Understanding a fragmented process

Research showed that users struggled to understand what data already existed, which vendors were available and how to gain access without navigating long, manual processes.

I interviewed application owners, licence owners, developers, data scientists and data managers, then synthesised the findings into themes and separate application and technical user journeys.

Making data easier to discover

The catalogue became the primary discovery surface, combining search, filtering and clear access states.

The screens show support for:

• internal and external datasets

• filtering by vendor, country, domain and sub-domain

• search suggestions

• subscribed and request-access states

• alternative tile and graphical catalogue views

Bringing context into one place

Once users found a dataset, they could explore much more than a simple description.

The product included:

• overview and usage information

• metadata and data dictionaries

• API and vendor documentation

• subscription information

• sample data

• availability and usability indicators

Designing the access workflow

Finding the right dataset was only one part of the problem. Users also needed a clearer way to request and manage access.

I designed a structured request flow covering:

• project creation

• business requirements

• usage

• terms and conditions

• review and submission

Supporting ongoing work

EDMS also needed to support users after discovery and approval.

The wider platform included:

• tasks

• subscribers

• projects

• subscriptions

• usage monitoring

• notifications

• profile and communication preferences

Turning a fragmented process into a connected platform

The work created a clearer product direction spanning the full journey from discovering external data through to requesting access, using it and managing ongoing subscriptions.

Discovery simplified
Search, filters and catalogue views helped users find relevant datasets.

Context centralised
Metadata, documentation and sample data were brought into a single experience.

Access structured
A multi-step request flow made approvals more explicit and manageable.

Platform extended
Tasks, projects, subscriptions and usage monitoring supported the wider lifecycle.