ibm cloud catalog
Making it Easier to Buy IBM Cloud Services
Reorganizing the IBM Cloud Catalog so users could actually find the services they needed — and giving product teams clear guidelines to keep listings useful.
the problem
An outdated IBM Cloud Catalog experience
The IBM Cloud Catalog, the primary place users find and purchase IBM Cloud services, had not been updated in years. This outdated structure could not scale with the numerous new offerings added over time. The result? Users struggled to find the services they needed.
Additionally, internal product teams faced challenges with updating their content. The process was time-consuming and complex, leading to outdated and unhelpful information.
my role
UX Designer and Product Strategist
As the lead designer, I saw an opportunity to use my knowledge to improve the catalog and consolidate how users discover products on the Platform. Collaborating with the product management and development teams, we delivered value to our users in a few months.
I helped determine our priorities, communicated and managed expectations with many stakeholders, oversaw UI changes, and continued developing our future strategy.
We held several one- to two-hour working sessions with key team members to kick off our efforts and align the entire team. In these sessions, we mapped our users' main needs onto a timeline to determine our scope.
goals
Goals for the catalog improvement project
1. Improve product discovery
Reorganize and categorize products for easier navigation.
2. Better guidelines for product teams
Create clear and concise guidelines for content updates.
discovery
Improving product discovery
To achieve our first goal, we reevaluated the product categorization within the IBM Cloud Catalog.
- Conducted market research to identify industry-standard categories
- Organized products into these new categories for better alignment
- Performed an A/B test to compare the new categories against the old structure
- Monitored traffic and conversion rates over several weeks
- Found that the new categories improved user navigation and conversions
- Rolled out the new categories to 100% of traffic based on positive results
guidelines
Creating better guidelines for product teams
Our second goal was to streamline the content update process for product teams.
- Developed a new section in IBM's Human Interface Guidelines focused on the catalog
- Provided specific recommendations on character count, use of images, and media
- Offered improved methods for addressing user needs
Product teams were eager to improve their listings. Many appreciated the structured guidelines and the reminder to refresh their content, and teams that updated their listings saw improved traffic and conversions.
ui updates
Complying with design system standards
We also gave the catalog a visual refresh, updating it to comply with design system standards. We expanded the cards to accommodate an additional line of text, enhanced the appearance of the search bar, and ensured the page was responsive.
outcomes
Improved conversion and discovery
Across the board, the conversion funnels were either unaffected or improved from our shortened list of categories. Additionally, several product teams who updated their content to comply with our guidelines have seen improved traffic and conversion, a testament to the success of our efforts.
Through strategic updates and collaboration, the IBM Cloud Catalog now offers a better user experience and streamlined content management — improving user satisfaction and conversion rates.
because you can't afford mediocrity
Today's market demands that you ship amazing, world-changing products faster, with fewer people, and smaller budgets.
Outshine your competition
Ship higher quality products
Increase team productivity
