Redesigning Compose

ALATION · Lead Product Designer · 2021-2023

Compose is Alation’s SQL tool that allows data analysts to validate, document, and share queries and data.

I led a user focused redesign effort of Compose in order to realign our North Star strategy, better match our offering to our persona’s user journey, increase engagement and reduce risk of license churn.

THE OLD

THE NEW

Developing the Compose Roadmap

To understand Compose’s current state and define core user problems, I conducted a series of 5 main research initiatives:

  • Customer surveys

  • Customer interviews and usability sessions

  • External non-Alation SQL user interviews

  • Competitive and industry analysis

  • Internal stakeholder feedback and brainstorm sessions

Affinity Mapping feedback sessions from customers and competitor research.

Brainstorming with Alation product team after synthesizing findings.

Core Problems

Compose didn’t feel streamlined

Outdated and hastily made features, as well as a lack of visual direction resulted in an overall disjointed experience.

A lack of “completedness”

Composers felt as if we hadn’t given them all the tools to finish their work - there was a lack of “completeness” in their daily work flow.

Customers didn’t feel heard

Approaching individual enhancement requests rather than understanding underlying issues resulted in massive under delivery.

Compose’s North Star

Compose is used for quick and streamlined data verification and query runs. We want to provide a comprehensive experience that is tailored to being as efficient as our Composers.

Improving Core Flow and Panel UX

Dynamic Panel Layouts

Composers wanted a better way to utilize their screen’s real estate across large and small screens. Outside of standard screen responsiveness, I allowed Composers to choose which layout orientation best suited their needs.

Improving Object Preview Panel

Toolbar Simplification

The old toolbar was nondirectional and a victim of feature bloat. I cleaned up the toolbar using card sorting exercises and made the section more streamlined to the core journey.

Compose Home/Query Management

Composers voiced they “wanted to stay in Compose”. To give them a sense of home, we needed to find a starting point for their work.

Composers wanted more features available via panels so they could use their screen real estate more effectively. I improved the old Preview’s design to become a panel experience, which eventually scaled to other products at Alation