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PROJECTS
Workflow
Stakeholder Interviews
User flows
Journey Map
Information Architecture
Wireframes
Figma Prototypes
Iterative designs
Team
Product Designer (x1)
Product Managers (x2)
Engineering Managers (x3)
Time
2024
Q1
Product
Sonatype SBOM Manager
Metrics
BUSINESS
$7M+ Pipeline Growth
10 Enterprise Deals Closed
3 Cross-Functional Teams Aligned
Design
MVP Delivered in <3 Months
9+ Stakeholders Interviewed
Unified Design System Adoption
Users didn’t require more files—they needed clarity and trust
Organizations required more than just a place to store Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs); they needed a reliable and secure workflow for requesting, sharing, and reviewing SBOMs across vendors and teams.
Through stakeholder interviews and initial feedback, we discovered that users faced greater challenges with ingestion, visibility and formatting of SBOMs.
Designing fast, secure workflows to unblock compliance
We focused on speed-to-market while ensuring trust and clarity in every interaction. Our goal was to launch a lean MVP that simplified the process for organizations to request, upload, and manage Software Bill of Materials (SBOMs) without technical confusion.
Through iterative sprints, we rapidly prototyped core workflows, including Dashboard view, vendor uploads, and BOM review page. We simplified flows, aligned on compliance terminology, and optimized for clarity across teams.
To reduce friction, we transitioned from heavy card layouts to a searchable table UI and rephrased ambiguous CTAs like “Export SBOMs” into clearer actions based on internal testing.
“The flows are so clean—it’s obvious what action to take, and there’s no guessing.” — Analyst
Building just enough to validate real user value
To move quickly and learn even faster, we concentrated our MVP on a few high-impact features that could validate real user engagement: the SBOM Dashboard, SBOM upload capability, Bill of Materials page, and basic permission settings.
We deliberately chose to defer more complex features such as automated ingestion, a vendor portal, and audit trails. While users expressed interest in these features, they were not essential for getting started.
This sharp focus allowed us to ship in under 3 months, support Lighthouse customers immediately, and give sales a working product to demo and close deals.
“We don’t need every feature right away—just make sharing/storing SBOMs with our vendors not painful.”
— Solutions Architect, Sales Demo Feedback
Elevating a lightweight MVP into a powerful $7M+ opportunity
The MVP launch of SBOM Manager revealed strong demand for a centralized and secure SBOM sharing platform. Despite a lean feature set, it provided immediate business and user value. We saw quick traction among sales, customer success, and Lighthouse users.
“This MVP gave us something tangible to sell and opened doors with compliance leads at key accounts.”
— Enterprise Sales Engineer
Key Outcomes
How product design helped unlock business impact
10 Enterprise Deals Closed
Validated product-market fit by prioritizing user needs and delivering core SBOM phase 1 capabilities.
From Discovery to MVP in <3 Months
Aligned with 3 engineering teams to drive design execution and launch.
Designing for Ambiguity, Scaling with Clarity
How early research shaped clarity and confidence in the SBOM Manager roadmap
JTBD Workshop
Cutting through ambiguity with user insight
At project kickoff, there was misalignment across engineering, product, and go-to-market teams. I led stakeholder interviews and a Jobs-to-be-Done workshop to synthesize needs across security and compliance personas. These insights clarified priorities and shaped the design strategy for SBOM Manager.
“We don’t need more visibility — we need the right visibility.” — Compliance Lead
Reflection & Learnings
Key takeaways that shaped my growth as a designer and influenced future product direction
Designing in ambiguity requires facilitation, not just execution
I learned that guiding stakeholders through messy decisions early created alignment and trust, which helped move faster during implementation.
Aligning personas to business goals brings clarity
Using JTBD and stakeholder insights to refine our personas helped the team stay focused on what mattered most to early adopters.
Shipping early helped us learn faster
Even a lightweight MVP gave us the feedback and validation needed to double down on features that created market value.
