Steven Walbrick

Steven Walbrick

Helping developers understand the context of their work.

Helping developers understand the context of their work.

Helping developers understand the context of their work.

GM has a huge array of API endpoints, no developer can remember all of them.

GM has a huge array of API endpoints, no developer can remember all of them.

Context

Context

Context

Developers often navigate dense documentation manually, which slows their workflow, increases the risk of user errors, and demands significant coordination to ensure alignment across teams and initiatives.

Developers often navigate dense documentation manually, which slows their workflow, increases the risk of user errors, and demands significant coordination to ensure alignment across teams and initiatives.

Developers often navigate dense documentation manually, which slows their workflow, increases the risk of user errors, and demands significant coordination to ensure alignment across teams and initiatives.

Roles

Roles

Roles

  • UX/UI Designer (me)

  • Front-end developers

  • Product Manager

  • Back-end developers (API focus)

  • Stakeholders

  • UX/UI Designer (me)

  • Front-end developers

  • Product Manager

  • Back-end developers (API focus)

  • Stakeholders

  • UX/UI Designer (me)

  • Front-end developers

  • Product Manager

  • Back-end developers (API focus)

  • Stakeholders

The impact

The impact

Streamlined developer workflows, improved team alignment on shared systems, and minimized user errors—all achieved through the Interactive API Library!

Understanding what developers go through

Understanding what developers go through

By engaging with GM developers through conversations and observations, we identified their key pain points with clarity and focus.

Eva

Developer

PAIN POINT

I spend too much time scrolling through static documentation trying to find the right API, and it’s frustrating when I can’t locate the specific code snippet I need.

PAIN POINT

I spend too much time scrolling through static documentation trying to find the right API, and it’s frustrating when I can’t locate the specific code snippet I need.

Chris

Developer

PAIN POINT

When I’m searching for details about a car part, I often lose track of where I found it, and switching between tabs just adds to the chaos.

PAIN POINT

When I’m searching for details about a car part, I often lose track of where I found it, and switching between tabs just adds to the chaos.

Kayla

Developer

PAIN POINT

It would be amazing to have a way to quickly see all the code tied to a car part instead of hunting through multiple sections—it slows me down and interrupts my workflow.

PAIN POINT

It would be amazing to have a way to quickly see all the code tied to a car part instead of hunting through multiple sections—it slows me down and interrupts my workflow.

So what's important?

So what's important?

We established key metrics to quantify current pain points and validate the impact of our work upon completion.

# of errors per user

# of errors per user

# of errors per user

4-5

4-5

4-5

Time spent to find documentation

Time spent to find documentation

Time spent to find documentation

> 8 minutes

> 8 minutes

> 8 minutes

Overall sentiment

Overall sentiment

Overall sentiment

Frustrated
and confused.

Frustrated
and confused.

Frustrated and confused.

How can we help them?

How can we help them?

A unified source of truth with streamlined discovery is essential for developers, but there are many ways to achieve this goal.

Version 1: Features a step-by-step API navigator that guided developers through filtering options based on vehicle model, component type, and functionality.

Version 1: Features a step-by-step API navigator that guided developers through filtering options based on vehicle model, component type, and functionality.

Version 1: Features a step-by-step API navigator that guided developers through filtering options based on vehicle model, component type, and functionality.

Version 2: organizes car parts into categories, allowing users to expand a category, select a specific part, and access detailed information and code snippets.

Version 2: organizes car parts into categories, allowing users to expand a category, select a specific part, and access detailed information and code snippets.

Version 2: organizes car parts into categories, allowing users to expand a category, select a specific part, and access detailed information and code snippets.

Version 3 (the final design choice): Showcased an interactive 3D car model as the focal point.

Version 3 (the final design choice): Showcased an interactive 3D car model as the focal point.

Version 3 (the final design choice): Showcased an interactive 3D car model as the focal point.

Lets make sure we meet developers where they are at.

Lets make sure we meet developers where they are at.

Lets make sure we meet developers where they are at.

Providing a clean experience for not just desktop, but tablet and mobile is crucial. Developers at GM are often on the go, working alongside engineers and production centers to facilitate cross team initiatives.

So what did we end up with?

So what did we end up with?

So what did we end up with?

A self-service portal that enables developers to easily find any API they need, with visual context showing how it relates to the vehicles they’re working on.

The impact speaks for itself!

The impact speaks for itself!

Eva

Developer

FEEDBACK

I can find the right API so much faster now. No more endless scrolling through static documentation—it’s all right there when I need it.

FEEDBACK

I can find the right API so much faster now. No more endless scrolling through static documentation—it’s all right there when I need it.

Chris

Developer

FEEDBACK

Searching for car part details is so seamless now. I don’t lose track of where I found things, and I no longer have to switch between tabs.

FEEDBACK

Searching for car part details is so seamless now. I don’t lose track of where I found things, and I no longer have to switch between tabs.

Kayla

Developer

FEEDBACK

Being able to click on a car part and instantly see all the related code snippets has made my workflow so much smoother and faster.

FEEDBACK

Being able to click on a car part and instantly see all the related code snippets has made my workflow so much smoother and faster.

# of errors per user

# of errors per user

# of errors per user

0-1

0-1

0-1

Time spent to find documentation

Time spent to find documentation

Time spent to find documentation

> 4 minutes

> 4 minutes

> 4 minutes

Overall sentiment

Overall sentiment

Overall sentiment

Organized

Organized

Organized

What else though…

What else though…

What else though…

I gained valuable insights into the importance of providing clear context when designing products. Moving forward, I’d enhance the developer experience by incorporating video content to explain how components function and offering customization options within the API selection. This would allow easy review and usage of variants by any team member.

COPYRIGHT 2024

COPYRIGHT 2024

Steven Walbrick

Steven Walbrick