WORKFLOW BUILDER
Workflow Builder enables Dave (the DevOps persona see in picture-1 below) to create workflows, test and publish them as services on the IT Service Catalog. IT automation and the journey to the cloud is where the Enterprise and Mid-range markets spend recently their efforts and budgets. The goal is to do more with less. With automation, IT reduces mistakes and human resources. In addition it enables to shift the senior storage admin to focus on the journey to the cloud.
There are DevOps in the SAN, Network and Consumer areas. They all create sub workflows that become part of the enterprise workflow. Dave is familiar with the Storage domain and he is an expert in writing scripts to automate repetitive tasks. Workflow Builder simplify for Dave this effort by providing out of the box workflows that provide most of what he needs where he can copy them and enhance them. The Network (cisco, brocade) and the Consumer side (VMware) have their own workflow builders tools.
Picture 1 - Dave the DevOps is a member in the automation group within the SAN group
Interaction Design
The first UX design approach was tested early in the development cycle and the results indicated that it is confusing. There was a Main Library tab where you can manage and preview the operators and the workflows, however when you wanted to create or edit a WF a workflow tab is opened and it was including the library on the right. This was confusing. Merging the two different libraries into one was expected.
The improved design based on the usability testing had only one merged library. I provided dedicated designs for the overall navigation, error handling, library management and the final visuals of the steps and the canvas (picture 2).
Picture 2 - visual spec of operations in different states on the canvas
The design of the input/output fields (picture 3) was an area that every sprint ENG learned more what they can do and what they cannot and the final design of this area was stabilized only close to the end of the development cycle.
Picture 3 - Final design of Input/Output fields
The following short video captures the final implementing. Dave the DevOps creates a WF and drag and drop operations to the canvas. Then he connects the steps, save, validate and publish.
UX Drives the Agile Process
In this project the UX design was done in harmony with the ENG Agile process.
For the MVP (minimum viable product):
- Milestones have been defined as a place to stop, usability test, and update the milestone plan based on results.
- Each milestone targeted a specific sprint number with goals
- Tasks were assigned as part of a Sprint to the engineers the UX designer and progress was reported in daily standup meetings.
- Back log tasks were assigned by the ENG manager to his team members based on the agreed milestones, with the goal to usability test the MVP end-to-end as early as possible in the development time.
- A group of 8 customers were engaged from day-one (concept) of this project and participated in each one of the milestones either for review or usability test.
- Additional customers participated in addition in various milestones.
The advantage of this process enabled to:
1) Validate the assumptions what is the MVP (end to end use case) by customers in day-1 update it and change the milestone plan accordingly
2) Ensure that the UX designer who is a scarce resource focuses on designing the critical components and has the time to provide the design for the right sprint
4) Ensure feedback on the usability of the product from customers early in the development cycle and ability to change the design and implementation.
Picture 4 below shows the Milestone-Plan with the predicted sprints.
Picture 4 - Milestone Plan with the predicted sprints
