IBM / CIO

Partner Plus

Design Lead
Visual Designer
UX Designer

Thinking

UX Research
Design Thinking
Design/Dev Liaison

Roles

Challenge

Within the Partner Plus ecosystem, one platform that faced significant user experience challenges was the Business Partner Application (BPA). The existing process was cumbersome and time-consuming, often taking up to 20 days or more to activate contracts. The user interface was outdated and did not align with IBM's Carbon V.11 design standards, making it difficult for partners to navigate and complete their applications without assistance. This inefficient system hindered the onboarding process and delayed partners' ability to start selling IBM products.

Solution

To address these issues, the BPA project team automated vetting for low-risk candidates and revamped the application experience, reducing the time to contract to as little as the same day and ensuring a more intuitive, self-service interface. As the design lead, I utilized the Carbon Design language, conducted extensive user research, and streamlined the application process to enable faster partner onboarding. I coordinated development and design reviews with cross-functional teams and held regular stakeholder meetings to ensure alignment. Content reviews maintained clarity and consistency, significantly improving the user experience and enhancing IBM’s partner ecosystem, driving growth and satisfaction.