Metering @ Expel

2021-2024

— ROLE

Senior Product Designer


— COMPANY

Expel


— TYPE

Product Design


Cybersecurity is such a black hole of information. I was always learning something new about the industry. So when I first started, I felt like I had a lot of catching up to do in order to solve the problem I was hired to fix. 


This project will go over the conceptualization of the Usage Metrics Dashboard.



The Usage Metrics Dashboard today.

TLDR


Problem: Lack of transparency into usage metrics showcasing the value Expel provides (how I defined metering)


Solution: Usage Metrics Dashboard depicting an accurate view of an organization's data usage


Result: The dashboard continues to contribute to annual revenue with an increase in expansion numbers



What's Metering? 


The concept was so vague, but it was my job to make sense of it. So before I could start the project, I dove into the subject matter: I read everything I could find, looked up the company's history on the subject, I met people throughout the organization, and I asked all the questions(what good designer doesn’t?) to figure out metering. I defined it as the measurement of units being used and the value that is attributed to that number, and the problem was that the lack of transparency did not showcase the value Expel provided for our customers.


Feeling Inspired


Being in the cybersecurity space made it difficult to find things on our competitors due to, well, security. So I had to pivot and find similar concepts from other companies. Because of my extensive research, I was able to make connections to billing, storage, and usage.


Even though they were different industries, I was able to form ideas from their examples and do a competitive analysis. I felt like Tinker Hatfield, getting inspiration from a museum to design a shoe. 


From there I was able to do a competitive analysis from the major inspirations I found.



After creating a good base of knowledge, I was ready to work. Or so I thought…


Hiccup


About 3 months into my tenure, I went on leave for this little free loader. So my work was paused. Not really a problem, but worth mentioning because I disconnected for 3 months to enjoy fatherhood.




Hit the Ground Running


Before paternity leave, I wrote good documentation to pick up as if I never left. I utilized my initial research to sketch early concept work and used that in user interviews to gather feedback on what should be included in the product.


 


It’s Not a Phase, Mom



Alright, it is a phase. Multiple phases.


Using the data from the interviews, I was able to compartmentalize how the product should evolve over time. Starting small with a “drawer” that I was able to utilize from the existing design system.


That agile cycle of discover, design, ship, learn, and repeat. 


More Hiccups


Alright this isn't baby related, but let's just call all problems in this story hiccups. After multiple releases, we started gearing towards the launch of the biggest iteration, we came across a couple of problems: a product focused problem and a service design problem.

Product Problem


The reason that this was the biggest launch was because we were moving from the drawer to a bigger piece of real estate on the platform: a full page. I veered off the path of the phased approach because I tried to take ALL user feedback into this launch. Having all that extra room made me disregard the phased approach, and the tool was too robust.



I needed to take a step back and deconstructed it to the essentials.

 


Too Much


I realized that this was too much for this launch and that most of these things could be added later on.


Just Enough


Everything was deconstructed to ship quality. Quickly.

Service Design Problem


During testing we discovered a service design problem that required pushing back the launch to reevaluate the tool. We discovered that without proper training, there was a risk that expansion conversations could be seen as sales-driven. So even though the tool solved the original problem, it created potential for a new problem. The customer could view our intentions as negatively sales-driven rather than the transparency we were trying to portray.


To fix this, I worked with the product team, marketing, and revenue org to help prepare the right materials for enablement, and conducted internal user interviews to make sure the training worked.

 

We Did it.


This metering project became the Usage Metrics Dashboard. It continues to provide transparency into how much value Expel is bringing to the customer. Ever since launch, the dashboard has supported revenue with expansion numbers continuing to increase, and the Metering team has evolved into the Growth team and continues to find avenues for growth for the company.


Here's what the dashboard looks like today: