Kroger Developers

Our API Program aims to provide a holistic solution to the developer community by enabling users to seamlessly discover, build and consume Kroger APIs and other Technical suite of products.

Client

Kroger

Year

2021 - Present

Role

Lead Product Designer

Industry

Retail

As the Lead Product Designer for the API Program, I work with cross-functional Agile teams comprised of developers, engineering leads, product managers, scrum masters, and a solution architect.

I lead the design and product strategy for our program and platform teams, primarily concentrating on the API program's UX and UI components.

I have documented below the beats of my journey

Top Highlights

  • My Designs increased user feedback engagement by 50% by launching In-App rating in targeted User Input flows

    Methods used

    Concept Testing, Prototype Testing, Design Iterations, Dev walkthrough, Analytics Tracking, Feedback & Iterations.

  • I enabled two Self-Serve management capabilities for API producers resulting in a 25% reduction in Manual Admin Consulting.

    Methods used

    User Interviews, Design Iterations, Dev Walkthrough, Analytics Tracking, Business Growth, Feedback & Iterations.

  • I launched 5 UI experiments that directly address user needs(based on user research) to expand product scope by 15%.

    Methods used

    Product Strategy, Business Growth, Gap Analysis, Rapid Prototyping, Design Feedback & Iterations, and Analytics Tracking.

  • I conducted Enterprise wide Moderated User Interviews for the Seamless Dev Experience Program.

    Methods used

    Stakeholder Alignment sessions, User Interviews (Moderated), Research & Data Analysis, Roadmap Creation, Business Growth.

  • I curated designs for an in-house AI-powered Krobot for self-serve support/documentation purposes(Pilot launch).

    Methods used

    Concept Testing, Prototype Testing, Design Iterations, Dev walkthrough, Feedback & Iterations.

What is it all about?

The Context

In its initial phase, the API Program was using a Confluence site to connect with users within the enterprise. The interface was limited in its capabilities and lacked scalability for future expansion to external consumers.

The Research

I first started by conducting a market analysis and research on industry products that relate to APIs and Developer portals, and teamed with my PMs and stakeholders by conducting stakeholder interviews and working sessions to better understand where we want to take our products and determine future scope.

From Service Blueprint, Journey Mapping to User Interview & Concept Tests below are a few Research Artifacts through my process

  • Journey Map

  • Service Blueprint

  • Information Architecture

  • Persona User Flow

  • User Interviews

  • Feature Mapping

  • Dot Voting sessions

    An efficient way for end users to request and view the status of their self-served request for any API from the catalog instantly.

  • Problems to solve sessions

  • API Lifecycle

Concept Testing

Once I was informed of my research findings and started drafting early lo-fi concepts and prototypes, I began the concept test phase, where I showed early drafts of the design concepts and gathered feedback to make sure I was on the right track. This process not only helps me and my team gain confidence in our hypothesis and potential solutions, but is also low investment and avoids the risk of investments in the later phase of design and development.

Final Designs

Below are the final High Fidelity Prototypes that eventually were published in production, and I continue to iterate the next set!

  • Landing Page refresh

    Redesigned legacy landing page to a new look and direct CTAs for users to take quick action to start their API journey.

  • Register App Flow

    Designed as a entry point for all archetypes for consuming and leveraging all Kroger APIs cpabilities available.

  • Active Feedback

    Launched In-App active feedback in targetted user flows to improve the flow and identify gaps if any.

  • Managing Simplified

    Introduce In-app management capabilities for both producer and consumer personas eliminating the need for manual admin intervention.

  • API Producer Capabilities

    Designed for API producer persona to self-manage consumer access requests w/o manual admin intervention.

  • Introduced Gateway Routing

    Designed for efficient, scalable, and easier gateway routing for APIs eliminating the cumbersome legacy processes.

  • Self-Serve Access

    An efficient way for end users to request and view the status of their self-served request for any API from the catalog instantly.

  • Access Control

    Designed for monitoring access control via API Permissions as well as managing assets.

  • Manage Admin Dashboard P1

    Phase 1 of Admin Dashboard where they can quickly navigate to manage capabilities and perform actions.

  • Catalog Search

    Enhanced the API catalog search with advanced search options, filters, and tags based on user feedback and research insights.

  • InstaCart Logging

    InstaCart Logging

    Introduced one-click incident logging for external partners like InstaCart eliminating ad-hoc time consuming process.

  • Custom Configuration

    Custom Configuration of Meta Data for API access and permissions via role-based process.

  • Incident Status

    Incident logging for external partners like InstaCart eliminating ad-hoc communication.

  • Mobile access

    Mobile version for Landing page and Manage Dashboard

  • Mobile access

    Mobile version for Catalog and Documentation

  • Mobile access

    Mobile version for Active Feedback on App Registration flow.

  • Mobile access

    Mobile version for App registration flow

The Results

By emphasizing user feedback and applying iterative improvements, I have consistently enhanced our offerings to deliver outstanding user experiences.

This user-focused & scalable strategy has also accelerated enterprise adoption, as optimized designs simplify integration and deployment within organizational systems.

Consequently, these deliberate design choices have resulted in increased satisfaction and broader acceptance among both individual users and enterprises.