances the platform's usability, particularly in simplifying complex processes for cloud service delivery.
What role do I play and what's the impact?
Role & Impact
As the Lead Designer for the CPN Configurator, I refined the 'Renewal Lifecycle' and enhanced 'Subscription Efficiency'. In this context, I'll primarily discuss the Renewal Lifecycle. Should you be interested in other facets of my work, feel free to reach out!
Subscription Count
177.8%
Business Highlight
400M+
Renewal Value
Renewal Rate
63.4%
How do we get there?
Process
This project's design phase spanned a total of 4 quarters(each for one unique user group and included 24 sprints. The general process was as follows:
Renewal
Renewal is one of our primary revenue streams, but...
Problem
The current renewal process at CPN is offline with email or phone call interactions, which is inefficient and costly. To improve this, we're transitioning to an online system on the CPN platform, aiming for a more streamlined, cost-effective, and user-friendly experience.
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Current Offline Experience
Prone to miscommunication and delays
High labor costs due to manual handling
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New Online Experience
💻
Establishing Clear Digital Channels
Automation-Driven Cost Reduction
Renewal
Who are we solving for?
Persona
In the CPN ecosystem, with its diverse range of personas, my role involved closely collaborating with the Product Manager to thoroughly understand the user landscape. However, here I'll concentrate on the 'Distributor' user group. If you're interested in design insights regarding other user groups, please reach out =)
🌟 Our focus on this page
We need a renewal feature, then what?
Define
01
I initially determined the key features with the user flowbased on our current understanding of partners and our business objectives with PMs.
02
With a comprehensive grasp of the requirements paired with meticulous stakeholder research, I have synthesized and mapped out the full end-to-end user flow for the renewal experience. And further determined the design goal.
Design Goal:
To ensure clarity, efficiency, and user empowerment by designing an intuitive renewal process that simplifies decision-making and enhances the overall subscription management experience.
Validate assumptions with stakeholders
User Research
Building on our defined features, user flow, and touchpoints, I created design sketches that reflect our updated understanding. I then conducted user research, including interviews with 3 partners and 5 internal stakeholders, to refine our renewal process. The insights from this research are summarized in the key findings below.
Problem 1: Option Clarity Issue
Stakholders find the initial renewal options challenging to understand, with a significant majority experiencing confusion during testing.
Problem 2: Editing Habit Challenge
Due to no immediate editing options, users have developed a habit of renewing first and making changes later, leading to potential delays and mistakes.
Problem 3: Attribute Effect Confusion
Uncovered and addressed the confusion between single-offer and subscription-wide attribute changes on the edit page.
Translating Feedback into Effective Design Decisions
Design Iteration
In my design process, I regularly participate in weekly critique sessions with my peers, integrating research findings to enhance our initial approach. Below, you'll see the evolution of our design through various iterations informed by these insights.
Problem 1: How do we introduce the process for guiding users through different renewal options?
Based on the assumption that users have three distinct renewal needs, we crafted a guided interface with questions to lead them to the corresponding flow. Nonetheless, usability testing with stakeholders revealed that 80% struggled to understand the options, which could lead to confusion and hinder the renewal process.
The relationship between subscription, offer, and attributes
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Solution 1
UX-Driven Content Optimization and Flow Customization
I partnered with a technical writer to optimize content for UX clarity and intuitiveness, alongside designing distinct user flows for targeted queries. Validated through stakeholder feedback in focused usability testing sessions.
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67%
stakeholders find it hard to understand
"The question is not clear, and Yes/No answers are not straightforward.“
50%
stakeholders used trial and error, showing initial uncertainty.
“Didn’t read through the question carefully at the first place and using trial and error to find answers.”
83%
stakeholders find its the options were presented with clear distinctions
"I like the clarity of the titles; I can understand the differences without needing to read all the text."
However
Internal success clashed with partner feedback, unveiling new issues...
After identifying an internally optimal solution, we specifically focused on this area in later UX research and partner sessions, which led to the discovery of further issues.
From our follow-up questions, we uncovered that users were often confused by the third question, as they tended to initiate new subscriptions when wanting to change offers.
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Solution 2
Push Back on Initial Requirements & Discard Misguided Option
Based on the research findings, I realized that the third option didn't align with the users' actual needs. Consequently, I pushed back against the PM's initial requirements and decided to remove the third option.
🙆
“The current options are presented with clarity and simplicity, and the contrasting subheadings enhance their straightforwardness.”
Problem 2: How can we alter current user habits to encourage direct edits in the renewal flow, rather than postponing changes until after renewal?
Based on our research, users usually renew without changes and edit later due to the lack of immediate editing during renewal. This habit presents several potential risks, such as delays and mistakes. To resolve this, we're planning to incorporate instant edit capabilities into the renewal process.
33%
Partners are selecting the 'same-offer' option even when their task requires attribute changes
"My instinct is to renew everything without any changes first and then make changes after renewal."
Solution
Edit-First Approach: Eliminating initial order settings for a streamlined renewal process
I streamlined the process by directing all users to an editable interface, reducing steps and clarifying that changes can be made during renewal, thereby improving efficiency and user understanding.
Before
After
For users needing edits, it eliminates a step and clearly shows that changes can be made during renewal.
For those not requiring edits, it maintains the same click count but swaps 'order setting' for an 'edit page', allowing for a thorough review of current offers and attributes
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Let's see what we have for the 2023 Q4 launch...
Design
To accommodate diverse user groups, I've developed several versions. This presentation features the 2023 Q3 version predominantly used by distributors. For more information about other versions/launch, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Working at VMware, I learned...
Key Takeaways
Crafting Futures with Vision 🎞️
Leap into the design journey by envisioning the ultimate user experience and the feature's pivotal role in the product's ecosystem. This visionary stance not only anchors your design choices but propels them towards strategic innovation.
Synergy and Flexibility in Motion 🎬
Dive into the art of co-creation with PMs and engineers, uniting under the banner of a common blueprint. In the fluid dance of product evolution, embrace the shifts and tides of priorities with grace, turning adaptability into a designer's superpower.
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