TL;DR?

As a design lead on the Commercial Engineering team, I designed the Mobile Device Management (MDM) system on the Surface Support Portal

Project summary

Designed MDM system to streamline device & user management and improve user experience for IT administrators and support staff managing Microsoft Surface devices.

Value

Users can now manage, monitor, and secure multiple Surface devices from a single platform. This centralized control simplifies device management, reduces administrative burden, and ensures consistency across all devices.

The process

The ask

I was tasked with creating an MDM system for the Surface Management Portal. However, since the project was planned for the distant future, I received limited information.

The issue

The lack of MDM on the Surface Support Portal creates inefficient workflow for the IT admins as they need to switch between the Surface Support Portal and 3rd party MDM tools.

The goal

The goal was to integrate an MDM system into the Surface Support Portal, offering users comprehensive device management, security, and compliance features for Microsoft Surface devices.

Problem statement

There is a need for a comprehensive, user-friendly platform that combines device support and management to streamline operations and enhance device performance and security.

Understanding the users

Since I wasn’t provided with any further information, had zero base knowledge on how MDM system works, and what the users want, I started off with some research.

What do users want?

Understanding the users was crucial. Thus, I contacted the Principal PM Manager and the IT Admin vendor for insights, then created a user persona so that the team can learn as well.

Competitive Analysis

Fortunately, several successful products provided insights into how MDM works and what features are necessary to satisfy users' needs.

Devices & user management

MDM system must allow IT admins to add and register new devices and users to the system.

Infographics

MDM should provide easy infographics of features such as device enrollment, app management, security status, and users.

Security & compliance

Devices often contain sensitive corporate and personal data.  IT admins should be able to prevent breach and unauthorized access.

THE FINAL PRODUCT

Device insights details page

An intuitive dashboard

Device & user registration status

A key benefit for IT admins of having MDM in the Surface Support Portal is the ability to register and manage devices and users directly, without needing another tool. It also provides registration status and the total number of devices and users.

Device management

Everything IT Admin needs to know about the devices

Once devices are added and registered to the system, IT Admin can manage them to make sure that the devices are functional and protected by potential breaches.

User management

Everything IT Admin needs to know about the users

IT Admins can view basic user information, ownership, and user history, a feature unique to this product, helping to detect fraudulent actions.

Reflection

Working on the MDM for the Surface Support Portal was rewarding and challenging, especially with my limited prior knowledge. This project reinforced the value of learning from competitors and tailoring those insights to our target users.

Also, unlike initial UX training, working on personas is rare in practice. This project reaffirmed the power of personas in persuading stakeholders and onboarding new hires.

Despite starting with minimal information, my designs were approved by the team. Future iterations based on feedback will be needed, so I’ll meet with stakeholders regularly to make necessary adjustments.