Norma
TIMELINE
Fall 2024 - Present
COMPANY
ROLE
UX Lead
INDISTRY
Telecommunications, Software Development
SPECIALTY
UX Research, UX Design, UI, Strategy
INTRODUCTION
Bryte IQ is a developer platform that makes it easier for third-party apps to connect to Charter’s internet and mobile networks. It gives developers secure, privacy-conscious tools to build new services that interact with the network, like checking device connections or optimizing streaming quality, without needing to understand the complex infrastructure behind it.
The platform is based on an open industry standard, which helps ensure compatibility across different companies. Before Bryte IQ, integrating with network systems was slow and inconsistent. The goal of this project was to simplify that experience through a modern, self-service interface, clear onboarding, and user-friendly tools.
Due to confidentiality restrictions, select visuals and content have been redacted or recreated for illustrative purposes. The UX process, design rationale, and results presented are representative of the actual work.
MY TEAM
This project was driven by close collaboration across a large, multidisciplinary team. I worked alongside a VP of Product, solutions architect, technical delivery lead, project manager, scrum master, and dedicated front-end, back-end, and API engineers. As the sole UX and visual designer, I partnered closely with engineering leads to align the design vision with technical feasibility. Throughout the process, we worked in agile sprints with regular standups, working sessions, and iterative reviews, ensuring that design decisions were well-informed, technically sound, and strategically aligned with business goals.
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
OBJECTIVES
Identify friction points in platform onboarding and API integration
Validate assumptions around developer expectations for platform usability and documentation
Gather input to guide feature prioritization and information architecture.
METHODS
To define the product’s direction, we organized 2 stakeholder workshops to gather formal business and technical requirements. In parallel, we conducted five in-depth developer interviews to gain a deeper understanding of their workflows, pain points, and expectations. We synthesized these developer insights into an affinity map, which helped us identify recurring themes and prioritize user needs in the early design process.
I led a strategic competitive analysis to ensure our platform wasn’t just aligned with industry standards, but stood out as a viable, modern option in a space dominated by established developer tools. This included evaluating features, user experience flows, information architecture, documentation quality and presentation, onboarding friction, visual design, and more. I created a Feature Breakdown Structure to translate these complex platforms into a clear, structured set of common features, making it easier to identify user expectations and design priorities.
We then applied prioritization frameworks to focus our design and development efforts. Starting with a broad set of potential features gathered from competitive analysis and developer interviews, we cross-referenced each idea against our stakeholder-defined business goals.
Each feature was evaluated for user value, technical feasibility, and alignment with the platform’s core purpose. Through collaborative working sessions, iterative reviews, and various frameworks (MoSCoW, prioritization funnel, 2x2 matrix), we systematically narrowed the scope to a set of high-impact, essential features that formed the foundation of the MVP.
KEY FINDINGS
Onboarding: Many developers struggled to understand how to get started due to unclear entry points and high-friction registration flows. Given the complexity of telecom infrastructure and API authentication standards, a seamless onboarding experience will be critical. We need to minimize upfront barriers like multi-step registration and unclear token management, and instead focus on simple onboarding that offers immediate value. By clearly communicating what Bryte IQ does, who it’s for, and what the first step is, we can help new users build early momentum and confidence.
Documentation: Developers want clear, concise, and contextual documentation with working code samples they can use immediately. Because Bryte IQ’s APIs expose powerful and complex network capabilities, documentation will need to go beyond reference material. We will need to include real-world use cases, quick-start guides, and inline explanations to meet developers where they are, to reduce ambiguity, and encourage hands-on experimentation without requiring external support.
Testing: Developers consistently asked for sandbox or test environments to safely experiment without production consequences. To lower the risk of user error and increase trust in how APIs behave, we will need a dedicated test environment to allow developers to confidently try endpoints, learn the system, and verify behaviors before pushing anything live.
Trust & Transparency: Users were wary of “black box” systems and wanted clear insights into how their apps interact with underlying infrastructure. Telecom APIs significantly impact real-world performance and user privacy, so we will need to prioritize trust-building UX and transparency regarding API behaviors, limitations, and latency. These steps can reassure developers and position Bryte IQ as a reliable integration partner.
Navigation: Developers needed dashboards that helped them navigate their applications, manage their team, quickly locate errors, test changes, and prepare apps for deployment. To support this, we will need to create a centralized, permission-based navigation system that streamlines access to tools, documentation, and API metrics. By aligning the dashboard layout with real developer workflows, we can increase efficiency and reduce frustration in day-to-day tasks.
CORE USERS
We developed our personas based on qualitative data gathered from the 6 developer interviews and 2 stakeholder workshops, supported by insights from a comprehensive competitive analysis. These personas helped align design and engineering teams around the needs of both enterprise developers and non-technical decision makers. We shared the initial personas with internal tech leads and refined them based on feedback to ensure they reflected actual developer workflows.
These personas represent key roles involved in evaluating and using the platform during MVP. We planned to revisit and expand them post-launch.
UX GOALS & DESIGN OBJECTIVES
The research phase uncovered key user behaviors, pain points, and opportunities, which we synthesized into a focused set of findings. These insights were then translated into clear design goals and experience principles that shaped our direction as we moved into concept development. From there, we began ideating through sketching, user flows, and low-fidelity wireframes, testing early concepts against the user needs identified during research. These artifacts laid the foundation for iterative design and usability testing in the next phase.
DESIGN GOALS
Streamline Developer Onboarding
Reduce time and cognitive load for new users to understand and start using the platform.
Enable Seamless Navigation
Create a clear central hub with intuitive pathways, accessible documentation, and responsive feedback to support confident, self-guided use.
Accelerate Exploration & Adoption
Empower developers to independently discover, test, and integrate platform features without unnecessary friction or sales dependencies.
Create a Cohesive, Scalable Design System
Ensure UI consistency, reusability, and accessibility across both the marketing site and the Developer Portal.
EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES
Clarity Over Complexity
Prioritize directness, plain language, and intuitive structure, especially for complex technical content. Users should never be surprised by platform behavior; consistency builds credibility.
Empower Through Feedback
Give real-time, contextual feedback to help users understand the outcome of their actions (e.g., error states, confirmations).
Trustworthy and Predictable
Build user trust through transparent authentication flows, clear permission scopes, and reassuring feedback that communicates protection without overwhelming the experience.
THE SOLUTION JOURNEY
To support both business and technical adoption, we intentionally split the MVP launch into two distinct phases, each tailored to a different user group.
PHASE 1: MARKETING WEBSITE MVP
Phase 1 focused on the marketing side of the platform, designed to generate early interest and secure buy-in from business decision makers. This initial launch prioritized storytelling, visual polish, and clear articulation of the platform’s value, key factors in aligning stakeholders and attracting early partnerships. Bryte IQ was presented on stage at SCTE TechExpo 2024 by Danny Bowman EVP of product at Charter Communications, who highlighted its innovative capabilities and how it will facilitate collaboration with other companies on behalf of the customer. (Press Release) Once Phase 1 achieved its goal of market visibility and executive support, we rapidly transitioned to Phase 2: the Developer Portal.
PHASE 2: DEVELOPER PORTAL MVP
Phase 2 prioritized functionality, clarity, and a streamlined user experience tailored to the technical audience. This phased approach allowed us to build early momentum while keeping the long-term developer experience at the center of our roadmap. The production goal of mid-July was met successfully.
Due to confidentiality restrictions, select visuals and content have been redacted or recreated for illustrative purposes. The UX process, design rationale, and results presented are representative of the actual work.
PHASE 1
USER FLOWS AND WIREFRAMES
To drive early engagement and ensure alignment with business stakeholders, I crafted a user flow for the marketing site that clearly communicated Bryte IQ’s value. Our goal was to guide visitors, particularly non-technical audiences, through a compelling narrative that showcased the platform’s strategic benefits.
While the initial navigation plan included a broader set of features, we collaborated closely with stakeholders in working sessions to distill it down to only the most essential elements for the MVP. This intentional simplification enabled us to launch quickly with a polished experience that fostered executive buy-in and increased market visibility.
I created Homepage wireframes incorporating storytelling and visual clarity into the core user flow. We emphasized concise messaging, visual hierarchy, and entry points that guide our non-technical user group toward deeper exploration. Additionally, the case study page wireframe showcases how we planned to build credibility by highlighting real-world applications and strategic partnerships. Together, these wireframes represent early structural thinking that informed visual design and content development in later stages.
HOME PAGE
CASE STUDY
DESIGN SYSTEM
To ensure consistency and scalability across the Bryte IQ platform, I created a modular design system tailored to the brand’s voice and technical requirements. Externally, it delivered a polished, cohesive experience that built trust with customers and aligned with Bryte IQ’s visual identity. Internally, the design system met our played a critical role in:
Accelerating our workflow
Streamlining decision-making
Reducing redundant design work
Making developer handoff far more efficient.
By standardizing components, states, and patterns upfront, we minimized ambiguity, improved collaboration between design and engineering, and laid the groundwork for future iterations across both marketing and developer-facing tools. [Design System- Sample image (snapshot)]
ILLUSTRATION SYSTEM:
In addition to the standardized design system, I developed a custom illustration style and icon set to reinforce Bryte IQ’s brand identity and make complex concepts more approachable. These visuals played a crucial role in differentiating the platform, enhancing visual storytelling, and enabling non-technical stakeholders to grasp the technical value propositions quickly. From scalable iconography to contextual spot illustrations, each asset was designed to align with our design principles of clarity, trust, and simplicity. This cohesive visual language not only elevated the user experience but also improved content comprehension and added polish across the marketing site.
HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE
With the foundation grounded in research, strategic prioritization, and a scalable design system, I brought the Bryte IQ experience to life through a high-fidelity prototype. This interactive prototype offered a realistic preview of the end-to-end experience and served as a critical alignment tool for stakeholders, enabling early usability feedback, design validation, and seamless transition into development.
LAUNCH AND RESULTS
LAUNCH
Bryte IQ was officially launched at the SCTE TechExpo in Atlanta in September 2024 by Charter EVP of Product, Danny Bowman. He described Bryte IQ as “a significant leap forward, simplifying the process for developers, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of innovative services.”
RESULTS
Website traffic climbed from (xx) visits in the first week to over (xxxx), a 700% increase that reflected heightened interest and engagement following our announcement.
Similarly, the number of account registration requests surged by 675% following the launch at SCTE TechExpo, signaling strong interest among developers.
Onboard, an early partner, integrated Bryte IQ to streamline bulk internet services in multifamily housing, demonstrating the platform’s potential to drive operational efficiencies and enhanced customer experiences.
Secured additional strategic partnerships to expand platform adoption (details under NDA).
PHASE 2
DEVELOPER PORTAL
The authenticated portion of the Bryte IQ platform was designed to support developers as they onboard and create applications by selecting APIs. After logging in, users land on a personalized dashboard that provides important information and useful links at a glance. From there, the user flow guides them through the application registration process, organized within a modular, scalable interface (User Flow shown in diagram below)
This experience aligns with our design goals of Enabling Seamless Navigation and Accelerating Exploration & Adoption by emphasizing clarity, contextual guidance, and reducing cognitive load through phased visibility. This phase of the project involved close collaboration with internal stakeholders and developers to ensure the platform’s UX aligned with real-world technical workflows while supporting system requirements and implementation limitations.
TESTING AND ITERATION
INCORPORATE FEEDBACK
With limited access to external users during the development of the Phase 2 authenticated dashboard, we conducted focused usability sessions with a small group of early committed partners and internal subject matter experts. These sessions included website walkthroughs and scenario-based tasks to validate core workflows, identify friction points, and uncover gaps in the user experience.
FEEDBACK
API documentation felt buried and hard to find from the main navigation.
ACTION
Introduced a persistent link in the left nav with subcategories leading directly to the API in question. Overcame technical constraints to prevent the documentation from opening in a separate tab.
OUTCOME
Increased documentation access during setup sessions by 55%.
Users were unclear on how to start integrating APIs after login.
Added a prominent “Getting Started” module on the main dashboard with direct links to key setup tasks.
Reduced time-to-first-action from an average of 3 minutes to under 1 minute in internal tests. Improved developer confidence, efficiency, and mood.
Developer Docs felt disjointed and difficult to follow.
Conducted a full audit of the developer documentation to remove outdated content, improve overall structure, and add supporting diagrams.
Decreased set-up time and lowered support requests related to setup and configuration.
FUTURE GOALS
WHATS NEXT?
Our team has a clear roadmap to evolve the platform in ways that deliver greater value to users and align with business objectives. In the near term, we’ll roll out Dark Mode as an accessibility-driven quick win and introduce status monitoring to give users real-time visibility into integration health.
Building on feedback uncovered during user research, we will also implement flexible user management and team-based collaboration, enabling organizations to structure role and permission-based workflows that support seamless collaboration across teams.
Looking back at our design goal to Accelerate Exploration & Adoption, advancing automation will play a central role in our strategy. To empower self-service and reduce friction, we’ll launch a Help Center with an integrated Knowledge Base and provide a streamlined process for support ticket submission.
From a business standpoint, upcoming releases will introduce a monetization strategy with transparent billing and a usage dashboard, giving organizations greater insight and control over API consumption. Together, these enhancements are designed to strengthen user trust, drive adoption, and ensure the platform scales effectively to meet enterprise-level demands.
