The challenge
Case Management introduced a modular, adaptable application framework designed to support a range of business use cases. As the UX lead on the discovery pod, I was tasked with exploring whether true no-code tooling was feasible — and if so, what it should look like.
From the start, we anchored on three success criteria:
- Create a simple, intuitive experience for business users
- Avoid duplicating Appian platform features
- Seamlessly bridge no-code and low-code workflows
Persona Validation
A critical early step was validating the targeted business user persona — a technically inclined but non-developer audience.
We conducted extensive research with:
- Internal Client Success and Sales teams
- Platform Tooling and Product Strategy groups
- Clients such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the FDA
This work helped formalize primary, secondary, and tertiary personas. The primary persona represented a novel segment for Appian: operationally focused users without low-code expertise.
Key insights included the need for:
- Configurable data governance
- A clear, guided deployment process
- Public sector vs. private sector use cases to relate to both audiences
Information Architecture and Flows
I mapped out how CM Studio would integrate into the Appian ecosystem, leading the creation of key UX deliverables to align Product, Engineering, and Executive teams. This work addressed how different personas would interact across environments which was a critical concept given the novelty of our work.
Visualizing the Ideas
With alignment on the what (no-code tool), why (expand market reach), and who (business admins), I moved into defining the how.
Core requirements included:
- A faster, simpler alternative to the powerful Appian platform tools
- Support for flexible data hierarchies and reusable structures
- Seamless extension of Appian’s Case Management as a Service (CMaaS) offering
I created initial wireframes to spark conversation and align cross-functional teams. These early concepts, while rough, became foundational to team vision and were used in executive pitches to secure budget and staffing.
Calibrating Complexity for No-Code
Once leadership buy-in was secured, we moved into rapid prototyping. Using Appian’s low-code SAIL framework, I built code-ready prototypes that accelerated testing and development.
Throughout design, we focused on calibrating complexity by:
- Using plain language
- Constraining functionality to reduce decision fatigue
- Differentiating the CM Studio experience from core Appian platform UX
We also exposed AI-powered assistance to reduce technical guesswork — for example, recommending when to use an integer vs. a text string based on data patterns.
Appian World 2024 Launch
We launched the first version of Case Management Studio at Appian World 2024.
CM Studio featured prominently across:
- The keynote address
- The live build challenge
- Breakout sessions and usability interviews
I also led an initiative to cold-reach external users for real-time feedback. The sessions were overwhelmingly successful, with internal stakeholders noting:
“Big kudos to the UX team for putting together and managing an Appian World track for usability testing of Case Management Studio! We got great results and valuable information from these studies.”
Clients were equally enthusiastic about the product and it’s value proposition
“Where was this four years ago?”
“I can think of 7,000 different scenarios to use this workflow management tool.”
Looking Ahead
With strong validation from the market, Phase 1 was deemed a success. Phase 2 focuses on formalizing CM Studio’s capabilities and integrating them even more deeply into Appian’s high-code platform and expanding our mission to empower users across the application development lifecycle.
