Software Templates & Automation

Software Templates was a 10-week initiative to introduce a foundational pillar in Compass: enabling developers to spin up production-ready components with speed and consistency. I led design for Templates end-to-end—while crafting a long-term vision to differentiate Compass from competitors.

Solution

Create Template

Platform Engineers can create templates that uphold engineering standards and quality and reduce engineering overhead and maintenance.

Create Components from Template

Developers can create high-quality components with efficiency in order to meet project timelines, requirements and ship features to customers.

Discover Templates

How users discover and onboard onto templates in Compass. Multiple experiences were explored such as spotlight tours, cross-product notifications, badges, and cross-product CTA's.

Automation & Platform Orchestration

Defined concepts for templating automation (using Compass AI) that could redefine and push templates beyond competitive parity.

Vision

Strategized, and crafted a 3 year vision for templates that highlight key' concepts that the team could further explore, and build next as a part of our roadmap.

Impact

56%

Of sign-ups came through the Template’s landing-page on Compass’ Marketing-site

74%

Of all active tenants have created at least 1 Template.

51%

Of users, of the 74% have created 3+ Templates, indicating strong adoption.

60%

Of created components from all tenants that have adopted Templates, have been created from a Template.

New Product Pillar

Shipped a MVP in ~ 2 months, and demoed at Team 23’ to 100’s of software teams.

Long-term Vision

Strategized, and crafted a 3 year vision for templates that highlight key' concepts that the team could further explore, and build next as a part of our roadmap.

Long-term Vision

Strategized, and crafted a 3 year vision for templates that highlight key' concepts that the team could further explore, and build next as a part of our roadmap.

Context

Role & Responsibilities

  • Lead design end-to-end for Templates.
  • Partnered with Product and Engineering to conduct user research (customer interviews).
  • Responsible for facilitating cross-team crit’ sessions with Compass’ Design, Atlassian Design Leadership, and key partner teams on Compass across several timezones.
  • Defined and visualized the long-term product vision in close collaboration with Product and Engineering.

Team

Product Designer

Product Manager

Feature Lead & Architect

Engineering Manager

Timeline

11 Weeks

The Problem

Inefficiencies, Inconsistency & Low Quality

Software
Developers often waste time bootstrapping components - copying boilerplate code, configuring tools, and duplicating setup across teams.

Standards & Best Practices
Platform

Teams want to enforce standards, consistency, educate developers, and scale quality practices.

Competitive Gap

Today, Compass’ lacks a fast way to start building components - and is falling behind competitors like Spotify’s Backstage.

Archetypes

Platform Engineer

Create templates that uphold engineering standards and quality and reduce engineering overhead and maintenance.

Developer

Create high-quality components with efficiency in order to meet project timelines, requirements and ship features to customers.

The Process