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Among all the different challenges/ problems I have had with the product, there are some high impact challenges that shaped the product to what it is today and along with challenges that led to building standalone products.
Some specific challenges and their design decisions/solutions
#4
Bringing in consistency - Multiple supporting and internal tools with inconsistent design language and legacy UI
Conducted stakeholder and user interviews understanding the pain points with the existing flow and validating the need for restructuring and revamping the UI
Got together with the Product Manager in brainstorming and bringing in groups and categorisation of relevant information
De-cluttered and simplified the User Journeys bringing down 80% of all the repeat and redundant flows, lesser clicks to get to the end goal
The features, copy and information hierarchy is intuitively designed and placed to decrease the learning curve and understand what comes next after each action
Standardised the navigation and updated the UI to get the design language in line with the other product in the suite.
How did I approach this ?
Learned to design usable interfaces through reducing clutter and bringing in shape and structure, while having the core functionality work the same way with more efficiency.
Understood the importance of understanding a business and the domain of operation to understand what is important for the users to achieve, and what can be a potential issue.
Sometimes observing the user in their natural flow and making note of behavioural issues and frustrations identify potential epicentres of problems.
What did I learn ?
40%
improvement in workflow efficiency
50%
reduction in time taken to perform bulk actions
90%
decrease in task drop rate
and increased usability
Result/Impact
NMX is one among the internal tool with legacy UI. The system’s design or patterns don’t match with other tools or products in the CPaaS suite. The user flow involves redundant and repetitive actions with a accessibility, navigation and
The users struggled for years to understand how the platform was built and learnt the way it works. Badly grouped and categorised sections would reduce efficiency in workflows and required the user to allocate lot of time for small tasks and each task would take 10 - 15 extra actions to get to something that could have been achieved in 3 to 4 actions.
Users need a structured, efficient and easy to use tool that would work for them, and has similar workflows as other products in the suite, eliminating the learning curve for anyone not used to the tool
Problem statement
#3
Need for a CPaaS specific design system/ component library
Consistent design
across products and admin platforms
Strong brand identity
because of the unified visual language across all products in the CPaaS suite
Quicker & Faster
go to market features and product releases
60%
more efficient design and development workflows
On track
to reduced development cost and time
Result/Impact
Designers needed to integrate CPaaS products into Cisco’s Momentum design system for consistency, standardization, and support from the design system team to be in line with Cisco’s products. This was a key step in establishing a CPaaS division within Cisco’s collaboration business.
Problem statement
As part of the acquisition of into we had to rebrand all products of imi - into Cisco’s design language, to stay consistent with, Cisco’s collaboration suite of products. Cisco’s own Momentum design system wasn’t capable of handling the specific needs of the CPaaS suite of products imiMobile bought in.
Momentum Design had very generic web components that would work for most of the Webex and all of it’s supporting products
CPaaS products needed to fit in with all the products like Webex in the collaboration business
CPaaS has specific needs like - flow builders, accordions, Complex nested navigation and data visualisation etc.
Momentum Design and the team weren’t capable of scaling their design system to be able to handle these requests from CPaaS within the expected timeframe.
Challenges
Started the redesign of ‘Connect’ with all the existing components of and design patterns of Momentum Design
Pushed them to dev as first phase of rebranding, so the products at least look the part.
As a collaborative effort with designers of other products in the suite - we made a custom component list/request and started designing for those requests
We made a tracker and feedback loop and setup processes of how we need to function building out this custom design system while handling the daily requests of the products with the existing components in the design system
Requested for a single POC from the design system team to validate, ideate and get our components to all the standards of accessibility and scalability standardisations of Momentum design.
We built the custom library and conducted iterations in terms of bringing all commonly used unique components to same level in terms of each product’s requirements of interaction design, user behaviours etc.
How did we approach this ?
Examples of a specific component requirements - designed in collaboration with the team and product needs
Learnt how to create design systems in collaboration with developers and designers ( with Scalability, Accessibility - being the top two things of importance).
Effective project management and multi-tasking helped me deliver results while building the design system.
Understood the importance of collaboration and co-working cause this particular project was all about tradeoffs, compromises and designing for greater good of a product suite all in a collaborative environment which made it possible to pull off something as gigantic as this project.
What did I learn ?
i was personally responsible for creating these two components along with creating navigation specific to ‘Webex connect’
Scroll to see all the components that go into a Table/Collection view
#1
Need for establishing a standard design process - Eliminate pixel pushing and bring in meaningful design output
Lack of a design process – The company followed a design-as-needed approach rather than a design-first product development workflow, making it difficult to establish consistency.
Unorganised and incomplete design system – The existing design system was premature, limited to design files (Sketch), and not implemented in code, creating inconsistencies across the product.
Timelines unaccounted for design - for feature delivery – Design for Product initiatives were required within unrealistic timeframes (4 days to a week), limiting the scope for thorough research and design iteration.
Data and research limitations – Product decisions were primarily driven by insights from Product Managers and leaders without dedicated user research, leading to gaps in understanding user needs.
Frequent rework on product releases – Due to the rushed implementation of features, some releases required continuous rework - which could have been controlled with proper data and understanding, causing disruptions to parallel-running projects and inefficiencies in resource allocation.
Lack of design leadership – As an individual contributor with two years of experience, I had to take on additional, undefined responsibilities due to the absence of dedicated design leadership.
Balancing execution with process improvement – While working within tight deadlines, you also had to find ways to introduce a structured, sustainable design process without slowing down feature delivery.
Challenges
Designers need a structured process, and realistic timelines to ensure consistency and efficiency. Developers require clear design handoffs and a stable, coded design system to streamline implementation. The company needs a scalable design workflow, improved cross-functional collaboration, and reduced inefficiencies to drive long-term product success.
The design process for Webex Connect lacked structure, with an ad-hoc, requirement-driven workflow that hindered consistency and scalability. The absence of a fully developed design system, unrealistic feature delivery timelines, and limited research-driven decision-making led to frequent rework and inefficiencies. Additionally, the lack of design leadership placed extra responsibilities on individual contributors, making it challenging to balance execution with process improvement. There was a critical need to establish a scalable, user-centred design process that aligned with product goals while maintaining efficiency in a fast-paced development environment.
Problem statement
Existing agile - development centric workflow
Identify user needs, evaluate stories
Identify problem statement
Vision
Product backlog
Sprint planning
selected product backlog
2-4 week sprint (product development - release)
Ideate and retrospect
Sprint Review
New functionality
design ?
design ?
Agile UX Design
Identify user needs, evaluate stories
Identify problem statement
Conduct user interactions
Define
Vision
Product backlog
Sprint planning
selected product backlog
2-4 week sprint (product development - release)
Ideate and retrospect
Sprint Review
New functionality
design
design - prototype
Review
Test and learn
designer
3 days - 1 week design sprints
50%
improvement in workflow efficiency
40%
reduction in rework on released features
80%
adoption by product and development teams
Result/Impact
Teamed up - Among the five Product Managers I worked with, I collaborated with one who aligned with the idea of integrating design early in the process, eliminating assumptive feature building and ensuring more user-centred decisions.
Understood the existing workflow - With the PM’s support, I analysed and mapped the average timelines of each phase in the development process. This allowed me to introduce an Agile UX workflow, ensuring design fit seamlessly within existing constraints.
Created minor pushbacks - To prioritise user insights, I began conducting quick user interviews (via phone calls), extracting key findings, and holding discussions with the PM before initiating design work for smaller initiatives.
Show and tell - By presenting research-backed insights and design decisions, I established clear design timeframes within the product development workflow. Over time, all PMs began including me in user discussions, knowledge transfers, and strategic business conversations, particularly within the CPaaS domain
Achieved Adoption - Over six months, this approach led to a 50% improvement in efficiency, streamlining my design work. The remaining efforts focused on adapting to new challenges from Cisco’s acquisition, ensuring the design process remained scalable and impactful.
How did I approach this ?
#2
De-cluttering and streamlining complex user flows - Reducing redundancy and external/third-party service dependancy
Brand and Campaign
Create a Brand
Exit
Add Campaign
Brand Registered
Register the Campaign
Pending Verifiication
Save as Draft
Private/Public.,etc
Number Listing
Status Tracking
Approved
Failed
Company Details, Tax Details
No available numbers
Contact Info
Purchase numbers
Add Use Case
Fill other details required
Select number
Existing Numbers
Select Number
Information/Self Onboarding about the10DLC,
Brand & Campaign process
Login
User Journey and Information Flow
This section talks about a particular feature and it’s journey from what it used to be and the issues and flows to an updated, usable feature, with lesser complex user journey and UI. This one of many such product initiatives which have improved efficiency, user satisfaction in multiple aspects and reduced external dependencies.
Started with users (business owners - Webex connect users), stakeholders ( product managers, ops teams) interviews to gather data regarding the process and pain points
Conducted a competitor analysis specific to this area with a task analysis and the recordings later to analyse how they integrated these functionalities
Drew up the user flows of the competitors to find similarities and also see what works and doesn’t work
I then created the user flows of purchasing a number and the existing process of registering a number’s brand and campaign in connect.
After a comparative analysis, I found the gaps that connect has and setup calls with the stakeholders to share the findings and brainstorm potential solutions
How did I approach this ?
Webex Connect enables businesses ( users ) to create/register and link their brands and campaigns ( communication of different kinds ex. marketing campaigns, promotions, offers etc.) through specific phone numbers that come under USA’s 10DLC program (third party service - verified and trackable phone numbers that businesses can use for communication with their users )
Context for Problem statement
Brand and Campaign Registration
Brand and Campaign Creation
Create a Brand
Register a Campaign under a Brand
Fill in the Details of the company
Fill in the Details of the campaign
Send for verification of the brand details
Add Use Cases
Register a Brand
Register a Campaign
Number Purchase and 10DLC Provision
Buy a Number
Configure 10DLC
Check for available Brands and Campaigns
Brands and Campaigns available
Select Brand ID and Campaign ID
Configure
No Brands and Campaigns found
Register/Create Brand and
Campaign
Two separate flows
adding a number is a part of the Campaign flow
Vonage - Journey of Brand and Campaign
Brand and Campaign Creation
Brand and Campaign Registration
Create a Brand
Register a Campaign under a Brand
Fill in the Details of the company
Fill in the Details of the campaign
Send for vetting of the brand details
Add Use Cases
Register a Brand
Register a Campaign
Sinch - Journey of Brand and Campaign
Brand and Campaign Registration
Create a Campaign
Onboarding Information
Details about the process
Select the Number
Hyperlinks to Purchase Numbers and Create Brands
Select the Brand
Select Use Cases
Fill in other inputs
Review and Finish
Find a Number
Create a Brand
Fill in the Details of the company
Registration Type - Choose categories
Country and Number Type
Send for vetting of the brand details
Save as Draft
Draft Status
Queue
In Review
Done
Register a Brand
Existing Connect - 10DLC and Number purchase flow
Suggested flow
Solution - Hi-Fidelity Prototype
There is a major disconnect between the Number Purchase and the Brand and Campaign creation.
Even-though they are interlinked and do not work without either of their existence, there seems to be two disjunct flows running which gives the user a feel of repetitive tasks.
As far as I have seen there is no way to check if there are any available brands and campaigns that exist while purchasing a number
While creating a campaign you are essentially creating it for a number that you want to register it under. But we don’t see any mention of a number while creating a campaign. Instead we are expected to go to the number listing, search the number and then search a campaign and add it or copy the campaign id from the brand and campaign listing.
Issues/Observations on existing flow
Among the biggest competitors in the CPaaS domain - these two companies are prominent and own significant amount of market share for CPaaS
Competitors and how they do it -
The numbers that need to be used for this communication have to be purchased from Webex connect enabled Number purchase and management feature. And for registering brands and campaigns there is a third party organisation which helps you to register your campaigns and brands. Seasoned users who are used to this process easily do this. But there is always friction to both seasoned and new users to switch between connect and the third party service (TCR - CSP portal) to get this whole process done.
Users need a quicker and easier way to purchase numbers and create Brands and Campaigns in a connected and coherent system, with lesser back and forth while being able to track the status of number purchase, Brand and campaigns verification and registration statuses.
Problem statement
40%
improvement in workflow efficiency
50%
reduction in time taken to perform bulk actions
90%
decrease in task drop rate
and increased usability
Result/Impact
Platform for automating customer interactions / Cloud Automation in the CPaaS domain: Jan 2021 - July 2023
Webex Connect
Expertise
Role
Prototyping
Product building and strategy
Web
UI and UX Design
User Experience Design
Design system
User Interface Design
Product Designer
Product Strategy
Prototypes
Rebranding
Platforms
Deliverables
Prototype
What’s the product ?
I was introduced to the space of “enabling businesses to communicate and build interactions with their customers by envisioning and automating their communication” space when I joined
at
I was handling a product named imiConnect. This is one of the major offerings of the company which allowed it’s
users to orchestrate and design their customer interactions/communication through a web based flow builder which used different types of integrations (WhatsApp, Facebook, Apple Messages, Google Business messages), communication (messaging, mail, SMS, RCS, Social media campaigns etc.) and phone numbers in the form of nodes
CPaaS - Communication Platform as a Service
Example of a flow - Type of communication that the flow enables
In the year of 2021 -
announced the acquisition of
. Since the acquisition, along with my responsibilities of
handling the products UX requirements, I had to handle the rebranding of the product along with a suite of supporting internal tools and processes to Cisco’s design standards. Over time we had to build a derived component library/ A design system for CPaaS tools deriving the rules and interactions of Cisco’s
design system, while setting up a design process.
Connect
The impact
Rebranding and updating the UI of the product made way for
New Features and Functionalities
that increased the Business Value Proposition of product
upto 60 - 70% efforts
spent on designing for redundant and unwanted functionalities and interfaces
Streamlining processes and standardisation reduced
Design system specific to CPaaS products helped reduce
50% time spent
in designing and speedup brainstorming and visualisation for new product iniatives
Spearheaded the re-design of a legacy internal tool that lead to
Increased Usability, Efficiency and less time
to achieve/finish tasks
Decluttered workflows and standardised navigation and design language resulted in
Increased Efficiency and reduced time taken
to achieve/finish tasks
Usability
Ease of use
Efficiency
Time taken
Streamlined design process
In the 2.5 yrs of my time with the product, I have
Improved the product’s efficiency, reduced redundant efforts and dependencies by introducing major third party integrations that made the user’s life easy as well as attracted more business when positioned as new offerings of the product
Derived a custom Design system using Cisco’s
design system for CPaaS Product suite demands
Finally rebranded the product and all it’s supporting individual products (App Hub) which live off of Webex connect, to match the design patterns and language of Cisco
Worked with more than 5 Product managers simultaneously, 6 designers, 4 different development and QA teams
De-cluttered the product’s redundant and complex flows to make the product more usable to be able to bring in new features in the future
I actively worked on more than 20 individual product enhancements
Simplified and unified complex legacy systems which were interlinked, having similar functionalities and built them ground up with an updated design language, inorder for them to be consistent with other products in the suite
Streamlined the design process and standardised the communication with design - product - development teams
Designing for a platform that lacked a design-first approach meant working with inconsistent UI, patterns, and complex flows. This created friction in introducing new features and updates efficiently.
Most of CPaaS according to me is about understanding the workflows of the users. Intuition plays a small part here, while observation and understanding how a user approaches a workflow plays a vital role. That makes it easy for a designer in this space to design with this kind of data which helps you know what kind of a journey and interaction works for your user
System Architecture explains complexity of design
To understand my work, impact I have created and how I handled the design of a complex product and the reason why I am calling it complex we need to look at how it is built.
App Hub
Third party Integrations
Number purchase
Brand and Campaigns
NLP and AI
Reporting and Analytics
API and SDKs
Developer hub
Flow builder
Central Admin Console
Admin Console
NMX
CPX
GCP
Others
Built to run the platform
Support and also have individual contributions
access and control of all products
Product and it’s core functionalities
Issues I had to deal with and solve all along:
In-Consistency
Un-Intuitive flows or user journeys
The extensive need to learn to use the platforms
Too much cognitive load
Too many personalised workflows
Challenges
Consistent design
across products through UI, patterns, design system
Scalable design
Product & design system initiatives - designed to be ready for scale
Design system
Consistent design standards, scalable for future innovations.
Standard process
Standardising design processes across product and development
Lesser Complexity
eliminating complex user flows and redundant practices
Solution
2025 Designed by
saratchandraaddepalli@gmail.com
Sarat Chandra
