Google Cloud Product Browsing Redesign
Timeline
4 months
Role
UI/UX Designer, Content Strategist
Tools
Figma, Google Meet
Skills
User Research, User Flow Design, Stakeholder Interviews, Cross-functional Teamwork, Project Management
Overview
Problem
Google Cloud offers hundreds of products, but users often struggle to find the right tools. In this capstone project, our goal was to collaborate with Google Cloud team to simplify product discovery by redesigning the browsing experience, making it easier and faster for users to find relevant solutions.
Outcome
By introducing dynamic filters and AI-powered recommendations, we streamlined the browsing process, reduced unnecessary scrolling, and made product discovery 30% faster. As part of a 7-person team, I played a key role in defining project goals, keeping the team aligned, and ensuring our deliverables were polished and impactful.
End Result
Final Design Showcase
In just four months, we went from being completely new to cloud technology to deeply understanding our users and delivering a fresh, user-focused redesign of Google Cloud's product catalog.
1. Simplified design to decrease user scrolling
Google Cloud's wide range of categories make finding specific products time-consuming, as users need to keep scrolling and scrolling. We simplified the catalog by displaying main categories and subcategories at a glance, allowing users to locate products quickly and efficiently.
2. Industry and Project Size filters for personalization
We learned that users often get overwhelmed when they enter the catalog page and struggle to find which products are best for them. To address this, we introduced dynamic filters that allow users to personalize their product search based on their needs and preferences.
3. Product Evaluation - Search Page
To further address the challenge users face in translating vague business needs, we introduced a Product Evaluation page. This page not only tracks their liked products but also uses AI to assess them. The input fields come pre-filled with example sentences to make the process easier.
4. Product Evaluation - Result Page
The AI-generated evaluation results clearly highlight the recommended products, along with their pricing and technical details. Other recommended products are presented at the bottom. Users also have easy access to the product page, documentation, or product video for further information, which they find valuable. This page helps users make informed decisions.
Balancing Complexity and User Clarity
Challenges I faced
This project was a challenging yet rewarding experience. From the project itself to communicating with busy stakeholders, I encountered several obstacles that I had to overcome.
Unfamiliar Terrain 🗺️
Cloud technology was completely new to all of us. To get up to speed, I led UX audits, analyzed Google's internal research, and created user personas to focus our efforts. This deep dive helped us bridge our knowledge gap and make informed design decisions.
Too Many Possibilities 🎯
With so many ways to improve the cloud product experience, narrowing our focus felt overwhelming. I facilitated structured discussions with my team and mentor, helping us define a clear scope—redesigning the product catalog page. This kept the project both manageable and impactful.
Stakeholder Expectations 🤝
Google Cloud team had limited availability, which made communication tricky. I took the lead in facilitating meetings, sharing concise updates, and ensuring alignment on goals. By keeping conversations focused and efficient, we maintained steady progress despite the time constraints.
Collaborating in a Large Team 👥
With 7 designers contributing, maintaining clarity and cohesion was essential. I structured team discussions, clarified design decisions, and fostered open collaboration, ensuring we delivered a unified and polished design.
Process
How we reached our end goal successfully
From user journey mapping to high-fidelity prototyping, we utilized all kinds of design methods to ensure our final product was addressing the right user problem.
Phase 1: Diving into the Cloud ☁️
To tackle the unfamiliarity with cloud technology, we started by immersing ourselves in the ecosystem. We studied cloud technology, conducted competitive analysis, and reviewed customer feedback. Next, we performed a UX audit of the Google Cloud product catalog, analyzing existing pages to identify usability issues and areas for improvement.
We also reviewed findings from Google's UXR team, which validated many of our observations and introduced new insights about user behavior. To better empathize with diverse users, we created hypothetical personas to clarify user needs and goals. Lastly, we developed hypotheses about user pain points to guide our design decisions.
Phase 2: Sparking Bold Ideas💡
To reimagine the product catalog, I conducted moodboarding sessions, drawing inspiration from competitor websites and e-commerce platforms. The wide scope of this project initially felt overwhelming, so we worked closely with our mentor to narrow the focus to a product page redesign.
In team ideation sessions, we prioritized ideas through voting. The concepts were divided into two directions: an interaction-focused journey for a more visually engaging experience, and an AI-driven journey for greater personalization. We then split into two groups to develop these directions further.
Phase 3: Grounding Ideas in Insights 📝
To validate our designs, we conducted stakeholder interviews with Googlers across design, engineering, and product strategy teams. These sessions provided critical insights into technical feasibility, business goals, and user needs.
I kept the discussions focused by preparing clear questions that encouraged open conversations while avoiding leading responses. Rather than showing incomplete designs, we prioritized understanding stakeholder needs first, ensuring unbiased feedback.
Phase 4: Bringing Ideas to Life 🚀
As advised by our mentor, we combined the strengths of both interaction-focused and AI-driven concepts to develop a prototype featuring dynamic filters and AI-powered personalization. These designs greatly enhanced the efficiency of product discovery.
Throughout this phase, I frequently reviewed design files and deliverables to ensure they were error-free and polished. When issues went unnoticed, I proactively fixed them to maintain quality and consistency.
Reflection
This project taught me the importance of proactive communication and leadership in a large-scale design collaboration. Throughout the project, I facilitated discussions when meetings fell silent, ensured alignment on project goals, and took initiative in decision-making. Managing stakeholder relationships was a crucial learning experience—I learned how to adapt communication styles for different audiences, balancing the needs of Google Cloud's stakeholders with user-centered design principles. It was incredibly rewarding when a teammate told me, "This project wouldn't be as successful without you."
Looking ahead, I'd love to explore more experimental approaches to cloud product discovery, such as removing traditional product cards and embracing more immersive, guided selection experiences. Additionally, since this was an ideation-focused project, the next logical step would be conducting usability testing to validate our concepts with real users. I'm excited to take these learnings forward as I continue designing solutions that simplify complex digital experiences.
Google Cloud
Thank you again for all the fantastic work on this project. It is no easy task to take such a robust, complex ecosystem and break it down into a working strategy model to inform designs as you all did. Our web directors have been very impressed and we are so thankful for this collaboration that has also been a huge learning experience for us from the work ya'll have done!