COmpany

IBM

Partners

1 Project Manager(s)
2 Developer(s)

Platform

Desktop

Scope

Research
Product Design

Context

A singular tool in a toolbox.

The image widget is one of many modular tools used by Publisher, IBM’s proprietary site builder. Its function is to store images in an asset manager for use on-site. Because the widget lacked many features found in comparable tools, it created friction across common workflows. To resolve this, I broadened available image sourcing options, simplified key workflows and redesigned its components leveraging the Carbon Design System. This required balancing the added utility and complexity with the needs of Publisher’s primary audience: non-technical users.

Problem

Achieving a high-quality visual experience required technical know-how.

Not only did Publisher’s image widget lack features of comparable tools, it required non-technical users to quality control images to maintain their site quality. This deficit created friction in everyday workflows, contributed to user dissatisfaction and negatively impacted Publisher’s Net Promoter Score (NPS).

Solution

Make utilizing the right image quick and intuitive.

Publisher's existing upload workflow could produce quality results, but only when users had the knowledge or guidance to select appropriate images. The opportunity was to introduce sourcing options and tools that reduced the technical knowledge required while maintaining quality. The objectives spawned from this are as follows:

• Simplify existing workflows without reducing familiarity for long term users.

• Add image sourcing options that offer a variety of control and automation to better support non-technical users.

• Expand customization tools to reduce screen switching and, subsequently, cognitive load.

Impact

24 point

increase to Publisher’s NPS during the first post-launch quarter.

91%

task completion across workflows during the first post-launch quarter.

5 seconds

average time when uploading an image during the first post-launch quarter.

*Together, these results indicate improvements in both perceived product quality and the efficiency of core image-management workflows.

Challenges & trade-offs

Carbon consistency vs. familiar workflows

When Carbon lacked coverage for a workflow, I looked for existing components that could be adapted rather than introducing entirely custom patterns. Because these exceptions required Carbon team review and could affect our roadmap, they had to be intentional and sparingly used. The image card was a necessary exception because Carbon's tile component couldn't support the functionality required to maintain parity with Publisher's existing experience, while other deviations, such as adapting the drawer into a split-panel experience, were justified by significant usability improvements.

Immediate impact vs. long-term investment

Time constraints required us to break larger improvements into the smallest deliverables that could independently address meaningful parts of the problem, then prioritize them by impact. Stock image sourcing, for example, provided an immediate improvement for non-technical users, while an AI-assisted workflow using Watsonx could eventually evaluate page context and recommend more relevant assets. Because the latter required significantly more investment, we prioritized the stock library as an interim solution while deferring AI-assisted curation.

Simplicity vs. discoverability

Removing friction sometimes meant deprioritizing lower-frequency controls or moving them to secondary locations, trading some discoverability for a simpler experience. After adding additional sourcing options, I found that exposing every action upfront created unnecessary complexity, so I designed a launchpad around the most common actions for each source while keeping niche tools accessible elsewhere. I applied the same principle to the editing tools and image cards.