Configuration Page Redesign

Instana, IBM's automated observability product, had 16 configuration pages that had grown inconsistent over time, each built differently with no shared visual language. As Designer Intern, I led the end-to-end redesign, creating a consistent, scalable design pattern using only Carbon Design System components.

Duration

Jun 2026 - Sep 2026

Company

IBM

Services

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UI/UX design

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Visual design

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Content design

Challenge

How to bring 16 fragmented, inconsistent configuration screens into a single cohesive template using the Carbon Design System, and give Instana a unified, professional interface, all without disrupting the workflows users already depend on?

Solution

I moved away from scattered, one-off layouts and took "the receipt" as the guiding principle:

  • Structured every screen around three consistent parts: a top bar for primary actions, an accordion to unify scattered data into a single component, and tiles to portray information cleanly within each accordion section;

  • Applied Carbon Design System patterns like tiles, code blocks, tables, and content switchers across all 16 screens, so users can move between wildly different types of data (general settings, smart alerts, etc.) without having to relearn the interface each time.

Impact

This design pattern helped Instana establish a consistent, scalable foundation across all 16 configuration pages, with clear results:

  • Configuration pages now share the same layout, patterns, and interactions, reducing cognitive load so users can focus on their tasks instead of relearning the interface each time they move between screens

  • Content is organized and labeled clearly using only Carbon components, improving discoverability and scanability so users can quickly find what they're looking for

  • The team gained a reusable, predictable framework for future configuration pages, improving scalability and maintainability as Instana continues to grow