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BUILD is a no-code prototype suite housed within the SAP Cloud Platform. It empowers SAP customers, partners, and business analysts to craft enterprise applications and validate any design with their clients, all while familiarizing themselves with the design-led development process. I had the privilege of being the third designer on the team. My responsibilities encompassed the design of the UI shell and user interface controls. I also focused on enhancing the usability of the most frequently used UI5 controls within BUILD’s Prototyping Tool.
Nearly 3 years into my tenure as a Sr. UX Designer at SAP, my manager approached me with a unique opportunity. He asked if I was interested in working on a "special" project with Team 'X'. Eager for a fresh challenge and the chance to build something entirely from the ground up, I immediately seized the opportunity. At that time, the project consisted of only four individuals and some preliminary ideas illustrated by a few sketches on whiteboards. The project bore the codename 'Norman', and its details remained confidential until we could demonstrate its viability to our stakeholders.
Interestingly, although we had a clear understanding of the problem we aimed to solve and had validated our hypothesis, I discovered that the company had tried and failed to create this product nearly four times in the past. Another team based in Germany once came close to succeeding, but the product's direction shifted and it evolved into Web IDE (Integrated Development Environment). This tool facilitates users in quickly designing and extending applications for both browsers and mobile devices, streamlining the entire application lifecycle – from prototyping and development to packaging, deployment, and even customer extensions, specifically for SAP Fiori and SAPUI5 applications. This outcome was quite distinct from the original concept of BUILD.
To conclude, I was among the pioneer designers on the team. As the project gained momentum, the team expanded to over 100 members. The indelible impact we achieved as a cohesive unit is immeasurable. I'm immensely proud to have collaborated with such an outstanding team on this initiative.
As the capabilities of Build expanded and its complexity grew, the product team was tasked with facilitating the organization of content and files within projects. Build featured a tool called "Boards" for this purpose. However, its design was not intuitive, making it nearly unusable. The subsequent wireframes present a revamped design proposal.
Having segmented the UI Shell into distinct components, I proceeded to investigate the integration of notifications, drawing inspiration from user feedback. I also experimented with various UI alternatives. This involved using the logo's color palette for reference, fine-tuning spec measurements, and ensuring a harmonious balance in the overall hierarchy of design elements, including the History Navigation, Submenu tools, and micro animations present in the sidebar.
SAP Build is an exceptional tool for crafting high-fidelity Fiori UI5 prototypes. Here are the primary features and benefits I gleaned while designing my inaugural prototype app:
Low Cost of Changes: No need for programming, resulting in a much quicker turnaround time.
WYSIWYG: What you see is precisely what you get.
Interactive Prototype: Incorporates screens, processes, and real-time data integration.
Fiori Compatibility: Offers a head start on Fiori development.
Process Map with Sticky Notes: Allows for a rapid visualization of processes. However, it lacks detailed screen information.Screen Mock-ups: Provides a visualization of screens, but offers limited insight into the process and data visibility.
Mock-ups, as low-fidelity prototypes, have their limitations in enhancing the user experience. To truly excel, transitioning to a high-fidelity working prototype is crucial. It significantly mitigates the risk of presenting yet another subpar User Interface (UI) to your end-users.
