Enhancing Developer Productivity with UX

Enhancing Developer Productivity with UX
Petrine Tang, UX Designer at Government Technology Agency
Faith Ang, Product Manager at Government Technology Agency

apidays Singapore 2025
Where APIs Meet AI: Building Tomorrow's Intelligent Ecosystems
April 15 & 16, 2025

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Transcript

1. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Enhancing Developer Productivity with UX​ Faith Ang – Product Manager​ Petrine Tang - UX Designer​ apidays 2025​
2. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. APIs are meant to make integrations fast, scalable, and efficient. API API API 2
3. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. ERROR 502 ERROR 443 ? ERROR ??? API NOT AVAILABLE?! … but they can be frustrating to work with! NO DOCUMENTATION 3
4. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. API Lifecycle Management Consume Integrate Onboard Discover APIs Engage, Monitor & Analyse API Design & Document Develop, Test & Deploy Secure Publish API PUBLISHER API CONSUMER 4
5. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. What is APEX? Singapore Government’s API Exchange (APEX) Powers >3,000 APIs across 38 gov agencies, serving over 150M requests monthly Our focus today: Making this platform easier and faster for developers to use 5
6. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. API Providers Our UX Challenge App Developers I want to share my APIs with app developers! I want to build awesome apps with custom integrations! 6
7. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. API Providers Our UX Challenge App Developers API standards API lifecycle management Reduce errors API authentication Connectivity tests Integration 7
8. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. How can we create the best experience for developers using our platform? 8
9. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Our research & design approach Usability testing User interviews “Friends of APEX” We test early concepts with a small, committed group of trusted agency partners We observe users interacting with our product to identify issues or opportunities We engage with users to uncover expectations and problems to be solved 9
10. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. We test early concepts with a small, committed group of trusted agency partners “Friends of APEX” Collaborated with trusted agencies for early feedback. Faster feedback loops enabled quick iterations resulting in: Iterate ✅ Better fit ✅ Higher adoption ✅ Deeper trust 10
11. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 5 Design considerations Infrequent Portal Usage Prioritise Clarity Over Brevity Ensure information is explicit and unambiguous, reinforcing key API concepts at every entry point. Clear guidance reduces confusion, especially for infrequent users. Efficiency & Accuracy Matter Implement Guardrails for Destructive Actions Prevent accidental misconfigurations by providing safeguards for critical actions. Error prevention mechanisms improve accuracy and reduce risk. High Cognitive Load Provide Hands-on, Contextual Help Support developers with guidance at their point of need. Progressive disclosure helps to reduce cognitive load. 11
12. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 5 Design considerations (cont) Seamless Integration is Key Support Multi-Modal Interactions Cater to diverse developer workflows by offering multiple ways to achieve the same goal, e.g. code artefacts, form-based interfaces, or other evolving methods. Preference for Hands-On Learning Encourage Iterative Experimentation Enable quick feedback loops so developers can test, tweak, and validate configurations with minimal friction. A low-risk, high- feedback environment fosters learning by doing. 12 How do we apply these principles into our design?
13. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Principles in Action
14. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Principles in Action 01 02 03 04 05 02 Implement guardrails for destructive actions 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help 04 Support multi-modal interactions 05 Encourage iterative experimentation 01 Prioritise clarity over brevity Confirmation steps, validation checks, and error prevention mechanisms Prioritise clear, unambiguous communication, even at the cost of brevity Interactive and relevant help that reinforces key concepts without overwhelming them Design for diverse developer workflows Real-time validation 14
15. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 01 Prioritise Clarity over Brevity​ ⚠️ Problem Developers confused by ambiguous terms Design Made concepts explicit, even if it meant more text ✅ Outcome Less support needed, better task completion 15
16. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Principles in Action 01 02 03 04 05 02 Implement guardrails for destructive actions 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help 04 Support multi-modal interactions 05 Encourage iterative experimentation 01 Prioritise clarity over brevity Confirmation steps, validation checks, and error prevention mechanisms Prioritise clear, unambiguous communication, even at the cost of brevity Interactive and relevant help that reinforces key concepts without overwhelming them Design for diverse developer workflows Real-time validation 16
17. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 02 Implement Guardrails for Destructive Actions ⚠️ Problem Risk of accidental misconfigurations Design Confirmation prompts and validations before destructive actions ✅ Outcome Reduced critical errors and support tickets We guide users with confirmation steps and prevent errors before they happen 17
18. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Principles in Action 01 02 03 04 05 02 Implement guardrails for destructive actions 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help 04 Support multi-modal interactions 05 Encourage iterative experimentation 01 Prioritise clarity over brevity Confirmation steps, validation checks, and error prevention mechanisms Prioritise clear, unambiguous communication, even at the cost of brevity Interactive and relevant help that reinforces key concepts without overwhelming them Design for diverse developer workflows Real-time validation 18
19. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help ⚠️ Problem Developers had to dig through docs Design Embedded help, playgrounds, and in- flow tooltips ✅ Outcome Faster learning, reduced cognitive load Explain why the step is needed Instant visual feedback In-flow buttons that allows users to complete the steps Guide developers through essential setup steps with an interactive checklist 19
20. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help ⚠️ Problem Developers had to dig through docs Design Embedded help, playgrounds, and in- flow tooltips ✅ Outcome Faster learning, reduced cognitive load JWT Auth Playground 20
21. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Providing the right help at the right place Discover APIs page Applications page 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help 21
22. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Principles in Action 01 02 03 04 05 02 Implement guardrails for destructive actions 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help 04 Support multi-modal interactions 05 Encourage iterative experimentation 01 Prioritise clarity over brevity Confirmation steps, validation checks, and error prevention mechanisms Prioritise clear, unambiguous communication, even at the cost of brevity Interactive and relevant help that reinforces key concepts without overwhelming them Design for diverse developer workflows Real-time validation 22
23. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 04 Support multi-modal interactions ⚠️ Problem One-size-fits-all interfaces didn't suit all developers Design Supported both form-based and code-based interfaces ✅ Outcome Developers choose the path that fits their workflow 23 Workflow 1 Workflow 2 Common outcome
24. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 04 Support multi-modal interactions Create via UI Create via APIaC or 24
25. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Principles in Action 01 02 03 04 05 02 Implement guardrails for destructive actions 03 Provide hands-on, contextual help 04 Support multi-modal interactions 05 Encourage iterative experimentation 01 Prioritise clarity over brevity Confirmation steps, validation checks, and error prevention mechanisms Prioritise clear, unambiguous communication, even at the cost of brevity Interactive and relevant help that reinforces key concepts without overwhelming them Design for diverse developer workflows Real-time validation 25
26. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 05 Encourage iterative experimentation ⚠️ Problem Developers feared breaking things Design Enabled safe spaces to test, tweak, and validate ✅ Outcome Increased confidence and reduced errors 26
27. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. major API incidents Impact Highlights reduction in support tickets YoY improved satisfaction scores after baking in UI guardrails for destructive actions. relating to API authentication queries, after publishing relevant Interactive Playgrounds. since the enhanced API Portal was launched in mid-2023. 27 0 70% 2023 2024 2025 4.23 4.47 4.68
28. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Key Takeaways Meet developers where they are The platform should flex to support the varied workflows and levels of familiarity different developer teams have. Design for context of use Developer tools don’t exist in a vacuum. Understand how often, when, and alongside what, your platform is used to guide design decisions. Accelerate feedback & learning Developers learn not by reading, but by iterative testing. Shorten the feedback loop so that they can build fast with confidence. 28
29. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Q&A Ask us about our design trade-offs, user feedback, or developer tooling
30. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Thank You! Faith Ang — faith_ang@tech.gov.sg Petrine Tang — petrine_tang@tech.gov.sg Sign up for APEX updates: 30
31. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. CLASSIFICATION 31 31
32. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Why UX in API Platforms? • APIs are powerful but can be frustrating to work with. • Common pain points: unclear auth flows, missing docs, trial-and-error setup • We asked: Can UX reduce these frictions and improve productivity? CLASSIFICATION
33. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Meant for single liners/quotes. Good as summary slide. CLASSIFICATION 33 33
34. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Meant for single liners/quotes. Good as summary slide. 34 CLASSIFICATION 34
35. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Content Slide Insert detailed content here. (Use bullet points for readability) 35
36. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Short statement here to describe the point Comparison Short statement here to describe the point Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. CLASSIFICATION 36
37. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Short statement here to describe the point Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. Short statement here to describe the point Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. 37
38. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Short statement here to describe the point Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. Short statement here to describe the point Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. 38
39. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Summary points CLASSIFICATION Short statement here to describe the point Short statement here to describe the point Short statement here to describe the point Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. Use this for quick summary of the various points you are intending to make. 39
40. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. 50% This is a data point of what I want to present. CLASSIFICATION 40 40
41. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. “This is a hero statement of what I want to present.” CLASSIFICATION 41 41
42. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Name of Team Member Team Bio Title of Team Member Name of Team Member Title of Team Member Name of Team Member Title of Team Member CLASSIFICATION 42
43. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Timeline 43 CLASSIFICATION 43
44. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. Timeline A quick description of the timeline and key points Task Title 1 Description Task Title 2 Description Task Title 3 Description Task Title 4 Description Task Title 5 Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Legend 1 Legend 2 Legend 3 Legend 4 Legend 5 Description Month Month Month Month Month Descriptor Descriptor Descriptor Descriptor Descriptor 44 CLASSIFICATION 44
45. COPYRIGHT OF GOVTECH © NOT TO BE REPRODUCED UNLESS WITH EXPLICIT CONSENT BY GOVTECH. A quick description of the timeline and key points Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Month Timeline Project deployment In production We are here Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt Second update Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt First update Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt 45 45