CLOUD COMPUTING
DESIGNING AWS IMAGE BUILDER
Enabling Automated Virtual Image Creation for Diverse Workloads
PROJECT
SUMMARY
Streamlined complex image creation workflows into an intuitive, guided experience, empowering users to automate, monitor, and maintain secure AMIs (Amazon Machine Image) effortlessly across AWS environments.
IMPACT
Reduced Setup Time
The design reduced the time it takes users to create AMIs by 63%
Higher Adoption Rates
Post-launch analytics showed a 12% increase in service adoption
Enhanced Security and Compliance
By integrating compliance checks, users reported reduced security incidents related to image creation
Detailed case study
01
BACKGROUND
IMAGE BUILDER
is an enterprise application that simplifies the creation and management of Virtual Machine images for both cloud and on-premise environments.
Why ?
By offloading the automation needed for building and maintain images, customers can improve productivity and focus on solving business problems.
How ?
By providing an intuitive interface for customers to create automation pipelines to customize and deploy “golden” images.
How it works
MY ROLE
I led the design strategy for Image Builder, developing user workflows and defining visual and interaction patterns to create consistent and intuitive experiences
Timeline
16 weeks UX effort
launch
Stakeholders
1 UX Designer
1 Sr. Software Manager
2 Front-end Engineers
1 Product Manager
1 Technical Program Manager
1 Research Manager
02
DESIGN PROCESS
1. DISCOVER/RESEARCH
Customer interviews
User interviews : 50 participants
Direct observation: 7 participants
INSIGHTS GAINED
Users encountered significant challenges in creating and managing images. They struggled to keep configurations consistent across different environments and often had difficulty integrating image building into their CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) workflows. Ensuring security compliance was essential, but tracking versions and managing changes proved to be tedious. While custom configurations were frequently necessary, navigating the existing tools was often complicated. Despite these hurdles, users remained committed to mastering VM image management.
2. DEFINE
Problem/Solution Analysis
Defining the existing challenges and known ways to solve it.
Problem
High skill bar and operational cost of building and maintaining bespoke automation
Service downtime from gaps in testing before deployment to production
Lack of centralized enforcement and lineage tracking
Effortlessly create automation for image pipelines without coding.
Keep your software updated with the latest patches.
Test images before production and deploy them to OTHER regions only after passing tests.
Image BUILDER integrates with AWS Organizations to enforce policies that restrict VM usage to approved AMI's with traceable lineage.
Solution
Understanding User Behavior
Analyzing how users interact with a product, service, or system to uncover their needs, motivations, preferences, and pain points.
Deconstructing Concepts
Grasping the underlying architecture, design principles, and functional components that make up the service.
WHITE BOARDING WITH THE TEAM
RESULTS : CONCEPT HIERARCHY
Core Templates (AMIs)
Pre-defined images with OS and software configurations as starting points.
Automated Pipelines
Structured workflows that handle image creation, testing, and deployment.
Blueprints (Recipes)
Configurations that specify the software, patches, and settings for images.
Compliance & Security Controls
Policies to ensure image builds meet security and regulatory standards.
Integration Points
Connections with CI/CD systems, version control, and AWS tools for seamless operations.
Distribution Mechanisms
Systems for replicating images across regions and accounts.
Building a high-level User Flow
Representation of the structure of the various components, outlining its navigation and user flow.
CREATING AN IMAGE PIPELINE
3. EXECUTE
Lo-fi's
Early stage designs
Usability Testing
Understanding if users could intuitively move through tasks, like defining image recipes, configuring pipeline stages, and monitoring builds.
Participants
DevOps engineers
IT admins
AWS power users
Testing Method
Task-Based Scenarios
Participants were guided through key workflows in the lo-fi mockups, such as setting up an image creation pipeline or customizing image configurations.
Usability Feedback
Observed how participants navigated the mockups, noting where they hesitated or expressed confusion.
Think-Aloud Protocol
Encouraged users to verbalize their thought process, offering insight into their mental models and revealing hidden pain points.
Insights & Iterations
Simplifying the Setup Flow
Some users found the initial pipeline setup steps confusing, leading to adjustments in the sequence and labeling of stages for clarity.
Enhanced Visual Indicators
Based on feedback, additional cues were added to help users distinguish between pipeline stages and their statuses, ensuring they could easily follow the sequence of steps.
Flexible Navigation
Some users wanted the ability to move back and forth between stages more fluidly, prompting design changes to allow non-linear navigation within the wizard.
Design milestone reviews
Worked with key stakeholders at every stage of design development and produce designs for the milestone reviews.
DESIGN MILESTONES
Launch
Fit and Finish
Kick-off
Deep dive
UX Sign-off
To ensure that the proposed design meets the high quality bar our customers expect.
To assess the implemented service console in its near-final form, for overall ‘pixel-perfect’ quality.
Review product and design direction, key use cases, and target customers.
To align resources and schedules between a product team and the UXDR team at the start of a new project.
FINAL DESIGNS
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OUTCOME
03
Reduced Setup Time
The design reduced the time it takes users to create AMIs by 63%
Higher Adoption Rates
Post-launch analytics showed a 12% increase in service adoption
Enhanced Security and Compliance
By integrating compliance checks, users reported reduced security incidents related to image creation
REFLECTIONS AND LEARNINGS
Streamlining Complex Tasks: Simplifying a highly technical process through a guided, visual interface significantly improves usability.
Importance of Reusable Assets: Providing tools for recipe reuse and version control helped standardize processes across teams and saved time.
Continuous Improvement: Usability testing provided valuable insights, leading to iterative improvements that directly addressed user needs.
This UX design case study demonstrates the impact of user-centered design on creating a more accessible, efficient, and collaborative image-building experience on AWS.