Overview
This case study traces four years of incremental redesign across AWS Training & Certification's platform. An initial round of usability research kicked off four annual iterations that unified a fragmented product catalog into a single, scalable experience. Beginning as the sole designer on the platform, I drove the research, information architecture, and interaction design behind each release, eventually building the design capacity needed to sustain the pace of change.
Scope: 100k→400k monthly users, 1→6 product types unified into a single platform, 4 major redesign iterations
Timeline: 4 years (2016-2020) with annual platform iterations
Constraints: Enterprise environment, multiple stakeholder groups, technical debt, rapid business growth
The Challenge
AWS Training & Certification's platform was experiencing rapid business growth (15-20% YoY) but its interface hadn't kept pace: content types had been bolted on ad hoc as the catalog expanded, leaving users to navigate an inconsistent, hard-to-parse experience. As the platform's first UX designer, I was brought in to diagnose the problems and lead the redesign.
The Problem
- Severe Usability Issues: Initial testing showed only 25% task completion without help, with users confused by basic interactions like filtering and search
- Technical Debt: Existing platform had inconsistent information architecture and misaligned data models across different user journeys
- Business Scaling Pressure: Needed to launch multiple new product verticals (Labs, Learning Paths, Certifications) while maintaining existing offerings
- No UX Foundation: AWS T&C had never employed UX designers. I was the first in a 400-person organization reporting through marketing
My Approach
Discovery: Establishing UX Fundamentals
I started by conducting baseline user research to understand the current state and establish data-driven UX practices. The initial moderated testing with 8 AWS customers revealed critical usability failures: users thought all filters were required (appearing like a form), 60% failed to use the "Apply filters" button, and results lacked sufficient metadata for decision-making.
Key findings revealed 5 critical needs:
- Consistent Information Architecture across all user touchpoints and content types
- Clear Content Hierarchy to support different learning modalities and user goals
- Scalable Design System to accommodate rapid product expansion
- User-Centered Process to establish UX as integral to product development
- Performance Baseline to measure improvement and demonstrate UX value
Strategy: Systematic Platform Redesign
My approach centered on iterative, research-driven redesign rather than a single overhaul. Each annual release targeted the specific usability gaps the prior round's testing had surfaced, while building toward a unified information architecture that could absorb new product types without breaking.
The strategy centered on 3 pillars:
Foundation Building
- Conduct ongoing user research cycles to establish baseline metrics
- Create comprehensive IA audit and content prioritization framework
- Establish UX role in cross-functional product development process
Iterative Platform Evolution
- Launch systematic redesign across 4 annual iterations (2016-2020)
- Implement modern card-based UI to support multiple content types
- Create requirements matrix to track 6 different product offerings
Scaling to Sustain the Work
- Build rationale for UX team expansion based on demonstrated redesign impact
- Grow the team to 11 to keep pace with the platform's expanding scope
- Establish design operations and documentation to keep releases consistent
Key Deliverables
Information Architecture Foundation
Comprehensive IA audit comparing data models across 5 competitors, establishing content hierarchy for different card types (Course Cards, Learning Path Cards) with 8-point prioritization system covering title, description, delivery method, skill level, duration, pricing, domain, and role specifications.
Multi-Product Card System
Designed unified card interface supporting 6 product types with consistent interaction patterns:
- Learning Objects with progress tracking
- Video/eLearning content with completion states
- Hands-on Labs with technical requirements
- Learning Paths with course sequences
- Certification Exams with scoring systems
- Classroom Training with location/scheduling details
User Dashboard Experience
Created personalized learning hub featuring progress indicators, primary resume actions, secondary functions (withdraw, get help), and scheduling information showing address, dates, and countdown timers for upcoming classes.
Impact & Results
Quantified Improvements
- Task Completion: 25% → 75% completion without help (200% improvement)
- Time on Task: 45 seconds → 27 seconds (40% reduction)
- User Satisfaction: 2.3 → 3.75 SEQ score (63% improvement)
- Web Traffic: 100k → 400k monthly users (300% increase)
- Business Growth: 220% → 300% YoY certification growth
Qualitative Outcomes
- Established UX as core business function with dedicated team of 11 professionals across research, design, writing, and accessibility
- Created scalable design system supporting 5 integrated business verticals
- Led consecutive rounds of user testing showing continuous improvement, with support from new UXR teammate
Key Learnings
Research-Driven Iteration Works at Scale
The most significant insight was how systematic user research could drive both immediate improvements and long-term strategic decisions. Each testing round revealed specific issues, from filter confusion to card overwhelm to content differentiation, that directly informed the next iteration. This created a virtuous cycle where user feedback shaped product direction while demonstrating UX value to stakeholders.
Platform Complexity Demands Systematic Thinking
Supporting 6 different product types with consistent user experience required moving beyond individual feature design to systems thinking. The requirements matrix and content prioritization frameworks became essential tools for maintaining coherence across rapidly expanding product offerings. This experience reinforced how information architecture and content strategy are foundational to a scalable platform.
Redesign Momentum Needs Growing Capacity
Sustaining four consecutive years of annual redesigns eventually outpaced what one designer could carry. The 63% usability improvement and 300% traffic growth from the first iterations provided the evidence needed to justify growing the team to 11, which in turn is what made the later, more ambitious iterations possible.