Block settings · Product design · 2023
A consistent way to configure automation blocks
DataFlow’s block settings had grown one page at a time. Similar tasks used different layouts and controls. I redesigned the page structure and reusable settings patterns, using the complex data-source block to check whether the approach could handle a demanding configuration.
Redesign prepared for development · Did not ship
DataFlow and client names are anonymized. These screens show an unshipped redesign; interface text is translated into English.
Keep familiar controls recognizable
I revised the type, spacing, and component styling while retaining familiar control names and functions. The aim was to make the new templates consistent with one another without changing what the basic controls do.
Use one shared page structure
The proposed structure keeps navigation, ports, tabs, and run controls in consistent positions. Each block adds the settings cards it needs.
I specified fixed and flexible areas, including open and collapsed navigation states, so developers could see how each template should adapt.
Apply it to a complex configuration
The data-source block combines source selection, joins, filters, and output fields. I arranged its configuration across tabs within the shared structure.
I used this block to check how the template handled different settings within the same navigation.
Where the work stopped
The components, templates, and data-source design were prepared for development when the startup was acquired. The redesign did not ship.
The next step would be to test complete configuration tasks with analysts, especially whether the shared structure makes dependencies and errors understandable.