AppCenter
One-stop shop for essential workplace tools.

AppCenter
One-stop shop for essential workplace tools.

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I was the design lead of AppCenter, expanding Productiv’s product suite with a hub that simplifies app discovery and procurement, ensuring employees have seamless access to the apps they need.

I was the design lead of AppCenter, expanding Productiv’s product suite with a hub that simplifies app discovery and procurement, ensuring employees have seamless access to the apps they need.

I was the design lead of AppCenter, expanding Productiv’s product suite with a hub that simplifies app discovery and procurement, ensuring employees have seamless access to the apps they need.

Product
Productiv

Role
Product Design Lead

Skills
Product design
Product strategy
Interactive prototyping
User research & testing

Timeline
Q2 2023 - Q4 2023

What is AppCenter?
Your company's procurement hub

Let's say you’ve just joined your company’s design team, eager to start your first project. Your manager directs you to a Miro file where the team is already brainstorming ideas, but you're not sure how to proceed—how do you get access? Who do you reach out to? What’s the process?

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That's where AppCenter comes in—an internal workplace tool that streamlines access to IT-approved apps, providing employees with role-based recommendations, one-click requests, and on-demand app support.

Context
Defining product principles

This project expands Productiv from being a tool primarily focused on IT admins (through Productiv Core) to a product suite that includes AppCenter, a new tool which is accessible to all employees within a company. With this shift to a much broader audience, a new set of user needs and requirements emerge, which must be addressed in the design.

Product goals

01 App Discovery

Empower users to find the tools correct for their role and function effortlessly.

02 Trust

Foster trust within organizations, while enhancing financial awareness among employees.

03 Seamless Procurement

Streamline the process of requesting the correct app and license to eliminate any confusion.

Solution
Find the tools to get things done.

Customizable branding

Make AppCenter yours

With customizable banners, colors, and logos that match your company's brand, AppCenter builds trust—so employees know they’re in the right place to find the apps they need.

Make AppCenter yours

With customizable banners, colors, and logos that match your company's brand, AppCenter builds trust—so employees know they’re in the right place to find the apps they need.

Intuitive app discoverability

Enhanced search experience

An intuitive search lets users find apps and "capabilities"—a catch-all for app features, teams, and functions. Suggested capabilities appear on click, personalized by role and activity.

Enhanced search experience

An intuitive search lets users find apps and "capabilities"—a catch-all for app features, teams, and functions. Suggested capabilities appear on click, personalized by role and activity.

Accountable spending

Track your license cost

Gives employees clear insight into their personal license costs, fostering financial awareness within companies, while highlighting idle or unused licenses they can take action on.

Track your license cost

Gives employees clear insight into their personal license costs, fostering financial awareness within companies, while highlighting idle or unused licenses they can take action on.

Informative app details page

App usage insights

The app details page gives employees transparency and control over procurement with app approval times, approver Slack contacts, usage data, and company-specific insights to assess app necessity.

App usage insights

The app details page gives employees transparency and control over procurement with app approval times, approver Slack contacts, usage data, and company-specific insights to assess app necessity.

Request app licenses with clarity

Provides detailed descriptions of each license tier, along with personalized recommended options, to help employees make informed decisions about which tier to request.

Request app licenses with clarity

Provides detailed descriptions of each license tier, along with personalized recommended options, to help employees make informed decisions about which tier to request.

Process
From concept to launch

The four-month process involved iterative design and ongoing cross-functional collaboration with engineers and product leaders to ensure feasibility and align on product goals. As the design lead, I facilitated team communication, led regular meetings, and developed product and design strategy.

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User journey
What steps do users take to procure an app?

The process began with team whiteboarding sessions, desk research, and customer calls. We asked customers to walk us through their journey, identified pain points, and quickly ideated potential solutions.

Common painpoints

Difficulty in searching and navigating app options

Users struggle to search for the right apps due to a lack of guidance, unclear keywords, and no structured way to find relevant options based on work function or peer recommendations.

Lack of clarity on app relevance and features

Users struggle to identify relevant, newly added, or popular apps and lack visibility into app usage, features, and demos within the organization.

Unclear app request and approval process

Users are unsure about the right license tier, the approval process, timelines, and how to follow up with approvers.

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Personas
Understanding the needs of different employees.

Through customer calls with 50 employees across 8 companies using Productiv, I identified four main personas, each representing a distinct category of employee with unique needs.

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Feature roadmap
Aligning strategy with development.

After ideation, I worked with engineers and product managers to establish a timeline and prioritize features. We aimed to design and deliver AppCenter V.1 (an MVP) in three weeks for beta testing. Over the next two months, I refined the design through user testing before launching AppCenter to the public.

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Iterations
AppCenter V.1 & beyond

I went through multiple iterations and prototypes, launching the beta version followed by several rounds of user testing. Based on user insights, I refined product requirements and conducted heuristic analysis to improve IA, navigation, feedback, visual design, and accessibility.

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User testing
Keeping user needs central to the design process.

Notable design explorations and improvements, driven by key insights, resulted in significant updates that refined the user experience.

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As a company leader, I want to ensure that there is trust and consistency within our employee tools.

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Clock on the wall

Before

The branding and banners felt impersonal and foreign, giving the impression of an entirely different system.

The branding and banners felt impersonal and foreign, giving the impression of an entirely different system.

After

Feels like an integrated tool within your company, with customizable branding, colors, and logos, all controlled by IT members.

Feels like an integrated tool within your company, with customizable branding, colors, and logos, all controlled by IT members.

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As an IT administrator, I want employees to get the correct licenses with a seamless app request process.

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Before

License tier options are displayed, but without clear explanations or detailed information.

License tier options are displayed, but without clear explanations or detailed information.

After

New hierarchy makes the license tier button more prominent, with added descriptions for clearer visibility. A suggested tier is also provided based on your role and needs.

New hierarchy makes the license tier button more prominent, with added descriptions for clearer visibility. A suggested tier is also provided based on your role and needs.

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As a team manager, I want to my team to stay organized and ensure that every member has access to the same collaboration tools.

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Clock on the wall

Before

The sidebar offers app contact info for assistance with requests and app access issues.

The sidebar offers app contact info for assistance with requests and app access issues.

After

Detailed view includes estimated approval time, team-specific app usage, Slack integrations, and "Used in my organization for" for more informative details.

Detailed view includes estimated approval time, team-specific app usage, Slack integrations, and "Used in my organization for" for more informative details.

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As an individual contributor, I want quick and easy access to the apps I need to use.

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Before

App categories in the nav bar were cluttered and the long list made it difficult to find what you were looking for.

App categories in the nav bar were cluttered and the long list made it difficult to find what you were looking for.

After

The ability to search broadly for capabilities allows users to easily find apps by searching across categories, functions, and teams.

The ability to search broadly for capabilities allows users to easily find apps by searching across categories, functions, and teams.

Impact

Within 4 months of launch:

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Making Productiv a strong enterprise offering

With the expansion of the product suite and the introduction of Productiv Core and Productiv Enterprise as distinct package options, customers have expressed satisfaction with the improved organization and enhanced product experience in their workplaces.

75%

Increase in app procurement speed

With the addition of new capabilities and an enhanced search feature, users can now find and access apps much more quickly, significantly reducing downtime. This improvement has led to faster app procurement and a more efficient user experience overall.

30%

Reduction in SaaS spend

By eliminating confusion with suggested license tiers and app usage data, companies have reduced unnecessary license requests and cut down on excess costs.

© Riya Bobde 2024

© Riya Bobde 2024

© Riya Bobde 2024