Aloka Platform
OVERVIEW
Aloka is an enterprise-level workflow solution platform for teams that are dealing with multiple data lakes, legacy systems, and knowledge gaps in current-day tech and established processes. The platform is comprised of multiple applications, such as Fusion – used for data comparison. Atlas, which is used for upstream and downstream relationship visualizations, and Design Ripple can show how changes made will affect business in the short and long term. Created by an internationally distributed team of over 200 people – the platform uses deep machine learning and digital twin creation to help employees spend more time using their expertise and less time looking for data.
ROLE
Lead UI Designer, collaborative UX designer, research, ideation, design strategy
Research, information architecture, design system creation and implementation, interaction, and interface design, wireframing, high fidelity mockups, and developer handoff.
Understanding the Problem
The Global Engineering Solutions leadership at S&P Global noticed that clients were losing time and money on projects to account for data research and knowledge gaps between employees. Aloka was created to solve that problem. The apps could be used as a stand-alone product or together to create a powerful workflow platform.
Product Challenges:
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Each app needed a distinct visual voice that would still work with the platform
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The designs needed to work with the limitations of the tech stack
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Test customers needed to be satisfied, but the final product needed to be customer agnostic
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Users needed a quick and reliable way to filter through millions of data points
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Data visualizations needed to work for any data set - no matter the size
Project Challenges:
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Designing for multiple dev teams each responsible for a micro front end
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Creating, pitching, implementing, launching, and auditing a design system for a product that had already been partially developed
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Multiple dev team members were located in Belarus, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia during the escalating conflict which resulted in devs needing to flee their homes
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Acquisitions and divestitures resulted in multiple timeline and management changes
Project Process
RESEARCH
In the research phase, we spoke to employees of the test clients monthly. We would send out surveys and conduct moderated one-on-one sessions to evaluate who our customers were. From that, we created multiple personas and job titles that would be using the platform. Design engineers, standards engineers, admins, regulatory management, project managers, accountants - the list was nearly endless. The one thing all of these roles have in common is the need to find specific points of data quickly. This helped inform us of different potential entry points and search features.
In addition to the human aspect of research, we also researched the types of data that would need to be ingested into the platform. Multiple types of files and multiple copies of data were recognized to be a large potential pain point. This led us to explore collaborative data validation as well as personalized and system-wide data flagging.
Beyond client needs, we also examined the business needs. How could we continue to grow this platform? What are other voids in the market? How can we track and report usage and satisfaction to get improvements into the dev cycle? Feedback systems, backend reporting and feature tracking all needed to be included into the design roadmap.
MAPPING
After we put together the personas and identified what we needed to do for business success, we began mapping out how each app would function and how they would work together, but not have those interactions interfere with a user completing their goal. To do that, I worked with product owners and managers, dev team managers, and the devs assigned to each feature. We worked in Miro so that we could quickly mock up journies, and folks who were in different time zones could add to them asynchronously.
WIREFRAMING
With the journey maps and persona library in hand, we could start wireframing the primary features of each app and the global platform. These were meant to be largely low fidelity - but because of the tight timelines, they had to be uplifted to include final UI elements. I found myself designing component concepts while simultaneously designing and handing off the smaller pieces of the ecosystem. This led to some challenges, but miscommunications were kept to a minimum by keeping Figma files ruthlessly organized and guarding the source of truth files like a dragon guarding its treasure.
CHECK INS
Test clients invested millions to each be a part of the project. As a result, we had frequent internal and external check-ins with team updates to receive feedback on project progress. I was responsible for presenting design progress and for answering any questions. I also traveled to client locations to present prototypes and conduct usability sessions with the end users.
UPLIFTING THE UI
As concepts were approved and accepted by clients and internal teams, I would begin to uplift the designs with the final UI. We didn't have a final product name or brand colors deep into the wireframing phase. Once the outside agency and our marketing team agreed, I was provided with some essential branding elements and colors and created the final UIs. I created the tints and shades and used guidelines for all colors. I submitted additional interface colors for approval to the brand suite and incorporated unique elements to help make Aloka feel alive. Read more about the Aloka design system here.
Results and takeaways
Unfortunately, Aloka is no longer in development. S&P Global divested the Global Engineering Solutions division and the purchaser wanted to focus on launched products more than products that were in flight. Despite this, working on this platform was an incredible opportunity and one that I know has made me a better designer.
IN THE END ALL USERS ARE PEOPLE
Initially, I was intimidated by the big names of our clients and user base. I was terrified for my first presentation to over 100 people. I didn't understand the subject matter we were designing for, but I have always understood people. I understand how it feels to be on a deadline and just trying to find that one piece of data you need and how frustrating it can be when you can't. I understand how easy it is to overlook something after working on it for 10 hours straight. I can help with those problems. I may never understand how a gasket aluminum exchanger works, but I understand the person who needs that information.