Twilio Console Vision
Twilio is an enterprise customer engagement platform
Designing Twilio Console's information architecture, introducing a project-based framework and streamlined navigation.
Timeline
July 2024 -> December 2024
Role
Principal Product Designer
Platforms
Scale
Enterprise
Overview
The information architecture of our console posed significant challenges for customers, making navigation and feature discovery unnecessarily complex. Customer interviews and declining NPS scores underscored the impact of these issues.
At the same time, I observed similar struggles among our design team during mentorship sessions and weekly design critiques, where organising information effectively was a recurring challenge.
Recognising the need for change, I proposed a preliminary solution to the Director of UX, laying the foundation for what would become an initiative to rethink and improve the console’s information architecture.
Workshop
To address the challenges faced by both customers and designers, we convened a remote workshop with UX leaders. The goal was to identify key problems, develop a shared framework for improvement, and unblock ongoing product development.
Ahead of the workshop, I compiled insights from customer interviews, usability studies, and NPS reports into a comprehensive pre-read to ensure everyone was aligned. During the session, we documented major insights and grouped them into thematic clusters.
We then divided into two groups to run a "Crazy 8s" exercise, generating a range of creative solutions. From these sketches, we collectively identified the most promising ideas. I took these forward and created high-fidelity mockups in Figma to bring the concepts to life.
Usability testing part one
The existing console navigation was split into two tabs: "Develop" and "Monitor". Customers also had to manually pin products to the sidebar for quick reference, adding unnecessary friction.
A more significant issue arose when customers needed to segregate their services. They often created new "accounts" for this purpose, requiring them to re-enter all their information from scratch—a time-consuming and frustrating process.
Our proposed solution introduced the concept of "Projects" as containers for managing services. This approach allowed customers to monitor, adapt, and enhance their services within a unified workspace. By reducing the need to switch between areas for simple tasks, the new design streamlined navigation and improved overall usability.
During a hackathon week, I led a design sprint with another designer and two PMs to test the assumption that customers would intuitively understand the concept of a "Project" within the Twilio ecosystem and navigate the proposed design with ease.
We conducted three rounds of unmoderated user testing, involving five Twilio customers and three non-customers in each round. The results were promising:
- Navigation clarity: All participants found the proposed navigation intuitive, well-organised, and easy to use.
- Project understanding: Participants readily grasped the concept of "Projects" and how it applied to managing their services.
These findings validated our approach and provided confidence in moving forward with the redesigned framework.
Vision
With positive results from user testing, we were confident in the direction we were heading. However, there were still several critical considerations to address in our proposal, including onboarding, compliance, identity, and billing.
Recognising the need for a more holistic approach, I zoomed out to evaluate the console as a whole. While the initial proposal improved the left-hand navigation, it left some complexities unresolved.
To ensure the solution was comprehensive, I reviewed best-in-class software solutions for inspiration and benchmarks. Drawing on these insights, I completely reimagined the console experience, integrating the projects framework and addressing all aspects of Twilio’s ecosystem. This vision aimed to create a cohesive, intuitive, and scalable platform for our customers.
Workspace
Rather than requiring customers to create "accounts," the new approach introduced the concept of "workspaces"—a term widely recognised and used across the industry.
Workspaces not only streamlined service organisation but also empowered customers to choose their hosting location, addressing data sovereignty requirements and aligning with modern expectations for flexibility and control.
Workspace menu
The workspace menu streamlined navigation by consolidating multiple menus and actions into a single, unified space. This design simplified access to essential tools and features.
Information architecture
In rethinking the information architecture, I considered several key factors to ensure a clear and intuitive navigation experience:
- Contextual navigation: Designed navigation to work seamlessly across the main Console, within individual Projects, and in the Admin section.
- Simplicity: While I evaluated the potential of a top navigation, I ultimately designed the system without one, focusing exclusively on the left-hand navigation to maintain simplicity and clarity.
- User focus: Removed the logo to prioritise what users need to accomplish.
- Logical grouping: Organised items into two main sections—"Workspace" and "Resources"—for better categorisation and discoverability.
- Improved scanning: Relocated dropdown arrows to the right-hand side for better alignment and easier scanning of menu items.
- Audit log visibility: Elevated the Audit Log to the main menu, making it more accessible to users.
Console navigation
Projects navigation
Admin navigation
Trial
At present, new users receive $15 in credits upon signing up to explore Twilio. As part of the vision, I proposed an alternative trial experience that focused on introducing usage and reach limits. This approach aimed to offer a more controlled and scalable way for users to explore the platform while ensuring a seamless introduction to Twilio's capabilities.
Inbox
I envisioned an Inbox within the console to serve dual purposes: facilitating communication between team members within their workspace and delivering Twilio-related messages. This feature also presented an opportunity to improve cross-selling by seamlessly showcasing relevant products and offers.
Unlock your project
Over the years, our system had become siloed, creating friction for users navigating complex topics like Compliance and Billing. To address this, I explored ways to create a more seamless experience, allowing customers to access and manage these areas more intuitively within their projects. The goal was to reduce complexity and ensure a smoother user journey across these critical functions.
Usability testing part two
With the latest designs mocked up, I conducted another round of user testing with 5 customers and 3 non-customers. All participants understood the concepts of "workspace" and "project" within the Twilio context. Additionally, 7 out of 8 participants described the interface as "clean, simple, and intuitive," validating the effectiveness of the updated design.
Outcome
In December 2024, I presented the workshop insights, vision, and user testing results to an SVP of Product. The presentation was well-received and sparked an engaging conversation. This effort culminated in the console redesign being prioritised as one of six major OKRs for 2025, marking a significant step forward for Twilio’s user experience.
