UX/UI and CX process flow — from discovery through delivery on ServiceNow, based on design thinking and content lifecycle frameworks
Discover — Understand the Problem
Principle: Empathy — Meet users where they are. Define the real problem before designing anything.
Key Activities
Observe users in context; surface pain points and workarounds they've normalised
Conduct stakeholder interviews and targeted user surveys
Create empathy maps to visualize thoughts, feelings, and unmet needs
Audit existing portal content, service catalog, and workflows for gaps and duplication
Perform competitive analysis to benchmark UX against industry standards
Define a clear problem statement rooted in evidence, not assumptions
ServiceNow Tools
UX Analytics
Portal metrics: article views, catalog orders, search queries, adoption rates
SP Log Entries [sp_log]
Transaction logs for portal troubleshooting and user behavior analysis
Portal Analyzer
Widget usage, page views, unique user counts — run on demand
User Experience Analytics Dashboard
Built-in dashboard for Next Experience web and mobile apps
Ideate — Explore and Validate Solutions
Principle: Validation — Test with 3–5 real users. Gather feedback early and often to narrow in on the right solution.
Key Activities
Define content architecture using exact (alphabetical, chronological) or subjective (topic, task, audience) organisation schemes
Choose information structures: hierarchical (parent/child), sequential (guided flow), or matrix (hyperlinked)
Design navigation systems: structural (global/local), associative (related content), utility (help, sitemap)
Establish labeling systems using a controlled vocabulary; align textual and iconic labels
Select appropriate search patterns: faceted, parametric, best-first, or auto-suggest
Build low-fidelity prototypes; validate with card sorting and usability studies (3–5 participants)
ServiceNow Tools & Outputs
Now Design System
Components, usage guidelines, API docs, and developer playground
Form Builder (Planning Phase)
Plan field layout, sections, labels, tooltips, and conditional logic before building
Portal Taxonomy & Navigation Design
URL structure, menu hierarchies, content groupings, search configuration
Employee Center / EC Pro
Plan cross-department content structure: IT, HR, Facilities, Legal, Procurement
Deliver — Build, Test, and Iterate
Principle: Reuse — Use existing components; don't reinvent the wheel. Reuse ensures consistency and reduces custom code risk.
Key Activities
Apply Fitts', Miller's, Hick's, and Tesler's Laws to every interface decision
Build portal pages and workspace experiences in UI Builder (WYSIWYG, drag-and-drop)
Configure forms via Form Builder with UI policies, data policies, and GlideAJAX client scripts
Develop and customise widgets using the Widget Editor (HTML/CSS/JS, real-time preview)
Ensure WCAG 2.1 AA compliance; use WAVE tool and Widget Diagnostic Tool for QA
Monitor with UX Analytics; run Portal Analyzer on demand; iterate continuously
ServiceNow Tools
UI Builder
WYSIWYG builder for workspace and portal pages; configure client state, data resources, and scripts
Now Experience Framework
150+ accessible, mobile-ready components with WCAG 2.0 built in; CLI for custom component dev
Widget Editor
190+ OOTB widgets; create, clone, or customise; Widget Diagnostic Tool for issue isolation and comparison
Universal Request
Single entry point for ESM/GBS; transparent cross-department case routing for employees
Content Lifecycle — Runs Across All Phases