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Custom connector paging strategy

Overview

About Project

  • Custom connector: A no-code connector builder for APIs, used to create a connector profile for data extraction.
  • Main Personas: ETL Developers or Data Engineers at Matillion who want to connect to an unsupported data source.
  • Pagination/ Paging: Refers to the method of retrieving multiple pages of data from the API.

My Role

  • Product Designer: Responsible for redesigning the pagination strategy for custom connector.
  • Collaboration: Worked closely with Product Owners (POs), Product Managers (PMs), and engineers throughout the redesign process.

Problem

  • User feedback: Valuable feedback from users highlighted the need to redesign the paging strategy in the custom connector.
  • Lack of explanation: Users struggled due to the absence of clear explanations and information about the functions in the drop-down menu.
  • Unfamiliar terminology: The terminology used was unfamiliar and not user-friendly, posing difficulties in understanding and configuring pagination.
  • Inconsistent form fields: Some form fields lacked consistency and informative language, adding to the user’s confusion.

Design Process

User Research

  • Analysing user feedback: Addressing user concerns by analysing feedback and identifying pain points.
  • Thorough research: Conducting thorough research on paging approaches in competitor tools.
  • Exploring solutions from competitors: Researching and studying solutions provided by competitors to gain insights and inspiration.

Ideation

  • Collaboration with engineers: Working closely with engineers to understand the technical aspects involved in addressing user concerns.
  • Incorporating visual representation: Recognising the importance of using visual representations, such as code snippets from the API, to enhance user comprehension.
  • Allowing upfront comparison: Providing users with the ability to compare different strategies upfront before making their selection.
  • Reducing clicks: Prioritising reducing the number of clicks to improve usability, following the principles of Nielsen Norman

Prototyping and Testing

  •  Low/high fidelity designs: Developing design prototypes at various levels of fidelity, allowing for feedback and iterations.

Iteration

  • Iterations, feedback, and refinements: Engaging in multiple iterations, gathering feedback, and refining the design with input from engineers and the design team.
  • Design readiness: Creating designs that are prepared to gather feedback and undergo iterative improvements.
  • Iterative design process: Engaging in a continuous cycle of feedback and refinement based on the received input.
  • Incorporating stakeholder feedback: Gathering feedback from stakeholders, such as PMs, PO’s, developers and design team, to inform design iterations.
  • Enhancing design quality: Utilising feedback and iterations to enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of the designs.

Outcomes

Final Designs

  • Clear display of eight tiles: The solution showcases eight tiles upfront, allowing users to compare different paging strategies using code snippets and concise descriptions.
  • Aid in understanding and selection: The prominent display helps users understand and choose the appropriate paging strategy for their needs.
  • Configuration: Once a strategy is chosen, users can further configure their strategy as required.
  • Preview feature: Users can preview two to three pages based on their chosen strategy to ensure alignment with the API and test their configurations.
  • Painted door experiment: A painted door experiment was introduced specifically for custom paging, aiming to gauge user interest and gather insights on their expectations.
  • Gathering valuable user feedback: The experiment helps gather valuable feedback to refine the solution and improve it based on user preferences and needs.
  • Thorough testing and refinement: The solution will undergo extensive testing among users upon release to better understand its effectiveness and make necessary refinements based on their feedback.

Impact and Results

  • User-Centric Redesign: Addressed valuable user feedback, resulting in a redesigned custom connector paging strategy that prioritises user needs and comprehension.

  • Enhanced User Understanding: Clear explanations and concise descriptions in the final designs alleviate user struggles, ensuring better understanding of functions and terminology.

  • Increased Usability: Reduced clicks and prioritizsed usability in the design process, aligning with Nielsen Norman principles, to create a more efficient and user-friendly experience.

  • Collaborative Design Process: Collaboration with Product Owners, Product Managers, and engineers throughout the design process ensured a holistic and well-informed approach.

  • Visual Representation Impact: Recognition of the importance of visual representations, such as code snippets, contributed to improved user comprehension and interaction.

  • Upfront Comparison Feature: Introduction of an upfront comparison feature allows users to compare different paging strategies, aiding in quick and informed decision-making.

  • Configurability: Users can now configure their chosen strategy, enhancing flexibility and customisation according to their specific requirements.

  • Preview Functionality: The preview feature enables users to test configurations with a preview of two to three pages, ensuring alignment with the API and validating their configurations.

  • Experimental Innovation: The introduction of the Painted Door Experiment for custom paging gauges user interest and gathers insights, contributing to ongoing refinement based on user preferences and needs.

  • Thorough Testing and Continuous Improvement: The solution undergoes extensive testing among users upon release, allowing for a continuous cycle of feedback and refinement to enhance its effectiveness.

  • Language Consistency: Ensured consistent language usage by thoroughly understanding the meaning of each term before its application in the design.
  • Iterative Design Excellence: Engaged in an iterative design process, incorporating stakeholder feedback and refining designs to enhance overall quality and effectiveness.
 
 
 

Challenges and Learnings

  • Technical complexity: Overcame the challenge of understanding the technical aspects of paging by collaborating closely with an engineer and gaining in-depth knowledge of different paging strategies.
  •  Low/high fidelity designs: Developing design prototypes at various levels of fidelity, allowing for feedback and iterations.
  • Varied paging strategies: Faced the challenge of accommodating diverse paging strategies, requiring careful consideration to maintain a consistent format.
  • Addressing contrasting feedback: Managed the challenge of receiving contrasting feedback and leveraged design principles to develop solutions that best cater to user needs.