Summary

Problem

Role-based access control (RBAC) was implemented with 13 system roles to choose from, most of which were not being utilized. In addition, admin users had trouble quickly understanding a given role's access, causing custom roles to be created.

Solution

A simplified screen for viewing preset roles, with categorical separation, expandable views, and content updates to quickly understand a role's access within the system. 

Outcome

Although not implemented, the re-design was intended to create better responsiveness between web and mobile, better organize standard and custom roles and their access, and discourage choosing roles we ultimately wanted to deprecate.

Problem

Pain Points

• Decision fatigue and lack of understanding the difference in access among 13 system roles
• Trouble quickly knowing a given role's access in the system
  • Inadvertently leading to custom roles being created

Solution Values

• Reduce the amount of roles seen upon loading the page
• Better organization of all roles, based on the frequency being assigned (and role type)
  
• Quick reference of a role's access

Process

My Contribution

Compiled pain points from current and existing research. Designed new tiles for selecting a role to view. Proposed a new layout for the screen to encourage specific roles to be selected. Researched appropriate terms for each section.

​(If continued:  Conducted task-based usability testing and/or concept testing)

Research

General product survey and data

I conducted a survey of admin users to discover their biggest challenges when managing roles and permissions. I compiled the top challenges (which were mostly around understanding roles and permissions) with the data about how many users were assigned each of our 13 system roles.

Business considerations

I also took into account the business's goals around reducing (and eventually eliminating) custom roles.

Current role management screen

Solution

Mock-ups

Web

New landing screen for role management

Expanding to see all system roles

Mobile

Mobile version of role management

Mobile version of expanded roles

Outcomes

1

Quick-look layout of the most important (and second most important) system roles.

2

Digestible content of each system role's access.

3

Slight occlusion of the system roles to be deprecated in the future.

Future Implementation

• Adding quick looks for how many users are assigned to that role in a customer's system
• Remove system roles that are similar to other ones
• Potentially deprecate custom roles, in favor of the ability to assign multiple roles
• Adding the ability to quickly see the users assigned to the role (removed for first phase of implementation)

Reflection

Setting implementation metrics helped guide the design as much as the research. These metrics would also allow the team to assess improvements with the new design. 

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