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PROJECTS
Redesigning Search in Sonatype NXRM: From Friction to Flow
Workflow
Stakeholder kick0ff
Survey launched (80+ responses)
Competitor Audit
Problem Framing Workshops
Low-Fi Wireframes
Figma Prototypes
Iterative designs
Team
Product Designer (x2)
Product Manager (x1)
Engineering Managers (x2)
Time
2025
Q1
Product
Sonatype Nexus Repository Manager
Metrics
BUSINESS
42% reduction in search abandonment rate
18% increase in feature adoption post-release
+44% increase in user satisfaction score
Design
Reusable patterns introduced: grouped results, inline filters, metadata cards
Search UI now fully aligned with shared React component system
Enabled parallel rollout with NXRM Cloud, reducing design redundancy
Shifting From Volume to Value: Designing Search That Builds Trust
How early research shaped clarity and confidence in the SBOM Manager roadmap
Before
Hunderds of versions listed with no aggregation
Inconsistent sorting
Lack of metadata like format, repo, and publish date
Complex and hidden filter options
After
Grouped by component
Sort by last published date
Inline metadata: repo, format, publish date
Interactive filters: Easily refine without restarting the search
“Now I trust what I see — no need to cross-check in the API.”
— DevOps User
Designing High-Trust, Low-Friction Search Workflows for Developer Velocity
Developers aren’t just looking for components — they’re verifying where they came from, which version is approved, and whether that version meets internal policy requirements.
Revised workflow
Start a Search
Enter component name or Id
View aggregtaed results
Confirm trust via metadata: format, version, & publish date
Validating the Solution with Users
We tested key flows with internal developers to confirm usability, trust, and speed of the new design.
What We Tested
Can users quickly find the correct component version?
Do they trust the metadata and search result ordering?
Is the new grouped layout more intuitive than the flat list?
Can users refine their results without restarting the flow?
From MVP to Scalable Search Foundation
Objective
Ensure the redesigned experience could scale across diverse user types, repository sizes, and deployment environments — while aligning with NXRM’s evolving product vision.
Implementation Strategy
React-first foundation: Built on the new React architecture to support maintainability and future cloud-native integrations
Design system alignment: Ensured consistency with Sonatype’s shared UI components and patterns
Performance collaboration: Partnered with engineering to stress-test grouped result rendering on large repositories
API collaboration: Synced UI logic with API team to eliminate discrepancies in result count, sort order, and metadata
Key Outcomes & Impact
We tested three ways to represent dependencies and evaluated each for clarity, hierarchy, and performance.
Tangible Results
Strategic Wins
“Search is no longer something I avoid — I trust it to get me what I need.”
— Internal developer, post-launch feedback
