AdSense is a platform that allows users to make money with their website or blog. With an annual turnover of 3.4 BN (2018), it helps users control what type of ads they serve on their website with the use of Machine Learning algorithms.
Google Material is the design language that is specifically branded for Google products. I was brought in to help with the transition to the new design language.
Coming into the role, I was assigned to help with their mobile responsive components and help in creating a cohesive design language based on Google Material. First steps were to understand the overall product offering and what each designer working on.
I scheduled Meetings with all designers, product managers and UX Writers to understand the bigger picture of the product as this was an important step in the approach I was to take to solving the problems that the team was facing. I looked at research sessions that the dedicated UX Research team were doing and understood the users they worked with, the markets the product reached and the critical user journeys.
After understanding the product, learning about what each side of the product every designer was working on and how I would fit in the picture I set out to draw my findings into an information architecture piece that would give me a birds eye view of AdSense.
Google has a world wide famous design system that is opened to the public. However in house they use a different version that is tailored to the Google brand. I familiarised myself with the state of the Google internal design system and their components.
After getting the Gallery journeys of the projects that were rolling out a problem arised. As the design system was not complete, designs were not cohesive and the same component would be used in different parts of the product but would not behave and look the same.
First step was to identify the missing pieces of the puzzle and the misaligned components that were used. I created a spreadsheet documenting each component, the time would take to completion, the part of the design team that had dependency on it and the engineer team that dealt with it.
Second step was to create a new meeting every week where designers could communicate, exchange ideas and align on designs that were rolling out. The first meetings, using printouts of the different journeys they were working on, putting components that would look the same I workshopped various use cases and we started chipping at the problem one by one.
Taking the results from these discussions, I updated the design system using Sketch and internal Google tools when needed and made sure that the system was responsive and adaptive to all product needs. As well, I created a process to help add components to the library and review existing ones as easy as possible.
With the needs of product achieved, I have managed to create a new way of working across AdSense where collaboration was a key part in designers day to day basis. I have also increased the speed with which designers rolled out features, because they could focus on iteration, research and UX.