Re-design the developer portal to make it easier for first time users
Year
2023
My role
Lead Designer
Team
PM, Engineers, Data Analyst
What did I do?
The old Developer Portal had a 60% drop-off rate. I revamped the portal to improve the drop-off rate and increase conversion to +20%. Users stayed on the website for longer time and used Paypal tools instead of third part apps.
Design Process
I redesigned PayPal’s developer & merchant onboarding experience to make integration faster, clearer, and more intuitive. Through a deep UX audit, journey mapping, and IA restructuring, I identified key friction points such as scattered docs, flow interruptions, unclear navigation, and an outdated design system that slowed adoption and reduced confidence. My solution simplified the end-to-end integration journey, modernized UI patterns, and introduced guided steps for API setup, sandbox testing, and go-live. The result is a cleaner, trust-driven experience that helps developers get to “first successful transaction” faster with clarity, lower cognitive load, and higher confidence.
Context
PayPal Developer is a platform that provides tools, resources, and APIs for developers to integrate PayPal's payment solutions into their applications and websites. With PayPal Developer, developers can create seamless payment experiences, securely process transactions, and manage customer payments.
For the redesign, I wanted to create a refreshing, minimalist and clean UI that conveyed trustworthiness and progression for developers
Home Page
I visioned a home page which focused on quick scanability and provided detailed insights.
Walkthrough
I introduced a walk through for developers to quickly jump into solution mode and try out Paypal in a sandbox environment.
Quick access
The new Information architecture I worked on ensured all tools are made visible to users easily.
Analytics
I introduced advanced analytics that would aid developers get to know the health quickly by scanning.
Error log, Recent Transactions and monitoring.
API Credentials
Getting credentials made easy
Webhooks
Setting webhooks in same page. All webhooks created are displayed in a tabular format.
Webhook Events
I wanted to make searching, sorting and filtering through webhooks easy. So developers can easily deep dive into debugging their code.
Developing the designs
I worked closely with a team of 12 engineers to develop the designs. I scoped out tickets for the front-end engineers with user stories and product requirements. I also encouraged the team to develop new API's and components to build a robust system.
Results and takeaways
Working in a large team with a lot of red-tap was an extremely steep learning curve. It was a learning experience that taught me to focus my energy on learning the product and the technical details.
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Some key takeaways from this project are:
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Focus on building trust with the team and imbibe a culture of Async communication: When working on a large project, invest time not only in craft by also focus on the team factor.
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Focus on the larger vision of the product: Early in my journey I was advised to take a step back and look at the larger picture.