Corporate Struggles

Objective

To maintain and implement new features on the Fannie Mae Developer Portal, which provides public access to the company’s APIs. The primary goals were to redesign the site’s navigation and develop a custom feedback widget for collecting user metrics to inform future updates.

Role

  • Front-end Developer

Responsibilities

  • Maintained the existing codebase and implemented new features for the portal.

  • Redesigned and developed the site’s navigation to improve user experience and accessibility.

  • Built a custom feedback widget that collected valuable user metrics, aiding the team in making data-driven updates to the site.

  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams and engaged in agile development processes to meet project goals.

Tools

  • Design: Figma

  • Development: Angular

Challenges

  • Strict Deadlines: The team faced tight timelines, making it challenging to deliver high-quality updates while balancing speed and precision.

  • Team Consensus: Difficulty in reaching a consensus on site updates delayed decision-making, which eventually led to the involvement of an agile coach to help align the team.

  • Personal Growth: During this time, I pursued and obtained my Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification, which helped me better understand and contribute to the agile processes.

Solutions

  • Agile Development: By working closely with the agile coach and adopting agile methodologies, we were able to improve team communication and decision-making.

  • Custom Feedback Widget: The feedback widget I developed allowed the team to collect key user metrics, providing critical insights that guided future iterations of the site.

  • Navigational Redesign: The redesigned navigation improved the usability of the developer portal, making it easier for users to find API documentation and resources, resulting in positive user feedback.

Results

  • Improved User Experience: The redesigned navigation and feedback system made the portal more intuitive and user-friendly, enhancing the overall developer experience.

  • Data-Driven Decisions: The feedback widget provided the team with valuable data, which enabled informed decisions for future updates to the site.

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  • Professional Growth: Gaining the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification helped me improve my contribution to the team’s agile process. However, I eventually chose to leave the company to pursue my passion for UX/UI design.

Conclusion

This project demonstrated my ability to step into an existing codebase and contribute meaningfully by enhancing both the navigation and feedback systems. While the project had its challenges, I grew professionally by obtaining my CSPO certification and learning to work effectively within an agile framework. Ultimately, this experience reaffirmed my passion for UX/UI design, which led me to pursue it as a career focus.

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