Acquia Cloud Platform is a B2B hub for managing back-end aspects of a website (security, performance, code, etc.).
Enterprise-level customers manage many sites that are technically separate but are either similar or related. These arrangements blur the line between a single site and multiple separate sites, especially when managing the code that runs them. Previously, Acquia Cloud Platform only worked with distinct sites. This project was part of a larger initiative to facilitate efficient management of this sort of multi-site arrangement.
Users looking to keep multiple websites consistent with the same code have to manually update each site individually, which is time consuming and error prone. Build a system that allows users to update the code on multiple sites with one action and track the progress.
Site builder (e.g. web developer)
Secondary product designer
By the time I joined the project, much of the initial work had already been done: problem definition, basic solution, and some early concepts for UI. I worked closely with the lead designer, product manager, and engineering lead to decide scope of the solution and design directions.
As part of a larger planned suite of features in an existing project, we were fairly constrained to match the UI and framework in place with where we were trying to go, which helped inform and direct the design efforts.
The architecture of the UI and code made it a more involved project than simply creating checkboxes and a bulk action button. We had to first lay the groundwork for creating the concept of a codebase entity (that aggregated the related sites), then design the user experience of managing it and the sites within it. Allowing multiple sites to share a codebase was also a new concept to work through the back-end mechanics and how to represent that in the front end. Previously, each site had its own codebase, which was not presented to the user.
The basis of the design included two screens:
Codebase details - to see and manage all of the related sites
Bulk deploy options - to perform a single action to update code on multiple selected sites
Click images to enlarge.
Codebase details
Bulk deploy options
Helped design and create the new component for filtering table columns
This was needed to power efficient selection of sites.
Configured prototypes for testing
Created mid-fidelity mock-ups of the task log
These designs served as an exploration for how logging might work in the new system, but were not directly needed for this feature release. (Details at the end.)
Click image to enlarge.
We tidied up these early designs to make them presentable, then ran tests with current users of the software. Testers were asked to perform a basic workflow of updating the code on a certain group of sites using this new interface.
Click image to enlarge.
Bulk deploy options
Likely due to the clear and direct nature of the target task, our design tested very well. No significant changes were needed. Testers were able to accomplish the task smoothly and confidently.
While they didn't pose any problems in testing, we did further refine the design to remove a couple of features:
Ability to create a tag while updating code
We determined with subject matter experts that this is a separate task and process from updating code, and it should not be done at the same time.
Multiple ways to select sites
We originally had a list of predefined sets of sites to select. Testing and further review indicated that this added unneeded complexity to the process for users, and streamlining the selection to filtering in the table was best.
Click images to enlarge.
Codebase details
Bulk deploy options
The lead designer moved on from Acquia before the project was complete. I have taken over ownership and continue to work with engineers with any questions or clarification needed for implementation.
Existing task logs were linear and focused. This project required a technical update to allow showing tasks from multiple sites in one aggregated view in the codebase. We have a goal in the future of having the concept of a parent task (i.e. updating to the latest code) that contains multiple child tasks (i.e. updating each site's code). These are some low-mid fidelity mock-ups of how that could work.
Click images to enlarge.
Codebase task log
Parent task details
Child task details
The lead designer moved on from Acquia before the project was complete. I have taken over ownership and continue to work with engineers with any questions or clarification needed for implementation.