Glesys
How I used user data to cement UX in a company’s product process
1
UX Designer (Me)
Overview
TIMELINE
Mar - April
2025
PLATFORM
Website
TEAM
1
UI Designer
4
Developers
1
Project Manager
Glesys
Glesys offers sustainable cloud and infrastructure services from energy-efficient data centers in Sweden and Finland. Their operations run on renewable energy and prioritize low environmental impact.
The Headache
Glesys has long, on paper, been a data-driven product company that prides itself on a research-committed product process. However, in reality, that’s meant a couple hours of market and competitive research at best.
2025 started with a new commitment: include a discovery phase in the development of new products to give research a real, fair chance—with me as their first-ever Product Designer.
The Goal
My task: To research, design wireframes, and user test their new product flow “Create a database”.
“This change is brand new to the company. But if we want to be a product company we need to include UX in our product development process.”
Implementation
This product was implemented and went live on the 3rd of June, 2025. So far, a dozen new databases have been set up by users and I’m eagerly awaiting for Glesys to release data on how it’s been performing, which will be updated here, of course!
The Process
February
March
April
Competitive Analysis & User Flow
Wireframing & Prototyping
User Testing & Analysis
Don’t skip a Step
I began to sketch what my wireframes would look like after my initial research, and being unfamiliar with the type of products Glesys sell, it was challenging to figure this out on my own—so I talked to my mentor and he stopped me in my tracks.
“You need to work out the user flow with the Project Manager first.”
So, together we crafted the following user flow:
Reducing the Variables
Why mid-fi?
Initially, we agreed on me making wireframes, but since Glesys already has an established Cloud UI and my test users were familiar with it, I decided to create something structurally and visually familiar—just stripped of color and copy to keep the focus on layout and interaction.
First, I made a mid-fi replica of their landing page.
Then, the new service itself:
The bottom half of the page:
The Prototype
Percistency is Key!
Since the NNGroup suggests 5 users for usability tests, and knowing that most emails are left unanswered, I was a bit nervous having only access to 11 potential users.
So, a couple prayers later, I hit send and sat back—hoping for a miracle.
I received one reply…
Thankfully, I’m not one to give up at the first hindrance!
A few days later, I sent out a second email asking if anyone could offer up 15 minutes and got another 4 ‘yeses’.
Significant Results
Previously, users complained about the “Create” button being hard to find when placed on the right side, since on a bigger screen it would slide too far to the right.
So I put it on the left, since both English and Swedish are read from left to right and most decisions in this design are performed on the left side.
Users showed no issues locating it in its new position.
Reflection
My biggest learning from this project is without a doubt this: Trust the process.
When I stepped into the role as a UX designer in this particular team, I realized at the first meeting that the project manager didn’t see any reason to do user tests, and therefore, saw no real purpose for me in the team.
I convinced him that I’d be doing work on the side and it wouldn’t hinder the team’s progress and got green light.
At the end, when I presented my findings, I was met with a very different attitude.
He was talking about how great it was to hear direct feedback from customers
How 4 out of 5 made the same decisions on a particular choice
How we now had a design that was supported by data.
Lastly, some words from my mentor:
“Alexander joined us during a pivotal time in our product development journey. As an intern, he immersed himself in our cloud platform, explored workflows, and conducted user research to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement. His work involved mapping user journeys, analyzing support tickets, and benchmarking competitors for UX quick wins. Alexander contributed to improving onboarding flows, DNSSEC features, the development of our Database as a Service product, and led an initiative to design a reporting tool for billable hours. We asked him to handle the discovery phase by interviewing stakeholders, developing the concept, and testing it with users. His thoughtful approach provided a strong foundation for the next phase and enhanced stakeholder engagement. Alexander’s calm, methodical nature and his ability to listen and adapt made a real impact. He consistently applied UX principles in a way that was grounded, collaborative, and goal-oriented. Above all, he helped bring UX thinking to the forefront of everyday conversations, making many at Glesys recognize the true value of user-centered design. We warmly recommend Alexander to any organization looking for a junior UX designer who combines solid skills with a strong sense of purpose. We’re confident he’ll continue to grow and bring value wherever he goes.”