Challenge
The complexity trap
Google Workspace Admin Console had grown into a product that served no one well. Over years of feature accumulation and organic growth, what began as a simple administration tool had become a complex system - generating millions of support contacts annually at $38–60 per ticket, with monthly case volumes exceeding 77,000.
A mixture of quantitative ticket analysis and user research revealed that the console had a fundamental design problem: it assumed admin expertise when most of the users simply didn't have it. For Very Small Business admins - roughly 50% of the customer base - the console wasn't a product they wanted to use. It was a problem they had to solve, as infrequently as possible.
"I don't care about the admin console. The admin console is a means to an end. I go there when I have something I need to do. I go in there and do the thing I need to do, and then I leave."
- VSB admin, Director of Clinical Research
"I haven't had the chance to be a full IT admin, nor do I want to be. But you know, that's why we went with Google Workspace."
- VSB admin, Real Estate Developer
"Many of them would probably be useful for us, but there isn't a cheat sheet or a checklist saying hey - why don't you enable these things."
- VSB admin, Director of Engineering
Admins weren't failing because they lacked intelligence or motivation. They were failing because the product gave them no guidance, no context, and no way to discover features they didn't already know existed. The research told a clear story: top 6 out of 10 support tickets were design failures.
Strategy
Design for resolution, not reaction
My hypothesis was simple: if we could anticipate what admins needed and surface it in context, they would never need to contact support. Rather than treating support volume as a customer success problem, I repositioned it as a design problem and built a multi-year programme to prove it.
I led a cross-functional team across 3 consecutive OKR cycles (2019–2021): 4 UX designers, 3 UX researchers, 1 UX engineer, and 1 content writer - systematically addressing the root causes of high-volume support categories, one user journey at a time.
2019
Milestone 1 - Tactical fixes
Rapid, high-impact UX fixes targeting the most frequent support drivers. Proved the hypothesis early and secured investment for the broader multi-year programme.
2020
Homepage & IA redesign + Insight cards
Redesigned the homepage from the ground up with a gradual, data-driven approach. Introduced the Insight Card system - surfacing contextual guidance directly on the homepage, segmented by user type.
2020–21
User, domain & VSB simplification
Redesigned the highest-volume support journeys - add/delete user, domain management, bulk upload - and delivered a tailored experience for Very Small Business admins.
Solution
Three interlocking interventions
Surface 1
Rebuilding the homepage from the ground up
The Admin Console homepage was the single highest-leverage surface in the product. Every admin who visited the console landed here first, yet the existing design offered no guidance, no prioritisation, and no contextual awareness of what any given admin actually needed to do. I initiated and evangelised the homepage redesign - securing UX, engineering, and research resources - and established an incremental change roadmap that let us move fast without breaking admin trust.
Surface 2 - The centrepiece
The Insight Card system
Rather than waiting for admins to encounter problems and call support, I brought the solution to them - surfacing enriched, contextual guidance directly on the homepage. Each card category addressed a distinct support trigger: user & domain management cards tackled the most common add/delete/manage questions; billing cards clarified account status; alert cards surfaced security issues before they became emergencies. The system was designed to feel proactive rather than alarming.
Insight card categories
User management
3 users need password reset
Users have had temporary passwords for more than 7 days. Click to resolve.
Security alert
2-step verification not set up
Protect your organisation - 12 admins haven't enabled 2SV yet.
Billing
Payment method expiring soon
Your credit card expires in 14 days. Update to avoid service interruption.
New feature
Group-based policies now available
Apply different settings to different user groups without custom code.
Surface 3
Simplifying the highest-volume journeys
For Very Small Businesses, the blocker was confidence. I influenced the product team's strategy to specifically address VSB admin needs - designing simplified journeys, dynamic status cards, and contextual hand-holding. For Large Enterprise customers (like Airbus, PWC, IBM, and L'Oréal), the blocker was bulk management. I designed a bulk upload pattern for trusted domains and unmanaged users that unblocked these accounts entirely, removing a recurring escalation category from the support queue.
Before - Add User flow
- Long form requiring unnecessary fields
- No billing impact warning shown
- No option to send welcome email to new user
- Admin had to manually copy login credentials
After - Redesigned flow
- Reduced cognitive load - only essential fields
- Billing update explained in context during journey
- Admin can trigger password reset email directly
- Credential copy reminder at journey completion
Results
Select highlights
Sustained, measurable impact - design directly accountable to a business cost metric, tracked quarter by quarter over three years.
Support contact rate reduction over programme
Q2 2020
Q4 2020
Q2 2021
Contact rate
−45%
Support contact rate reduced from 1.49% → 0.82% (Q2 '20 to Q2 '21)
Volume reduction
−33.3%
Total support volume reduction measured - vs. target of only −4.8%
Cases eliminated
−287K
Workspace support cases eliminated in Q2 2021 vs. Q2 2020
Case volume
−23%
YoY case volume reduction - 77K → 59K (July '20 to July '21)
Users impacted
7M+
Admin Console users benefiting from the new homepage & IA
Engagement
+35%
Admin Console engagement increase following homepage redesign