dominic quon
In late 2015, the Samsung Knox global website was in need of a complete redesign due to integration plans with other Samsung services, substandard user experience, misaligned branding, a need for a more efficient content management system, and an overflow of marketing requests. The target audience, IT administrators, expressed confusion about the Knox offering. Moreover, an influx of mobile traffic pressed for fluid-responsive interfaces.
My main role in the project was to design the layout, information architecture and interactions of over 40 responsive, localized and modular web interfaces. This process included daily project discussions with the Senior UX Designer, multiple user testing sessions, and bi-weekly sprint meetings. Most images and icons were provided by visual designers.
The typical workflow for each interface began with brief sketches that indicated how the UI would function based on project requirements. This was followed by a prototype, and continually shown to users to improve the site’s usability. Subsequent design decisions were rooted in the interests of the target audience.
After basic functionality was achieved, the prototype was aligned with the Samsung B2B style guide, of which I took part in designing. The majority of the images and icons were created by visual designers. Some visuals were composed by myself with assets retrieved from a central repository.
After user validation and acceptance by the Project Manager, the prototype was presented to stakeholders from worldwide Samsung subsidiaries. Upon receiving feedback, the Senior UX Designer and I addressed the change requests. We accepted some of the comments and incorporated them into the mockup, while other issues were either reserved for later sprints, or dismissed as they didn’t align with the project goals.
When an interface was ready for implementation, I participated in frequent meetings with the development team to ensure that code matched the intended design. Among other issues, localization and responsive frameworks often broke the expected layout. By discussing with developers and the Senior UX Designer, we were able to arrive at equally valid alternatives. The content management system was built by the development team with Node, Mongo DB and KeystoneJS.
As an example of the design process, the home page had undergone five iterations before arriving at the final product. The first panel shows the home page of the old site. A rough prototype was then created by a senior designer. The last three iterations were arranged by myself with a focus on brand alignment, responsivity, marketing requirements, and localization.
Samsung Knox is by far the most comprehensive project that I have participated in. I was able to deliver a global responsive website from planning to go-live. As a result of my participation, the usability, manageability, and visuals of the site have been improved. I’ve gained exposure to real world design constraints, user experience practices, communication with development, and an opportunity to present my expertise to stakeholders. Visit the site at samsungknox.com.