IT teams were racing the clock, toggling between 5+ siloed tools, and struggling to explain changes to teammates who often lacked the same context.
Digging into 50+ Hours of Interview with Network Ops Teams to Map the "As-is"
Partnering with UX researchers, we distilled insights from 20+ real-world use cases and found a common frustration: fixing network issues was messy and slow.
Getting Aligned on Priorities & Defining Roadmap
These findings transformed Network Map from a “nice-to-have” into a must-have MVP, elevating it into the core value of our product and a key selling point for the Sales team.
At First, Stakeholders Wanted Everything on One Page
I worked with another designer to explore ways of combining multiple layers of network information. With no clear direction, we shared all ideas with the team. Stakeholders preferred the 1st option because it showed everything and was easy to implement, but user research revealed a different story.
Research Showed Users Consume Information Step by Step When Troubleshooting
After revisiting the user flow, I realized users need a clear progression: software -> hardware, broad -> granular
The all-in-one-page layout didn’t support this step by step approach. It overwhelmed rather than guided.
“No More Horizontal!” Research Revealed How Users Think
During an observational study, we noticed a clear pattern: Network ITs think in a vertical structure.
"We always check downstream connections to understand the impact on our customers."
Justin
"Our customers only care about downstream issues that affect their ability to stay connected."
Tim
"The first thing I check is the upstream connections to identify a root cause."
Molly
But, No Competitor Applied This Insight
We then researched 3 popular network map tools and found all of them used a horizontal layout, which conflicted with what research revealed.
Designing Vertical Structure & Verifying With Users
With research insights, I designed Network Map in a Vertical Structure because it aligns with users' Top-Down mindset and is easy to develop and scale up.
In the following user testing, 100% of participants supported the decision and praised the clarity of the vertical structure. However, about 60% expressed doubts about using straight lines for connections, noting that overlapping lines could become confusing.
Iterations: Simplifying Connections & Adapting to Evolving Architecture
User feedback showed where the design felt confusing, sparking the next iterations.
Meanwhile, the network architecture itself evolved, giving me the chance to refine the topology so it stayed clear for users while still scaling with technical needs.
Exploring Alternatives & Making Decision in Short Time
As I tackled the challenge of scalability, I reviewed the design decisions made for other parts of the Network Map and revisited a key research insight: Context is key, but not all context is needed at once.
From earlier testing, I knew network engineers don’t need all nodes visible at once - they focus on urgent issues and tackle them step by step.
The scrollable “5-node window” wasn’t perfect, but it fit our tight timeline. It reduced clutter, surfaced urgent issues, and made large networks easier to navigate. Although I couldn’t run post-launch testing due to shifting priorities, I defined clear success metrics for future validation.
These 3 challenges capture the heart of my design process: navigating ambiguity, balancing trade-offs, and advocating for what’s best for users. They also reflect how I work: research-driven, collaborative, and always thinking ahead.
This product shipped in 2024, and Topology was just one of the features I led. I also designed Configuration, Inventory Management, Zero-Touch Provisioning, and Data Visualization. Many details are under NDA, but I’d love to walk you through them in person.
100%
User Satisfaction
80%
Reduced Tool-Switching
3x
Product Adoption
