Shogun

Tailored for ecommerce use cases, Shogun Frontend provided developer-friendly interfaces for programmers to build websites from end-to-end. However, it was initially designed with little input from developers and other core customers. The result was a clunky and confusing platform experience. To work towards improving the platform, I collaborated with Shogun's Design and Product teams and led research using a mixed-methods approach, which included usability testing and in-depth interviews with administrators and developers.

Research revealed that developers' core gripe was rebuilding sites from the ground up after migrating their online storefronts to the Shogun platform. They felt their time would be better spent customizing templates and scripting plugins. Ultimately, they were tired of blank pages and wanted the platform to be a toolbox, not a blank canvas.

On the other side of the userbase, administrators, responsible for maintaining the website and content management systems, wanted to feel less reliant on developers to make simple changes to the storefront. They wanted to manage and update webpages visually and feel like they had the know-how of novice developers.

With these insights into the end-user experience, the platform was re-designed from a text-heavy interface to a usable website builder.