Service Portal Redesign

 

UX/UI DESIGN

 
 

SUMMARY

Project Background

ServiceNow Service Portal Redesign for a client ITSM project that needed to enhance its customer experience.  My team was tasked to update the UX and the UI to modernize the brand and add functionality to improve the overall user experience. Leading design, I conducted a site audit and heuristic analysis of the current state. In the end, we provided a complete redesign that complied with the brand, enhanced the customer's experience, and was feasible for the IT team to develop on time. This project was a ServiceNow Service Portal project, where we prioritized out-of-the-box assets while factoring in customized elements as needed.

ROLE: UX/UI Designer TOOLS: Adobe XD, Invision, ServiceNow Service Portal

LENGTH OF PROJECT: 6 months DATE: January 2020

 
 

DISCOVERY

User Research

To gain a comprehensive understanding of how users interpret and utilize the client’s IT Service Portal, I conducted user interviews, surveys, and a heuristic analysis. These interviews and surveys aimed to gather insights into users' perceptions of the current portal, identify their frustrations, and highlight the aspects that were working well.

The combined results from the interviews, surveys, and heuristic analysis provided valuable information to evaluate how effectively the IT Service Portal meets users’ needs and expectations.

 
 
 
 

The findings from these user interviews and surveys revealed that participants spent more time than necessary finding their items, submitting requests and reporting issues. They were often required to provide excessive details and answer questions they could not respond to. Additionally, participants highlighted the unnecessary use of technical jargon and the cumbersome structure of the portal navigation.

DISCOVERY

Personas

Based on my user research, I identified two distinct personas that required representation within the client’s IT Service Portal. The following images detail their pain points, as well as their wants and needs.

 
 
 

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Users of the IT Service Portal are experiencing frustration with navigation and item submission due to the overuse of technical jargon. Our goal is to improve readability and site architecture to ensure users can access the IT support they need quickly and easily.

IDEATION/DESIGN

Information Architecture

To enhance readability, I reviewed the current taxonomy and nomenclature of the IT Service Portal services with the service stakeholder with the users goals and frustrations in mind. To ensure new features are organized intuitively, I developed a sitemap and phased user journeys accordingly.

 
 
 

IDEATION/DESIGN

Wireframes/Iterations

After sketching, I created a few iterations of high-fidelity wireframes for a prototype to be used in usability testing. This first version focused on a reorganized homepage that highlights the user’s active items. It allows users to quickly see the status of their requests or issues and set clear expectations for IT support. After reviewing iterations with development, design, and stakeholders, we settled on the cleanest variation utilizing isometric character. These improvements will be validated in the upcoming usability tests.

 
 
 
 
 

IDEATION/DESIGN

Prototypes & Usability Testing

To gather feedback on the redesign, I conducted user testing with 10 participants. The target audience consisted of company employees matching the personas described earlier. Each participant was given specific scenarios to navigate through the prototype mockups.

All participants successfully completed the tasks, though some experienced difficulty distinguishing between submitting a request and reporting an issue. To resolve this, I added contextual information to each button, clarifying their distinct purposes.

After each session, I gathered feedback on the portal's redesign and readability. Key insights included:

  • Display only services, articles, and news relevant to the user’s interests

  • Expand the search bar to make it more accessible and reduce time wasted on unnecessary browsing 

Using the participant feedback, I was able to apply their feedback and create my final mockup.

 

REFLECTION

What I Learned

This project deepened my understanding of designing within complex, enterprise systems like ServiceNow. Working closely with developers and stakeholders taught me how to translate technical constraints into intuitive, user-friendly solutions. I learned the value of balancing system limitations with user needs—especially when redesigning legacy interfaces.

One key takeaway was the importance of iterative user feedback. Early user testing surfaced pain points we hadn’t initially considered, and integrating that feedback significantly improved the portal’s usability and adoption. I also strengthened my ability to advocate for design decisions with data, and to communicate clearly across cross-functional teams.

Lastly, this project reinforced how thoughtful design—even within restrictive systems—can have a measurable impact on user experience, efficiency, and satisfaction.