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Amazon

Case Study: Designing an Internal Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Tool

Project overview

This case study highlights workflow improvements I designed for Amazon's internal teams and external vendors. The project involved new areas, features, and redesigns for an internal Product Management (PLM) application. I overhauled task management, updated products and materials, and introduced access for vendors.

My role

As a Senior UX/Product Designer at Amazon, I delivered end-to-end solutions focused on user needs via stakeholder collaboration. My work included layout design, human factor principles, and alignment with business goals. I managed my process in sprints, working remote.

Screen recording showing responsive layout changes while resizing a browser window from 1920px to 444px wide. The demonstration is a page flow for adding a product to a Bill of materials (no sound).

Design system and prototype

I built this hybrid design system from Carbon and Bootstrap to discuss my PLM experience, explore Carbon and Figma, and showcase my skills in responsive design, variables, and themes. This is my own work, not from an employer.

  • Data, variables, and interaction: I also wrote a quick JSON data plugin to populate my data tables, and I'm using variables for dynamic content and flow. Specific hover and scroll interactions are included for evaluation.
  • Responsive breakpoints: My layouts adjust across a variety of widths for use next to other apps and tabs. The responsive layout also allows for text resize.
  • Simulated latency: Sometimes interactions like notifications need a bit of latency to feel real, so I've included a bit of a delay, plus a conditional variable resets only that component.

Collaboration

These designs and prototype represent one of many. I collaborated closely with developers and stakeholders throughout the process to ensure that designs were feasible and aligned with objectives.

Test, launch, and feedback

I designed, tested, and launched new flows and features, gathering ongoing feedback in partnership with the product team while focusing on user experience and efficiency. I also co-wrote interview scripts for stakeholders, using feature mockups and prototypes to validate designs and gather feedback for refinements.

Insights and improvements

While collaborating to identify workflow challenges, a common theme recurred: the need for a streamlined workflow for task efficiency, both internal and external.

Workflow and tasks

  • Standardized processes: Utilized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to present tasks with contextual links and relevant information.
  • Dynamic task design: Designed workflow error tasks that prompt for missing information essential for progress.
  • Status management: Ensured clear system and selection status, along with bulk reassignment capabilities for tasks and projects.
  • Smart default views: Designed default views that immediately display expected information.
  • Custom data prompts: Designed task prompts tailored for various workflow types.

Enhanced BOM Management

  • Hierarchical BOM system: Designed a hierarchical Bill of Materials (BOM) for easy navigation and management of product components, supported by a flat taxonomy of materials.
  • Editing capabilities: Enabled users to edit BOM instances or PLM entities directly within the system.
  • Bulk operations: Designed commands, menus, and flows for bulk additions, updates, and export.

Streamlined navigation and actions

  • Quick view shortcuts: Introduced shortcuts and actions for rapid access to products and materials within the BOM or PLM system.
  • Simplified nesting: Flattened nesting structures to reduce effort and the number of steps needed for navigation.
  • Full-height taxonomy list: Provided a full-height taxonomy list to minimize scrolling and enhance usability.
  • Smart primary actions: Integrated smart primary actions with overflow menus for improved usability and access to additional options.

Intuitive filtering

  • Responsive filter displays: Designed filter controls for useable experiences across a variety of widths and states.
  • Bookmarkable URLs: Suggested bookmarkable URLs for easy access to specific filter configurations.
  • Smart defaults: Views and settings display relevant information immediately, enhancing efficiency and satisfaction.

Accessibility and inclusivity

  • Accessibility: Designed tab and focus order for keyboard navigation, content loading patterns, contrast ratios, and 50% width or 200% zoom according to WCAG guidelines.
  • Internationalization (i18n): Addressed the diverse needs of a global team and vendors with language support and localization strategies for remote interactions.
  • Dark or light: Design system themes enhance usability by allowing users to choose an experience that aligns with their environment and needs.

Outcome

  • Increased adoption: Greater confidence in onboarding existing workflows, and reduced training time.
  • Efficiency gains: A usefulness and usability approach focused on performance metrics to improve task management and enhance overall operations.
  • Positive user feedback: Increased user satisfaction and trust, with impacted users unblocked and backlog issues cleared.