BigFix Remote Control - Lite Web Portal
The Lite Web Portal is a lightweight, web-based interface for HCL BigFix Remote Control. It is specifically tailored for IT help desk operators and system administrators who need a fast, streamlined way to search for targets, initiate remote control sessions, and perform quick troubleshooting tasks without navigating the full, complex BigFix management console.
Scaling down complexity, scaling up accessibility: Redesigning enterprise IT management.
The challange
The Lite Web Portal is an essential daily tool for IT help desk technicians. In a support environment, seconds matter: when an employee’s machine crashes or a server goes down, the technician needs to find the machine, verify its status, and launch a remote session as quickly as possible.
However, the legacy portal was built on aging architecture and outdated design paradigms, introducing friction at every step of the workflow.
Key problem areas
- Dense, unstructured data: Target lists, status indicators, and group management were cluttered with technical metadata that lacked clear visual hierarchy.
- Cryptic iconography: Heavy reliance on non-standard, unlabelled icons for key actions and statuses created confusion. Operators had to rely on memory to figure out what controls did, increasing time-to-action.
- Multi-step overhead: Starting a basic remote control session required too many clicks and modal overlays, slowing down UX.
- Design system misalignment: The portal did not adhere to the modern HCL Design System, creating a disconnected experience compared to other BigFix and HCL enterprise modules.
- Inconsistent patterns: Tables and action triggers used legacy styling and non-standard interaction models, increasing onboarding time for new technicians.
- Low contrast & scalability: Poor color contrast ratios failed WCAG accessibility standards, impacting readability during long work shifts.
- Keyboard & screen reader support: Complex tables and action menus lacked full keyboard navigation, making the application inaccessible for users relying on assistive technologies.
The process
Discovery & UX research
To redesign a mission-critical tool used daily by IT professionals, I needed to balance user needs, enterprise security requirements, and technical feasibility. I led an end-to-end research and synthesis phase to uncover the root causes of operator frustration.
UI & Workflow Analysis
I began by auditing the entire legacy Lite Web Portal to map out every screen, state, and interaction pattern:
- Workflow Mapping: I analyzed and recreated all core operator journeys—from searching for a target machine to selecting connection modes and launching a remote session—identifying every unnecessary step, modal, and friction point.
- UI & Component Audit: Cataloged all existing components and iconography to uncover inconsistencies, lack of visual hierarchy, and accessibility violations.
AI-Assisted Synthesis
To streamline the analysis of complex technical requirements and research inputs, I integrated Gemini AI into my workflow:
- Real Enterprise Edge-Cases: Validated workflows against real-world production scenarios provided by Product Managers (e.g., operators handling dozens of targets across mixed connection states in high-latency networks).
- AI-Assisted Stress Testing: Used Gemini AI to rapidly simulate these PM-defined edge cases against our mapped user flows, identifying potential interface bottlenecks before moving to high-fidelity design.
Feasibility Alignment & Code Insights
Understanding that design must translate into code efficiently:
- Technical Audits: Leveraging my background in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, I partnered early with HCL engineers to assess DOM constraints, table performance, and component reusability within the HCL Design System framework.
Design Goals: From Legacy Bottlenecks to Modern Patterns
Based on research insights, I established four primary design goals for the redesign:
- Component Standardization: Replace non-standard legacy UI with the official HCL Component Library to align with React production standards.
- Enhanced Readability: Swapping cryptic icon-only displays for explicit, WCAG-compliant status badges.
- Workflow Streamlining: Eliminate redundant modal overlays to reduce friction during target search and session initiation.
- Clear System Feedback: Implement a tiered notification system (toasts vs. modals) to give operators immediate visibility over action consequences.
Layout Architecture & Spatial Organization
To solve the spatial friction of the legacy portal, I restructured the interface into 7 functional zones.
UI Design and prototype
Translating the 7-zone layout architecture into production-ready UI, I leveraged the HCL Design System to craft a clean, accessible, and high-performance interface for the Lite Web Portal.
Real-Time User Feedback & System States
In a remote support environment, operators must always be aware of the system's exact state. To eliminate uncertainty during session initialization and system changes, I designed a multi-tiered feedback architecture based on Nielsen's 1st Usability Heuristic (Visibility of System Status).
User action
Immediate visual feedback
System state confirmation
Non-Disruptive Feedback (Toasts & Micro-Interactions)
Friction-by-Design: Critical Action Modals
Design System & New Interaction Patterns
To scale the new user experience while maintaining enterprise consistency, I combined official design system components with new reusable interaction models:
HCL Component Library Adoption
Completely redesigned the portal’s UI from the ground up using the official HCL Component Library, aligning the interface directly with the front-end team's React components and ensuring visual parity across the product suite.
Creation of New Interaction Patterns
While designing new features and user flows, I established reusable UI patterns and components to bridge existing library gaps, directly contributing to the expansion of our enterprise design system and visual language.
Engineering Collaboration & Feasibility
Leveraging my background in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, I partnered with front-end engineers to ensure all standard components and new patterns were DOM-feasible, accessible, and straightforward to implement.
Results
- Drastic Reduction in Time-to-Action: Significantly enhanced the overall UX by eliminating redundant modal overlays and friction points, making it easier and faster for users to find target machines and launch remote sessions.
- Improved Interface Readability: Replaced legacy, non-standard UI components with modern, text-labeled status indicators, making machine states and critical information instantly readable.
- Full WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance: Enhanced accessibility across contrast, touch targets, and keyboard navigation, fully unifying the portal with the modern HCL product suite
Handoff Design delivered
Component and pattern created