Visual Studio Version Control UX Redesign

Project Overview

Git is the most used version control system in the world. Developers use it to manage their code changes and collaborate with other developers. Visual Studio IDE had an existing Git experience that was outdated and not user-friendly. I led the redesign effort to create make it more intuitive, efficient, and accessible for all developers.

Multiple problems identified in the existing version control interface.

UX Problem

The version control interface in Visual Studio had several usability issues that hindered developers' productivity. Key problems included unclear status indicators, a cluttered layout, and inefficient workflows for staging and committing changes.

UX Process

• I created design principles to guide the redesign process and to frame the decision making process with stakeholders. •

Affinity diagram showing user research insights.

Research Findings

Together with program managers and researchers, we conducted user interviews and usability tests to gather insights into developers' pain points with the existing version control system. Key findings highlighted the need for clearer visual cues, simplified workflows, and better integration with other development tools.

Git Graph Tags

A video of a prototype illustrating how the Git history graph tags behave and scale when the table column width varies. This prototype was done in Figma and was part of developer hand off.

Sizing rules for tags ensure that they remain legible and usable across different screen sizes and user preferences.

Web appearance

The New Git Experience (Youtube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiQ2LXtAJ6I