cloud platform redesign

Intro

About

The product is a large-scale cloud services platform, where users can purchase cloud servers, virtual machines, as well as SaaS, PaaS, and other solutions

Users

Developers

My role

Lead Product Designer and Concept Designer.

Timeline

2 months (first step)

Problem & Goals

Problem

For years, the platform relied on a Material Design visual language dating back to 2010. As a result, the UI became outdated and cluttered with layers of new functionality added over time

Goals

The design goal was to simplify the visual interface and refresh the design system, while keeping the existing functionality intact and do the main process screens

Constraints

One of the key challenges was limited access to users — feedback arrived with a delay of about a week. The project began without a front-end developer, working only in collaboration with the product owner

Discovery & Research

At this point, we gathered user insights through 20+ support ticket, which helped us identify interface areas that could be simplified or removed. Findings from the ticket analysis were later validated by a focus group, confirming the key pain points and opportunities for streamlining the UI.

At the start of the project, the product owner already had along list of expectations for the redesign. Together with another designer, we began by reviewing the system and identifying key usability issues.
  • Overcrowded button area above data tables
  • Navigation menu felt disconnected from the rest of the interface
  • Excessive horizontal scrolling made key data hard to access
  • Core product creation flow was placed in a modal window — not ideal for a complex process
  • Too much unused whitespace
  • High number of repetitive UI elements — needed better grouping and hierarchy

Design System

Among many open-source design systems,the most complete and suitable for a complex product — both visually and functionally — were Konsta, Carbon, and Ant Design.
Consta
Ant Design
I created initial screens using all three design systems. In the end, the Carbon Design System by IBM proved to be the best fit, offering the right balance of technical focus and visual style for the platform.

Approach

The design process was iterative.After completing a few key pages, we presented them to a focus group composed of the platform’s active users. Their feedback played a critical role in validating our decisions and shaping further iterations.

Due to limited access to end-users,we identified internal users within the company and conducted direct interviews with them after each iteration. This allowed us to quickly gather valuable feedback and make informed design decisions.

Solution

The initial design issues were addressed through several key solutions:
  • Row actions were hidden by default and only revealed when a row was selected — reducing visual noise
  • Clean, minimalistic icons improved readability and alignment with the platform’s technological feel
  • A full-width table layout allowed more information to be displayed at a glance
  • Instance creation was moved to a dedicated page, improving clarity and reducing cognitive load
  • Images were grouped by operating system, making search faster and more intuitive
Key improvements on the instance creation page included:
  • A clear headline to help users understand the purpose of the page
  • Network selection grouped into a dedicated container for better structure
  • Enlarged, color-coded buttons for better visual hierarchy and ease of navigation

Outcome & Impact

This instance creation redesign was only the first step in the larger platform overhaul. The process is still ongoing, and other designers continue to build upon the concept I introduced — applying its principles to other parts of the platform.
Close collaboration with the product owner was a major success factor. They were actively involved in all key stages of the design process. Thanks to this partnership, the final result satisfied not only me as a designer but also the product owner and the broader team.

What’s next

The foundation for the platform’s new design direction has been set. Designers are now using the concept I developed as a base to redesign additional pages — working closely with the product owner and internal users to ensure continuity and user relevance.

Reflection

This project allowed me to step into the role of a concept designer — generating fast solutions, iterating quickly, and testing ideas as soon as they were ready. This experience sharpened my ability to run lightweight tests early in the process and make informed decisions about which directions were worth deeper exploration in future projects.
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