bp
Oil & Gas
Enterprise
Virtual Machines
Services
UX Strategy, Design Thinking, Visual Design
Client
bp
Date
September 2021 - October 2024
Overview
As Product Design Lead, I partnered with engineering, product, and business stakeholders to modernise the Stratus portal—one of bp’s internal platforms. I conducted a full-spectrum UX engagement, beginning with a comprehensive analysis of the user journey, from onboarding to ongoing virtual machine use. Using empathy mapping, Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) analysis, observational research, and heuristic evaluations, I uncovered key pain points and usability issues that were affecting adoption, productivity, and efficiency. I led the complete redesign, aligning the interface to the bpCore design system and delivering a clean, intuitive experience tailored to the needs of a global network of 1,300 users, including geologists and technical specialists.
Key feature // 1
Empathy-led discovery
To understand the real user experience, I tested the Stratus virtual machine platform onboarding process, mapping out pain points and inefficiencies through a detailed empathy map. This exercise uncovered early insights that I later validated with users during discovery, forming the foundation for streamlining workflows and improving usability at scale.
Key feature // 2
Quantifying design issues at scale
I conducted a comprehensive UX audit of the Stratus portal, evaluating the interface against Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics and my own codified design principles. To prioritise effectively, I mapped each observation on an investment matrix—helping the team assess which changes offered the highest impact with the greatest feasibility. This process turned subjective usability pain points into measurable, actionable insights that guided our redesign efforts.
Key feature // 3
Designing for speed, clarity, and accessibility
Based on user feedback, I redesigned key workflows in the Stratus UI—introducing the “Smart Launch” feature to let users save virtual machine profiles and reduce daily setup time. I tested low- and high-fidelity prototypes with a global user base, refining the design to ensure clarity, usability, and accessibility at every stage.
Results
Enterprise UX, Refined
The Stratus redesign delivered a complete UX overhaul—streamlining onboarding, simplifying navigation, and aligning the interface with the bpCore design system. I designed the “Smart Launch” feature to reduce friction for technical users, supported hybrid workflows with both in-app and PDF guidance, and validated key flows through iterative usability testing. The result was a more intuitive, efficient platform that earned strong stakeholder praise and significantly improved daily usability for teams managing virtual machines across the business.
Conclusion
This project is a testament to the power of user-centred design in complex enterprise environments. By aligning stakeholder priorities with real user needs, I delivered a product experience that was not only cleaner and more intuitive—but measurably more efficient and scalable. The Stratus redesign empowers bp’s technical teams to work with greater speed, clarity, and confidence.