Year
2024
Role
PRINCIPAL UX DESIGNER
Tools
Figma, Jira, Pen & Paper
Project Duration
2 Weeks
Roles & Responsibilities
DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED A BACKGROUND TASK SYSTEM FOR LONG-RUNNING PROCESSES.
I led the UX design from concept to execution. This included identifying the workflow bottleneck, proposing a background task mechanism, creating wireframes and high-fidelity designs, testing placement patterns, and making design decisions based on responsive behavior and user feedback. I also ensured the component was scalable and reusable across the platform.
Whether it was API key generation, model inference, or encrypted database indexing, users couldn’t proceed with any other action until the task completed. This delay led to frustration and inefficiency, especially in enterprise settings where users often multitask.
The goal was to decouple progress-heavy tasks from the interface and allow asynchronous operation. Users needed a way to track task status and receive updates, without breaking their workflow.
I designed a lightweight widget that surfaces task status updates in real time, allowing users to continue using other features while key actions run in the background.
The widget initially appeared as a floating bubble at the bottom of the screen, but this obstructed other interface elements, especially on smaller screens. Based on internal feedback, I repositioned it to the top navigation bar, where it lives alongside notifications and user settings. Clicking it reveals a dropdown of all active and completed tasks.
This improved both visibility and responsiveness, while making the component feel like a native part of the interface.
Design Decisions
A USER-INSPIRED SOLUTION THAT EMERGED FROM FEEDBACK, NOT JUST SPECULATION.
This idea came from a feedback survey we sent to existing customers. Many reported that key processes, such as running database queries or inferences on large datasets, often took longer than expected. The delay usually depended on resource size or system load. These interruptions forced users to wait, breaking their flow and preventing them from continuing other tasks on the platform.
While the engineering team initially focused on reducing backend processing time, our design sessions revealed a different challenge. The issue was not just speed. It was flexibility. Users did not always need instant results. They needed the freedom to move forward without waiting.
I began exploring concepts for asynchronous task handling and shared early wireframes with the team. The background task idea gained traction quickly. We started with a floating widget, but internal testing and responsive layout issues led us to move it to the top bar for better visibility and accessibility. I designed the component to be modular so it could be used across both Secure AI and Secure Search.
This was not just about polishing the interface. It was about rethinking how the product handled time and focus, and creating space for users to stay productive without interruption.
