VMware’s strategic expansion involved acquiring four distinct products, each boasting its unique design and user interface. This diversity, while beneficial for growth, presented a significant UX challenge: the need for a unified, cohesive user experience across the expanded product line. This context set the stage for the inception of the Clarity design system, an initiative at a time when the concept of design systems was still gaining traction in the tech world.
Role Evolution and Strategy
My journey with VMware began as a Visual Designer, a role that quickly evolved as the Clarity project unfolded. Recognizing the need for cohesive leadership in this groundbreaking endeavor, I transitioned to lead the initial product audit. This initial phase was crucial for understanding the existing design disparities. As the project gained momentum, I assumed the role of UX/UI Lead, overseeing the development of Clarity specifically for the Workspace ONE set of consoles. This expanded role blended design expertise with strategic leadership, requiring innovative problem-solving to navigate the complexities of integrating multiple product designs into a single, coherent system.
Team Collaboration
Leading a team of designers and developers, my focus was on fostering a collaborative and innovative environment. The challenge was to integrate the diverse design languages of the acquired products into a unified design system. This required not only a deep understanding of design principles but also the ability to manage team dynamics, ensuring that each member’s expertise contributed to a cohesive final product.
Development
The development of Clarity was a meticulous and strategic process. It involved crafting a set of standards, guidelines, and components that were versatile enough to be applied across VMware’s varied product range while maintaining a unified user experience. This process extended beyond the realm of creative design; it encompassed the creation of comprehensive documentation and the establishment of governance rules. These components were essential for ensuring Clarity’s longevity, consistency, and adaptability in an ever-evolving tech landscape.
Measuring Success
The success of Clarity was measured through a multifaceted approach. Initial indicators of success included the adoption rates of Clarity (WS1) within VMware’s design community, providing insights into how quickly and effectively the it was integrated into existing workflows. We also leveraged end-user feedback, captured through variations in Net Promoter Scores and satisfaction rates, to gauge the real-world impact of Clarity. This data pool was instrumental in guiding the ongoing development and refinement of the design system.
Lessons learned
This project was a deep dive into the emerging field of design systems, and from it, I gleaned several key insights. First and foremost was the importance of establishing a robust governance system. This system needed to enforce strict rules around the system’s evolution and guide community contributions, ensuring the design system remained cohesive and true to its foundational principles.
Additionally, I learned the critical role of monitoring and enforcement – ensuring that the components and patterns were used correctly and in accordance with the established guidelines. These insights have been pivotal in shaping my approach to design system management, emphasizing the need for a balance between creative innovation and disciplined governance.
