Consul Cluster
SAAS
WEB
B2B
Minimized HashiCorp’s Consul cluster deletion by gaining insights into cluster usage.
Minimized HashiCorp’s Consul cluster deletion by gaining insights into cluster usage.
Introduction
Problem Statement: HashiCorp’s Consul Cluster deletion rate is growing. There is no relevant data to justify precise reason for sudden surge in deletion
Problem Statement: HashiCorp’s Consul Cluster deletion rate is growing. There is no relevant data to justify precise reason for sudden surge in deletion
Task: Build a UX experience that collects data on cluster deletion
Task: Build a UX experience that collects data on cluster deletion
Project Summary: I conducted UX research, created a prototype and refined my designs based on feedback. At the end of my internship, my finished prototype was ready to be handed off to development.
Project Summary: I conducted UX research, created a prototype and refined my designs based on feedback. At the end of my internship, my finished prototype was ready to be handed off to development.
Duration: 1 month
Duration: 1 month
Background
HashiCorp Consul
HashiCorp Consul provides organizations with identity-based service networking for service discovery, secure communication, and network automation across multiple cloud and runtime environments.
HashiCorp Consul provides organizations with identity-based service networking for service discovery, secure communication, and network automation across multiple cloud and runtime environments.
Consul lets you connect services between multiple clusters or implement high availability with cluster peering.
Consul lets you connect services between multiple clusters or implement high availability with cluster peering.
Circumstance
Cluster deletion surge was evident by its rapid increase over months yet cause was not clear. I dug through archived information concerning cluster deletion on Looker. Not only were clusters being rapidly deleted, it’s individual life-cycle was also decreasing.
To gain more insights, I decided to speak to people who knew it best.
Cluster deletion surge was evident by its rapid increase over months yet cause was not clear. I dug through archived information concerning cluster deletion on Looker. Not only were clusters being rapidly deleted, it’s individual life-cycle was also decreasing.
To gain more insights, I decided to speak to people who knew it best.
People
I meet with engineers and product managers within the Consul team to learn a little more about cluster usage.
Learning about different use cases and possible deletion reason from the Consul team gave me refreshing insights I might not have considered if it was working with mere data.
I meet with engineers and product managers within the Consul team to learn a little more about cluster usage.
Learning about different use cases and possible deletion reason from the Consul team gave me refreshing insights I might not have considered if it was working with mere data.
Opportunity
With a firm grasp of the problem, a detailed product evaluation, gathered data and user interviews, I used the Jobs-to-be Done guideline to uncover possible reason for deletion based on user’s cluster usage and how to upgrade this experience accordingly.
With a firm grasp of the problem, a detailed product evaluation, gathered data and user interviews, I used the Jobs-to-be Done guideline to uncover possible reason for deletion based on user’s cluster usage and how to upgrade this experience accordingly.
Product Requirements Document (PRD)
I developed a Product Requirement Document (PRD) for my Consul Project to propose my project to the consul team.
I developed a Product Requirement Document (PRD) for my Consul Project to propose my project to the consul team.
A PRD helped me communicate my initial ideas with a realistic sense of what is required in the product in terms of what it should look and feel like, how it should function, how it should carry out the brand and help the business, and in which ways it should be used.
A PRD helped me communicate my initial ideas with a realistic sense of what is required in the product in terms of what it should look and feel like, how it should function, how it should carry out the brand and help the business, and in which ways it should be used.
Ideation & Design
Journey Maps and User Flows
I created journey maps and key user flows to visualize the steps end-users take to accomplish their desired task.
This step helped me discover possible pain-points within the current flow that needed an upgrade. It also highlighted the emotional journey of users as they completed their task.
I created journey maps and key user flows to visualize the steps end-users take to accomplish their desired task.
This step helped me discover possible pain-points within the current flow that needed an upgrade. It also highlighted the emotional journey of users as they completed their task.
Design System
I worked within HashiCorp’s Design Systems Library to create a new component for feedback.
I worked within HashiCorp’s Design Systems Library to create a new component for feedback.
The importance of using the right visual component also became clearer to me. Picking the right visual component helped with efficient data collection. I found it to be a vital part of information organization and overall cohesiveness.
The importance of using the right visual component also became clearer to me. Picking the right visual component helped with efficient data collection. I found it to be a vital part of information organization and overall cohesiveness.
Technical Constraints
Factoring information journey into design decision was an uncharted aspect of design thinking I had to adapt to my methodology
Factoring information journey into design decision was an uncharted aspect of design thinking I had to adapt to my methodology
Initial testing and further meeting with engineering helped me rule out preposterous flows that would have made workflow tedious and inefficient.
Initial testing and further meeting with engineering helped me rule out preposterous flows that would have made workflow tedious and inefficient.
The result of these conversations ignited some key questions I needed to answer upon presentation.
The result of these conversations ignited some key questions I needed to answer upon presentation.
When data is collected, where will it be stored?
How will these inputs be accurately documented?
When data is collected, where will it be stored?
How will these inputs be accurately documented?
Wireframes
Deliverables
Created Components
Presentation
I presented a finished prototype to HashiCorp’s design team after some initial critiques with my internal consul team.
I presented a finished prototype to HashiCorp’s design team after some initial critiques with my internal consul team.
Feedback
Weekly presentations had a lot of impact in the success of my project. Feedback from designers, engineers and other stakeholders helped me refine my designs to adhere to HashiCorp’s design principles while innovating a new experience that improved efficiency.
Weekly presentations had a lot of impact in the success of my project. Feedback from designers, engineers and other stakeholders helped me refine my designs to adhere to HashiCorp’s design principles while innovating a new experience that improved efficiency.
Hand-off
After much-needed adjustments and refinement. My project was marked completed and was moved up the task deck to be built.
After much-needed adjustments and refinement. My project was marked completed and was moved up the task deck to be built.
Something invaluable I learned when handing off was communication. Prototypes could be easy to understand as a designer, but clear communication was essential when handing off work. Clear pages states, copy updates, possible animations etc. were considerations that had to be explicitly stated.
Something invaluable I learned when handing off was communication. Prototypes could be easy to understand as a designer, but clear communication was essential when handing off work. Clear pages states, copy updates, possible animations etc. were considerations that had to be explicitly stated.
engineering notes
Conclusion
Working on HashiCorp’s Consul Cluster introduced me to the world of Product Design. I gained experience working in an Agile/Scrum environment.
Coming into a niche I had little knowledge in, my ability to meticulously synthesize information, identify patterns, then problem solve respectively significantly grew. My Cross-functional collaboration skills were also significantly enhanced.
I did not get the chance to see success metrics, however the goal for the project was to collect and organize data for X% of cluster deletions and ultimately decrease deletion rate by X%.”
Working on HashiCorp’s Consul Cluster introduced me to the world of Product Design. I gained experience working in an Agile/Scrum environment.
Coming into a niche I had little knowledge in, my ability to meticulously synthesize information, identify patterns, then problem solve respectively significantly grew. My Cross-functional collaboration skills were also significantly enhanced.
I did not get the chance to see success metrics, however the goal for the project was to collect and organize data for X% of cluster deletions and ultimately decrease deletion rate by X%.”
