2023
B2B SaaS • Web Application
CloudSetu
Building a Multi-Cloud Networking Platform from Scratch
Domain
Networking & Cloud Infrastructure
My Role
Lead UX Designer
CloudSetu is a multi-cloud networking platform built from scratch to simplify how enterprises configure and manage infrastructure across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Designed for internal operations teams, the product addresses high onboarding friction, configuration errors, and reliance on expert engineers common in complex cloud environments.
As Lead UX Designer, I led the end-to-end design of the product, with a strong focus on simplifying high-risk workflows such as network topology creation. The solution combined deep system understanding, feasibility validation, and UX strategy—most notably through a drag-and-drop network builder that reduced errors and improved adoption without compromising backend logic or security.
Confidentiality Notice-
This project was completed under a confidentiality agreement. While I cannot share the client’s name, final UI designs, or internal metrics, this case study outlines the design process, system challenges, and business outcomes of building CloudSetu as a new product from the ground up.
Product Vision
CloudSetu was conceived as a new enterprise platform to help organizations manage networking and infrastructure across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud from a single operational interface.
The vision was not to redesign an existing tool, but to define a new product experience from zero — including problem framing, system modeling, workflows, and interaction patterns — for users operating complex, high-risk cloud environments.
From the outset, the goal was to make enterprise-grade infrastructure tooling operationally accessible without diluting system rigor, security, or scalability.
Business & System Design Perspective
Business Problem Beyond UI
From a business standpoint, CloudSetu was not just a visualization layer.
It was designed to:
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Reduce operational cost
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Minimize onboarding friction
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Decrease dependency on highly specialized cloud engineers
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Improve adoption of multi-cloud infrastructure tooling
Enterprise Customers Faced
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Long setup cycles requiring senior engineers
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High error rates during manual network configuration
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Increased support and escalation costs
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Slow adoption due to tooling complexity
A critical, often underestimated friction point was cloud account onboarding itself.
Adding AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud accounts traditionally involves provider-specific authentication models, external portals, permission structures, and terminology.
This step is typically:
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Highly manual and step-heavy
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Inconsistent across providers
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Error-prone and time-consuming
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A frequent deal-breaker during early product adoption
The success of CloudSetu depended on simplifying both infrastructure configuration and initial cloud onboarding, without compromising:
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System correctness
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Security and permissions
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Scalability across providers
This framing directly shaped every UX and system design decision.
Discovery & Problem Framing
Understanding Users and Constraints
I conducted early discovery with:
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Network engineers
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Cloud architects
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DevOps and IT operations teams
Key insights:
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Users were highly technical but time-constrained
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Most errors occurred during initial setup and topology configuration
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Existing tools assumed expert knowledge and punished mistakes
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Users wanted clarity and control — not abstraction without feedback
Cloud account onboarding surfaced as a high-risk activation step, where users frequently abandoned tools due to confusing external flows, permission errors, or unclear validation feedback.
Caption: Initial User Flow - High-level flow illustrating the core steps
The Core Challenge: A High-Risk, High-Impact Flow
Simplifying Network Topology Creation
One of the most critical workflows in CloudSetu was network topology creation and configuration across multiple cloud providers.
From a user perspective, this needed to be:
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Visual
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Intuitive
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Low-error
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Fast to execute
From a system perspective, this involved:
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Complex backend logic
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Provider-specific constraints (AWS, Azure, GCP)
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Validation rules and dependency checks
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Security and permission enforcement
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Real-time state synchronization
This made the problem as much a system design challenge as a UX one.
Why Drag-and-Drop Was a Strategic Decision
I proposed a drag-and-drop interaction model for network configuration — not as a visual enhancement, but as a business-driven usability intervention.
UX Rationale
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Reduced cognitive load by externalizing system relationships visually
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Prevented invalid configurations through guided interactions
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Enabled faster comprehension for non-expert users
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Minimized form-heavy, error-prone workflows
Business Rationale
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Lowered onboarding time for enterprise customers
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Reduced reliance on senior cloud engineers
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Decreased configuration errors and support tickets
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Increased product adoption and perceived ease of use
This decision directly aligned with the product’s goal of democratizing complex cloud operations.
Caption: Snapshot of initial drag-and-drop model
Research & Feasibility Validation
Because drag-and-drop interactions can mask significant backend complexity, I did not treat this as a purely design-led decision.
What I Did
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Workflow decomposition mapping each drag action to system events
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Feasibility discussions with engineers to validate API readiness
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Edge-case analysis for invalid states and failure scenarios
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Comparative analysis of enterprise networking tools to understand trade-offs
Together with Engineering, We Defined
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Which configurations could be automated
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Where guardrails were required
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When the system should block, warn, or auto-correct user actions
This ensured the interaction felt simple for users, without oversimplifying the underlying system logic.
Caption: UX to Backend Logic Mapping Diagram
Designing Guardrails, Not Just Interactions
The final experience balanced freedom and control:
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Drag-and-drop actions constrained by backend rules
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Invalid connections visually blocked or clearly explained
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Immediate, contextual system feedback
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Complex logic abstracted — not hidden
This approach:
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Preserved system integrity
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Increased user confidence
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Reduced costly configuration mistakes
Caption: Interactions & Error Handling
Information Architecture & System Structure
Because this product was built from scratch, I defined a modular information architecture aligned with operational mental models:
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Dashboard — unified operational overview
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Cloud Inventory — resources across providers
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Cloud Accounts — secure onboarding & permissions
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Networking — topology creation & management
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Policy & Compliance — centralized rules
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Analytics — system health and trends
The Cloud Accounts module abstracted provider-specific onboarding flows (AWS, Azure, GCP) into a single, guided experience, while handling complex authentication and permission logic in the backend. This removed a major early-stage adoption barrier.
Validation & Iteration
I facilitated task-based usability testing focused on:
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Cloud account onboarding
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Network configuration
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Understanding system feedback and constraints
Observed Outcomes
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Users completed setup with fewer errors and less assistance
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Onboarding time was significantly reduced
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Users reported higher confidence managing multi-cloud environments
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The product shifted from “expert-only” to operationally accessible
Outcome & Business Value
The drag-and-drop network builder became a key differentiator of CloudSetu:
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Reduced onboarding effort
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Lowered support dependency
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Improved adoption across operational teams
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Enabled faster, safer infrastructure configuration
By standardizing cloud account onboarding across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud — despite their fundamentally different external flows and permission models — the platform:
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Decreased configuration errors at the source
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Eliminated a major deal-breaker step for users
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Accelerated time-to-value during initial adoption
Most importantly, the solution demonstrated that:
Complex infrastructure tooling can be both powerful and humane when UX design, backend logic, and system thinking are tightly integrated.
What This Case Demonstrates
This project showcases my ability to:
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Build enterprise products from zero to a scalable system
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Solve high-risk workflows through UX-led system thinking
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Balance usability with backend constraints and business goals
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Collaborate deeply with engineering on feasibility and guardrails
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Use UX as a lever for operational efficiency and cost reduction
