Case Study: The 7 Levels of Cake - Redesigning a Complex Feature

This case study details the innovative redesign of a complex authentication feature. It highlights creative workshops, user-centric design, and a unique '7 levels of cake' roadmap to breathe new life into a stalled project. The study illustrates how effective leadership, collaboration, and iterative design overcome development challenges and align diverse stakeholders.

Project Overview

As the lead designer for a critical multi-person authentication feature, I was tasked with revitalizing a long-dormant project. This case study outlines how I approached the challenge, from initial concept to final implementation strategy.

Duration: April 10, 2024 - May 19, 2024

Tools: Figma, Mural

The Challenge

Our users needed a robust multi-person authentication system for crucial actions. Despite its importance, the feature had been stagnant for two years, with outdated designs and an incomplete technical proof of concept.

My Role

Lead Designer, responsible for:

  • Project leadership and stakeholder management
  • User research and empathy mapping
  • Workshop facilitation
  • Concept development and iteration
  • User journey mapping
  • Roadmap creation

The Process:

1. Reassessment and Alignment

I began by discarding outdated designs and organizing a focused workshop to align stakeholders. Using an “Assumptions and Questions” session, we uncovered significant discrepancies in understanding and expectations.

Assumptions and Questions

The Process:

2. Prioritization and Risk Assessment

We created a prioritization grid to visualize importance vs. certainty of various aspects. This exercise revealed numerous “dangerous unknowns” that needed addressing.

Prioritization grid

The Process:

3. User Journey Mapping

I facilitated the creation of user journeys for our key personas, helping the team understand the complexities at each stage of the process.

Dangerous places in user journeys

The Process:

4. Innovative Roadmapping: The 7 Levels of Cake

To break down the complex feature into manageable pieces, I developed a unique “7 levels of cake” roadmap:

  1. Pancake: Quick, basic implementation
  2. Biscuit: Small but promising feature set
  3. Biscuit with sugar: Enhanced basic functionality
  4. Microwaved mug cake: Additional crude functionalities
  5. Cupcake: Polished core experience
  6. Birthday cake: Multi-user role support
  7. Wedding cake: Long-term vision (undefined)

Cake roadmap

The Process:

5. User Research Preparation

With a clearer vision, we prepared for targeted user interviews to validate our assumptions and priorities.

Wedding cake draft

Outcomes and Impact

This approach allowed us to:

  • Align stakeholders on a shared vision
  • Break down a complex feature into manageable, iterative releases
  • Identify and prioritize critical unknowns
  • Create a flexible roadmap that balanced user needs with development constraints

Key Learnings

  1. The power of structured workshops in uncovering misalignments
  2. The importance of breaking down complex features into smaller, achievable goals
  3. The value of visualizing user journeys to identify pain points and complexities
  4. The effectiveness of creative roadmapping techniques in communicating project vision

Conclusion

This project showcased my ability to lead complex design initiatives, facilitate cross-functional collaboration, and develop innovative solutions to challenging problems. By employing a mix of workshop techniques, user-centered design principles, and creative roadmapping, we transformed a stagnant feature into a well-defined, achievable project with clear milestones and user benefits.