Cloudi
Year: 2015
About
Task: In 3 months, create a vision for VMware describing future solutions that fit naturally into the life of a virtual infrastructure admin.
Result: A conceptual product called Cloudi, a virtual assistant for the Virtual Infrastructure team.
As a virtual member of the team cloudi would:
Focus on increasing admins productivity
Learn what is important to individual admins
Reduce the noise, presenting information that is important to the user.
Watches for tasks that it can take care of for admins
Translates between admins vocabulary and “VMware speak”.
Key Use Cases
Daily Stream
The primary ui for the user is known as the daily stream, a dynamic timeline based flow. The order structure was based on my learnings from “A day in the life of a VI admin”, focusing on how typical VI admin progressed through the day by creating scrolling sections each that focused on information pertinent to that phase of the day.
What happened while you where out
What do you need to do first
Quick overview of the environment
Projects your working on
Tasks that need attention next
Advice / Extra Credit
Using machine learning to track each users behavior, the system would utilize the knowledge of the user to refine the user experience for each individual user by presenting the most relevant information for each user in a daily section and even rearranging the daily sections based on user behavior. As the user completed tasks the system would keep track and compile a daily status report on behalf of the user.
Tasks Based Workflows
Two key findings in my past research drove the development of the task based user experience for IT management.
Most admins always talked in terms of projects and tasks
One of the most common comments heard from admins was “Just tell me what task to do Now / Next”.
I applied the Get Things Done model for the task based workflows. The system compiles alerts across the environment and uses them to understand actual problems which it can prioritize into when the user needs to take care of the issue. When the system understands the problem it figures out the high level solution with probable options to achieve it. The solution is present them as tasks along side tasks from other integrated applications such as Jira.
The user has several actions that can be taken:
Take action on a recommended option for resolving the issue.
Reprioritize the task.
Have the system remind the user of the task later.
Delegate the task.
The system learns from the users actions and adjust tasks and recommended remediations accordingly.
More details on tasks can be found here
Ask Cloudi
Ask Cloudi is a very simple interface consisting of a single field that the user can type in questions, actions, or search queries. The system provides suggestions based on what the user has entered, refining the suggestions as the user types. When the user asked a question the system uses phrasal templates to parse the question then uses knowledge based on the machine learning to understand the best way to answer the question as well as the best way to present any answers and or recommendations to the individual user.
More details on ask cloud can be found here.
Research
I conducted extensive prior research with Virtual Infrastructure admins gaining an understanding of how they progress through the day enabling me to put a story together around “day in the life of the Virtual Infrastructure admin”. I conducted 1 on 1 interviews with vi admins to validate the story.
I conducted research into how other markets gain a initial understanding of a user’s interests.
Extensive prior research conducted by myself with Virtual Infrastructure admins including shadowing admins during work days, 1 on 1 interviews, and contextual inquiries.
Conducted user interviews to verify my hypnotists.
Analysis of task management and project management systems.
Analysis of using infographics as a model for presenting information to users in an early consumable manner.
Conducted user research to gain an understanding of the most common business questions that IT admins need answers to.
Conducted research into models that would enable the user to ask questions using natural language based on business requirements
My Role
Due to the nature and scope of this advanced development project I acted as the Product Manager, UX architect, and Product architect.
I developed the project proposal and got buy in to take a 3 month sabbatical from product development to research and develop the vision.
I conducted all research including:
User research
Analysis of how similar problems have been solved in other spaces.
Technological feasibility, gaps and requirements
Defined direction and requirement.
Translated requirements into a tangible design decisions
Designed and built a prototype of the vision covering mobile and desktop experiences.
Created final video presentation and documentation that included a roadmap outlining how to transition from existing product to this vision.
Results
For VMware
Delivered and presented a vision of the future video to the stake holders along with a plan outlining the transition of existing products to the future direction.
Project based workflows became a core piece of VMware cloud management services as a way to increase collaboration between developers and Devops.
The CTO’s office began further exploration around the next generation of management solutions largely based on the results of this project.
Personal Growth
Lead to further research around IT management systems integrating directly into other applications such as existing task management software, and Outlook calendars.
I was recruited as the UX lead to establish the vision for VMware’s management business unit’s cloud services, leading the creating of persona based design with in the business unit and creating the vision of the future for the cloud services.