Challenge

Enterprise users struggled to understand complex data relationships in traditional interfaces, while Workiva sought to develop more approachable experiences that could compete with consumer-grade productivity suites without sacrificing powerful functionality.

Solution

• Interactive Canvas: Designed a fluid, spatial environment for visualizing graph database relationships

• Node Exploration: Created direct manipulation controls for exploring connected data points

• Relationship Visualization: Developed intuitive visual cues for different relationship types and strengths

• Progressive Disclosure: Built layered interaction model revealing details based on user engagement

• Consumer-Inspired Interface: Incorporated design patterns from consumer applications while maintaining enterprise capability

Impact

• Transformed complex data relationships into intuitive, explorable visualizations

• Demonstrated potential for more approachable enterprise interfaces

• Established design direction for future consumer-focused initiatives

• Created reusable patterns for graph data interaction

• Validated user appetite for more visual, interactive data experiences

Key Design Elements

• Fluid animation system for relationship transitions

• Context-sensitive interaction patterns

• Minimal UI chrome focusing attention on content

• Consistent visual language for relationship types

• Scalable architecture handling complex data networks