SysAid, a leading IT Service Management (ITSM) platform, initiated a major redesign in 2021 with the development of Spaces, a modern system designed to replace the legacy Classic platform, which had been in use since 2002.
Spaces was officially introduced to customers in November 2023, offering a more intuitive and user-centric interface to enhance workflows for IT professionals handling service requests, asset management, and incident resolution.
The redesign posed several key challenges that needed to be addressed to ensure the success of Spaces:
I led the redesign of Sysaid’s platform and managed a team of two product designers, overseeing the entire design process from ideation to execution. I ensured the team maintained a user-centered approach while aligning with business goals, guiding them through each phase of the project.
I worked closely with the lead product manager and her team to gather product requirements, align on acceptance criteria, and participate in discovery sessions. In parallel, I collaborated with the R&D team, delivering designs, participating in technical discovery, and supporting Q&A during development.
Additionally, I maintained an open feedback loop with customer support and sales teams, leveraging customer insights and feedback to address real-world pain points and continuously refine the design.
Our design process began by analyzing SysAid’s Classic platform through user feedback, usage data, and stakeholder input. This research provided key insights into user pain points and guided the development of the Spaces platform to better meet real-world needs.
We collaborated with select Design Partners — key customers with an open feedback loop—providing insights into the ‘Classic’ platform’s performance and early-stage feedback on ‘Spaces’, contacting interviews, live sessions, and prototype testing.
These Design patterns were also our Alpha testing of early ‘Spaces’ versions.
Main Key Insights
Positive
Familiarity and reliability of the ‘Classic’ platform.
Pain Points
The complexity of the UI, limited customization, and asset management issues.
We analyzed ongoing surveys from SysAid users to identify common feedback trends:
Analysis of user interactions with the Classic platform compared to other ITSM platforms identified the most frequently used features
A thorough competitive analysis was conducted to benchmark SysAid’s ITSM system against leading competitors. This involved evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, and unique features. The insights gained from this analysis helped in identifying gaps and areas for improvement in our own platform.
Based on data from user interviews and surveys, I developed detailed user personas and journey maps, dividing them into 4 primary groups based on their interaction with SysAid’s ITSM platform
Profile
Small helpdesk users with light use of ITSM features, working mainly in basic tasks.
Familiarity
Familiar with the ‘Classic’ platform, with minimal concerns about switching to ‘Spaces’.
Needs
Simplicity in workflows, faster transitions, and minimal disruption during daily tasks.
Profile
Large enterprise users with extensive ITSM integration across multiple departments.
Familiarity
Highly dependent on the ‘Classic’ platform, facing major challenges moving to ‘Spaces’.
Needs
Advanced customization, deeper integration, and support for more complex IT workflows.
Profile
Small businesses moving from simpler platforms, seeking ITSM solutions.
Needs
Fast onboarding, user-friendly design, and quick adoption with minimal effort.
Profile
Large enterprises migrating from advanced platforms with high expectations.
Needs
Scalable features, robust functionality, and smooth integration with systems.
During the design phase, I created multiple wireframes to prototype key pages of the ITSM platform. These wireframes helped refine the user interface, ensuring simplicity and clarity in user workflows. By focusing on highly used pages such as the Queue Page and the Ticket Page, I was able to validate design decisions early through usability testing and stakeholder feedback, making adjustments to optimize efficiency.
Designed to allow users to manage and filter tickets with ease. It provides a clear and organized table structure where users can view key details such as ticket descriptions, assignees, and status indicators. The filtering system at the top of the page helps users quickly adjust views based on their needs, while the clean layout minimizes visual clutter, improving overall navigation speed and usability.
Focuses on presenting detailed ticket information in an intuitive format. Each section is clearly labeled and allows users to easily access fields for ticket data, related items, and action items like attachments and journey tracking. By providing a well-structured layout, users can quickly assess ticket status and perform actions like reassignment or resolution with minimal effort.
Prototypes of the new design were developed and subjected to multiple rounds of user testing. This iterative process involved gathering feedback from actual users, identifying usability issues, and making necessary adjustments. The goal was to refine the design to be as intuitive and user-friendly as possible.
The final phase involved close collaboration with the development team to implement the design. Regular feedback sessions and agile methodologies were used to address any issues promptly and iterate on the design as needed. Post-launch, continuous monitoring and user feedback were utilized to make further enhancements.
A comprehensive design system was developed to ensure consistency and efficiency. This included a set of guidelines for typography, color schemes, component libraries, and interaction patterns. The design system not only streamlined the development process but also ensured a cohesive user experience across the platform.
The Queue page serves as the nerve center of the entire platform, consolidating all open tickets along with their detailed data.
I led the redesign of the Queue page, aligning it with modern design trends. By analyzing user behavior & researching similar software, I identified key functionalities & streamlined the layout for intuitive access, I ensured the design met user requirements and enhanced platform functionality.
The ticket page is structured into two main sections: The left side displays the ticket information fields, which are customizable through pre-made and custom templates. The right side features several key functions under different tabs
I ensured that users can easily access and manage ticket information. Additionally, I prioritized the flexibility of the interface, allowing customization through pre-made and custom templates, and incorporated key functionalities into distinct tabs.
admins can create and edit ticket templates using an intuitive drag-and-drop system, organizing fields in a three-column layout and viewing properties like restrictions, hints, and mandatory status for each field.
The design of the Template Designer focuses on simplicity and efficiency. The three-column layout facilitates a logical workflow, with drag-and-drop functionality to build and organize templates easily. This design approach ensures that users can quickly create and modify templates to suit their specific needs
