Oracle · HCM Cloud
Redesigning Human Capital Management.
Oracle's HCM Cloud was built to support an enormous range of configurable features — which worked beautifully in silos and less beautifully end-to-end. The growing complexity raised the adoption bar for new customers and slowed down the people already inside it. We set out to redesign the experience so users could complete real work efficiently, while also opening a path for customers who needed a simpler offering.
Challenge
A powerful suite that was hard to live in.
HCM Cloud was completely customer-configurable, which made it powerful — and heavy. The complexity raised the barrier to entry for new customers and frustrated existing users who couldn't move through their day efficiently. On top of that, the market had room for a simpler offering we weren't yet capturing.
"Redesign Oracle HCM with a principle focus on delighting our customers and helping them complete their tasks efficiently."
Scope & my responsibilities
Lead designer on critical manager and employee flows.
Oracle HCM Cloud spans many product areas. The redesign effort was a 10-designer team where each person owned different flows — I was the lead (and sole) designer on several of the most critical ones, and mentored other designers working on adjacent areas of HCM.
Projects I worked on
Flows managers and employees touch every week.
Oracle HCM Cloud spans many product areas. Below are the flows I led as the sole designer. Beyond these, I worked on design patterns that could be reused across HCM, and helped mentor other designers across various flows as part of the broader effort.
-
Change Salary
Helping managers change an employee's salary off-cycle — a critical building block for many other manager self-service flows like off-cycle promotions and transfers.
-
Employee Calendar
A manager's view of an employee's time, plans, and availability in one place.
-
Total Compensation
A clearer picture of pay, benefits, and equity for the employee.
-
Team Schedule
Schedule visibility across complex org structures.
-
Manage Direct Reports
Everything a manager needs about their team, in one place.
-
Manage Availability
Simple ways to signal when people are on and off.
In the wild
Oracle OpenWorld 2017 HCM demo.
Overall impact
From customer delight to a market position shift.
This project mattered to the team for both design and business reasons. We wanted designs that helped users accomplish their tasks efficiently and delighted them — and felt this was a real opportunity to redefine Oracle's UX, with HCM as a starting step. Early signs were encouraging: many existing customers responded well to the new direction.
-
Analyst recognition
Gartner visionary leader.
In August 2018, Gartner positioned Oracle HCM as a visionary leader for Cloud HCM Suites for Midmarket and Large Enterprises — a significant jump from the prior year.
-
Customer reception
Existing customers validated the direction.
The new flows were well-received by existing customers, validating both the approach and the direction of the redesign.
Reflections & design takeaways
HCM taught me that in deeply configurable enterprise software, simple isn't a visual style — it's an editorial decision. Every removed control, every consolidated screen, every advanced setting hidden by default is a small argument to win with PMs, engineers, and power users. The reward is a product that lets people focus on the work, not the tool.