Overview
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a global cloud platform that expanded its existing Connected Community platform to include a forum experience, enabling users to connect, share knowledge, and access support.
The challenge was to introduce a new forum experience within an established platform, ensuring it integrated seamlessly with AWS’s existing design system and wider product ecosystem.
I contributed to the UI design, creating a clear, accessible interface aligned with AWS’s brand, and worked closely with engineers to ensure designs translated cleanly into implementation.
The community launched successfully and supported active user participation before being discontinued, while the wider Connected Community platform continues to operate.
- Client
- AWS
- Role
- UI Designer & Front End Developer
- Focus
- High-fidelity UI design,
Front end build and integration - Platform
- Web - Community Platform
- Tools
- Adobe XD, Figma (Design System), HTML, CSS (SCSS), JavaScript
Challenge
AWS had an existing platform called the Connected Community and required a new forum experience to enable users to connect, share knowledge, and get support. This introduced several challenges:
Working within a shared platform
The community was built on a white-label platform shared across multiple clients. The challenge was to work within predefined layouts and components while delivering a highly customised community experience.
Applying an existing design system
Rather than creating a new system, the work focused on applying an existing design system, aligning colour, typography, and UI components with AWS’s brand.
Creating a seamless integrated experience
The forum needed to integrate seamlessly with the existing Connected Community platform, ensuring users wouldn’t perceive it as two separate systems.
Approach
Customising the platform
Worked within predefined platform layouts and components, extending existing patterns where needed to create a tailored AWS community experience. Introduced button-based interactions for key navigation actions, replacing default text links to improve clarity and make primary actions more prominent.
Applying AWS’s design system
Applied AWS’s existing design system in Figma, aligning colour, typography, and UI components with established brand guidelines. Introduced additional components to support community-specific features, extending the system while maintaining consistency.
Iterative design and collaboration
Developed high-fidelity UI designs iteratively, incorporating stakeholder feedback to refine layout, UI components, and alignment with AWS’s brand and platform requirements.
Designing seamless integration
Designed the forum experience to integrate seamlessly with the Connected Community platform, ensuring a unified user experience. Mirrored key elements such as the header, footer, and navigation patterns to maintain consistency and support movement between areas.
Staging and quality assurance
Collaborated closely with developers during staging, incorporating client feedback to refine spacing, UI components, and responsive behaviour, ensuring the final build accurately reflected the intended design.
Solution
The following screens highlight key areas of the AWS Connected Community forum experience, demonstrating how platform constraints and brand requirements were translated into a clear, fully branded interface.
Homepage (Logged out)
The logged-out homepage introduces the AWS community, featuring clear sign up and log in CTAs, community boards, and the latest news to encourage exploration before joining.
Homepage (Logged in)
The logged-in homepage builds on the community experience, featuring an “Ask a question” call to action in the hero banner to encourage active participation.
Discussion board
The discussion board presents a list of topics, allowing users to start new topics and follow boards. A clear hierarchy helps users quickly scan and navigate conversations.
Conversation page
The conversation page prioritises readability and participation, with a clear distinction between the original post, replies, and actions such as replying and quoting.
Mobile views
Mobile views of key screens, including the logged-out and logged-in homepage, board page, and thread page, demonstrating how the experience was adapted for smaller screens while maintaining clarity and usability.
A more detailed case study will be added soon.
Contributions
Contributed to the UI design and front-end implementation of the AWS community, working within an existing platform and design system to align the experience with AWS’s brand and the wider platform.
UI design
Designed high-fidelity UI layouts for key community pages across desktop and mobile, applying AWS’s design system to ensure consistency across the platform.
Front-end implementation
Implemented the designs through front-end development, customising the platform interface using HTML, CSS (SCSS), and JavaScript, ensuring the final build maintained the intended design.
Outcome
Production delivery
After several months of design and build, the AWS community forum was launched as a separate platform alongside the existing Connected Community experience.
The solution aligned with AWS’s brand and design system, providing a clear, consistent interface that enabled users to engage, share knowledge, and access support.
Platform integration
Although delivered as a separate platform, the forum experience was designed to feel closely connected to the wider Connected Community, allowing users to move between content and discussions while maintaining a cohesive and consistent user experience.
Lifecycle and engagement
The community supported active user participation, reinforcing the value of the forum experience in helping users find support and exchange expertise.
The forum was later discontinued as part of wider product decisions, but the work demonstrated how the forum experience could extend the value of the broader platform.
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