Project Preview

The Microsoft Services Hub is a cloud-based application that provides IT professionals with access to guidance, tools, and support for their Microsoft cloud and on-premises technologies. The application allows users to easily manage support requests, track the status of open support requests, and proactively manage the health of their IT environments. The Services Hub offers personalized updates on upgrades and changes to Microsoft products, on-demand learning resources, and comprehensive learning paths to help IT professionals develop targeted skills with Microsoft technologies.

The problem

The current version of the Microsoft Services Hub web app has a number of usability and functionality issues that are causing pain points for users. IT professionals using the app have difficulty finding the right resources or support for their specific needs, have limited visibility into the status of support requests or overall IT system health, and face challenges navigating the complex user interface. Additionally, learning resources are outdated and does not meet users' needs for targeted skill development.

The solution

The goal of the project is to redesign the Microsoft Services Hub app with a user-centered approach that prioritizes the needs of IT implementers, Support Contact, Technical Account Managers, and IT managers. The vision for the project is to create an intuitive interface that allows users to manage support requests and maintain IT system health, while also providing on-demand learning resources and comprehensive learning paths to build targeted skills with Microsoft technologies. The new Services Hub digital experience is intended to better serve the needs of IT professionals and help them make the most of their investment in Microsoft services.

My Role

As a UX Designer for the Microsoft Advanced Services Delivery team, I led efforts to develop a consistent user experience and visual tone that elevated accessibility across the critical IT support cloud-based web applications for a unified digital platform. I was responsible for developing the UX design tool kit, user flows, information architecture, personas, customer journey, prototypes, and usability test plan. I worked with the cross-functional teams to implement the design according to the Microsoft branding style guide and Accessibility Requirements. To ensure the design meets the Microsoft Accessibility Standards by the product roll-out date, I mentored designers and engineers on web accessibility standards using the UX tool kit for a 29% increase in app usability score.

The Approach

We used a user-centered approach to create an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows users to manage support requests, maintain IT system health, and access learning resources to develop targeted skills with Microsoft technologies. I collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to bring the new Microsoft Services Hub digital experience to life through Agile software development interfacing with usability experts, customers, Product Owners, CXP team members, and engineering developers. I defined key experience indicators and partnered with data and analytics teams to incorporate their insights. I created a more intuitive and user-friendly interface for Microsoft customers and support teams by Incorporating user feedback, behavioral analytics, technical constraints, and business goals into follow-on design iterations.

Design Process

The UX strategy and design process for redesigning the Microsoft Services Hub web application involves the following steps:

Discovery

• Live interviews

• Surveys

• Design charrette

• Context inquiry

• User personas

• Competitive analysis

Define

• Customer journey map

• Workflows

• User story mapping

• Feature priorities

• User pain points

• UX stategy

Develop

• Information Architecture

• Concept sketches

• User flow

• Wifremframes

• Low-fidelity Prototype

• Usability testing plan

To learn more about the full project details, please contact me directly.