Improving Access & Engagement in the M365 Development Program.

The image featured in the middle of the about us page
The image featured in the middle of the about us page

Client

Microsoft

Team

M365 Developer Program

Role

UX/UI Designer (Part-time)

Improving Access & Engagement in the M365 Developer Program.

Client

Microsoft

Team

M365 Developer Program

Role

UX/UI Designer (Part-time)

The image featured in the middle of the about us page

Client

Microsoft

Team

M365 Developer Program

Role

UX/UI Designer (Part-time)

The image featured in the middle of the about us page
The image featured in the middle of the about us page

Context

Context

The Microsoft 365 Developer Program provides developers with free E5 subscriptions and tools (like Graph APIs, Teams, and SharePoint Framework) to build, test, and explore Microsoft 365 capabilities.

Despite its promise, the program was plagued by:

  • Fraud incidents, leading to stricter access policies

  • Blocked services, limiting developers’ ability to purchase additional tools

  • Access inconsistency due to country restrictions and manual validation

  • Frustration among developers and partners due to the opaque and broken user experience


The team’s mission was to reimagine the end-to-end experience and restore trust, clarity, and usability to the program.

The Microsoft 365 Developer Program provides developers with free E5 subscriptions and tools (like Graph APIs, Teams, and SharePoint Framework) to build, test, and explore Microsoft 365 capabilities.

Despite its promise, the program was plagued by:

  • Fraud incidents, leading to stricter access policies

  • Blocked services, limiting developers’ ability to purchase additional tools

  • Access inconsistency due to country restrictions and manual validation

  • Frustration among developers and partners due to the opaque and broken user experience


The team’s mission was to reimagine the end-to-end experience and restore trust, clarity, and usability to the program.

My Role

My Role

I collaborated with PMs, engineers, and brand teams to:

  • Audit and rework the "Join Now" flow.

  • Redesign the developer dashboard across multiple tenant states.

  • Address user pain points and bring visual and interaction consistency to the product

Problem Areas Identified

Issue Impact

  • Lack of billing address support Blocked future monetization plans

  • Outdated dashboard design Not consistent with the new Microsoft design system guidelines

  • Poor information hierarchy Important information is buried

  • Limited emotional connection Static UI, minimal illustration



Problem Areas Identified

Issue

  • Lack of billing address support - Blocked future monetization plans

  • Outdated dashboard design - Not consistent with the new Microsoft design system guidelines

  • Poor information hierarchy - Important information is buried

  • Limited emotional connection - Static UI, minimal illustration



“As this work was part of an internal handoff at Microsoft and not yet publicly launched, the UI is omitted here. I’d be happy to walk you through the designs in a private setting.”

“As this work was part of an internal handoff at Microsoft and not yet publicly launched, the UI is omitted here. I’d be happy to walk you through the designs in a private setting.”

Focus Area

Focus Area

Join Now Flow (Onboarding)

  • Evaluated the full "Join Now" journey from the dev program site.

  • Identified friction in qualification messaging and missing fields.


Dashboard UX Refresh


The existing dashboard, while functionally clear, lacked:

  • Visual hierarchy

  • Scannability

  • Alignment with Microsoft 365 design principles

  • Support for a delightful, modern experience developers expect


I proposed and designed a UX refresh of the dashboard aligned with the new Microsoft 365 Design System.

Key Improvements

Key Improvements

  • Applied Microsoft 365 Design library- modern layout, layered visuals

  • Organized learning modules into clear categories (Concepts, Quick Starts, Tutorials, MVP Events)

  • Created a card-based layout to surface subscription status, updates, and key resources

  • Proposed scalable modules for potential future premium offerings

  • Embedded action buttons more intuitively (e.g., "Go to subscription")

  • Visual alignment with Fluent-style elements: rounded corners, layered layout, soft shadow

Outcome

Outcome

Although the project was handed off before development was complete:

  • My proposed changes were validated internally and prepared for implementation.

  • The billing flow was adopted by the commerce team.

  • The dashboard refresh became a visual reference for future 365 Dev tooling updates.

  • PMs cited improved clarity and readiness for premium feature expansion.

You're at the end, but there's still more to explore! 🌟

From concept to
creation, let's
make it happen

If you loved my work, feel free to check out my socials or grab my resume if you'd like! 😊


You're at the end, but there's still more to explore! 🌟

From concept to
creation, let's
make it happen

If you loved my work, feel free to check out my socials or grab my resume if you'd like! 😊


You're at the end, but there's still more to explore! 🌟

From concept to
creation, let's
make it happen

If you loved my work, feel free to check out my socials or grab my resume if you'd like! 😊


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