Postman’s Authorization

Sending successful API requests posed a significant challenge for developers on Postman. The main obstacle was the complex and time-consuming nature of the authorization process. The documentation provided by API producers were unclear, creating a barrier to efficient API usage. We decided to create a MVP focused on simplifying and expediting the authorization process. I led the design of MVP and also conducted usability testing to validate the idea. As a result, successful API request percentage increased by 21.2%

DURATION

3 months

MY ROLE

Product Designer

METHODS

Semi-structured User Interviews, Co-design Workshop, Market Research, Wireframing, Rapid Prototyping, High-Fidelity Prototyping, Usability Testing, Motion Design

MyMandi

Problem Statement

After conducting 1:1 meetings with key stakeholders and performing preliminary research, I refined the problem statement and reframed it using the extended Jobs to Be Done framework:

Goals

Solution

After several round of iterations and testing, we finalized the following designs for the MVP of three authorizations:

Impact

We received positive feedback from the producers on how these summary emails are beneficial for them to understand and measure their consumer’s interaction with their APIs.

Our design approach

Research

I started by learning how to send API calls for the Top 20 teams. This hands-on experience helped me understand what our developers go through. I wrote down what I learned and checked what users were saying on various platforms. Then, I went a step further and interviewed Postman developers to understand their challenges better.

Findings

I analyzed all the data collected during my research. This data not only helped me comprehend the key goals of producers but also enabled me to identify the key parameters necessary to achieve these goals.

Long & time consuming

Developers struggle with long and time-consuming authentication instructions.

Missing key steps

Sometimes, the provided instructions leave out important authentication steps, leaving developers confused.

Complex & Daunting

OAuth 2.0 authentication seems complex due to many complicated requirements.

Confusing field names

Different teams use inconsistent field names, causing confusion when mapping them with Postman's fields.

Annoyed by redoing

Users find it annoying to repeatedly authenticate.

Let's get on it

After brainstorming with engineers, developers, & our chief engineering architect, we crafted following idea:

Usability Testing

Issues highlighted by users

After conducting usability testing, I analyzed all the data and did the affinity mapping to highlight the following issues in the key flows:

Improvements in the design

After identifying the issues in the design, I did the brainstorming with my team and came up with the following changes in the key flows:

Final Design

After several round of iterations and testing, we finalized the following designs for the MVP of new authorization experience:

In the above video, I have walked you through the flow of authorizing an API request on Postman via Bearer Token Authorization.

Reflections

  • During this project, I learned a lot and made a significant impact. I realized the value of using hypotheses when making design decisions.
  • When creating the MVP (Minimum Viable Product), it's crucial to keep the feature set minimal while maintaining high quality. This allows us to effectively test the viability of our idea.
  • Figma prototyping fell short because the API authorization process was complex. To truly test our solution, I took the beta version built by developers and conducted user testing within the company.
  • User testing was eye-opening as it revealed flaws in our initial hypotheses, guiding us toward iterative improvements in the user experience.