IBM API Connect - Test & Monitor

IBM API Connect -
Test & Monitor

Redesigning an enterprise API testing experience for clarity, adoption, and scale

Role:

Product designer

Team:

PM & Dev

Timeline:

2 months - Delivered Q1 2023

Overview

Enterprise API workflows are complex, multi-step, and often time-consuming. Developers spend days on tasks like API creation, validation, and error resolution. The goal of the API Agent project was to accelerate these workflows with AI while preserving trust, transparency, and control.

The project began as a VS Code plugin and evolved into IBM API Connect's UI. My work focused on designing end-to-end UX/UI, defining where the agent should operate, and ensuring developers could leverage AI confidently without duplicating existing interfaces.

Problem

API Connect’s Test & Monitor experience had poor information architecture, low usability scores, and lived outside the core API lifecycle, leading to confusion and low adoption.

Solution

Redesigned the information architecture, navigation, and UI using IBM Carbon Design, and fully integrated Test & Monitor into API Connect to create a unified API testing experience.

Impact

Clearer navigation and reduced friction in API testing workflows

Better discoverability through tighter integration with API Connect

Higher user satisfaction and positive stakeholder feedback post-launch

Process & ideation

Redesigned the information architecture to remove redundancy and create a clear, scalable foundation for API testing, improving discoverability and reducing cognitive load

Information architecure

Before

Users had multiple decision points before starting a test
Jumped between screens to complete simple tasks
Experience was fragmented and error-prone

After

Streamlined flow aligned with real user behaviors
Fewer steps and clearer next actions
Golden path optimized for efficiency and clarity

After

Streamlined flow aligned with real user behaviors
Fewer steps and clearer next actions
Golden path optimized for efficiency and clarity

Low-fidelity sketches explored navigation patterns, task grouping, and layout improvements

Iterative feedback sessions with PMs and engineers ensured feasibility and alignment

Design iterations

Final designs

Test suite

Clear starting point, simplified navigation, and meaningful summaries guide users into testing faster.

Test suite

Clear starting point, simplified navigation, and meaningful summaries guide users into testing faster.

Test suite

Clear starting point, simplified navigation, and meaningful summaries guide users into testing faster.

Test editor

Simplified test editing UI and organized elements into clear visual groups for faster, more intuitive interactions

Test editor

Simplified test editing UI and organized elements into clear visual groups for faster, more intuitive interactions

Test editor

Simplified test editing UI and organized elements into clear visual groups for faster, more intuitive interactions

API quality dasboard

Surfaced uptime, performance, and failures at the right moment, enabling faster diagnosis.

API quality dashboard

Surfaced uptime, performance, and failures at the right moment, enabling faster diagnosis.

API quality dashboard

Surfaced uptime, performance, and failures at the right moment, enabling faster diagnosis.

Reflection & takeaways

Simplifying enterprise products often delivers more value than adding features

Early collaboration with engineers and PMs ensures feasible, scalable solutions
Framing design decisions in business terms drives alignment and buy-in