IBM Cloud · Terraform Enterprise as a ServicePhase 1 · In development
From running Terraform Enterprise to simply using it.
Teams wanted to use Terraform Enterprise to manage cloud infrastructure. First, they had to install and maintain the platform itself. This project brings that work into IBM Cloud, so customers can focus on using the service.
My role
Lead Product Designer
Timeline
Phase 1 · 2025 to 2026 Phase 2 · Planned for 2027
Collaboration
Product, engineering, architecture, service reliability and launch teams
Phase 1 · Get teams started
Set up, check and start using.
Design and test how teams set up their service, check that it is ready and open Terraform Enterprise.
Phase 2 · The advanced version
Support the work that follows setup.
Build on Phase 1 with monitoring, workspace views, access controls and policy checks, explored through an interactive Figma Make prototype.
The project in 20 seconds
Less setup. A clearer start.
Status
Phase 1 is in development. Phase 2 is an interactive prototype of the advanced version.
Problem
Teams had to install and maintain Terraform Enterprise before they could use it.
My role
Led research, journey design and prototype testing with product and engineering.
What we designed
A guided setup and first-use journey, with an advanced management experience explored in a prototype.
Key result
Instance setup went from days to 1 to 2 hours in testing.
Key learning
Testing showed that people were unsure what IBM would take care of and what they needed to manage themselves.
Separate what IBM runs from what customers configure.
Before teams could use Terraform Enterprise, someone had to install it, secure it and keep it running. Moving that work to IBM changed what customers needed to do, and the experience had to explain that change.
What testing exposed
In prototype testing, people were unsure what IBM would take care of and what they still needed to manage themselves.
How the design responds
The first-use screen explains IBM’s responsibility for the platform, upgrades and availability, then points customers towards their workspaces, policies and teams.
My role I led journey design and prototype testing, working through service requirements with product, engineering and architecture.
The first-use design makes responsibilities and next steps visible together. Phase 1 is in development.
Less work to run the platform. More time to use it.
Before
The customer team runs the platform.
01
Install and connect
Choose capacity and set up the network.
02
Secure and configure
Add the licence and create login details.
03
Keep it running
Maintain the platform, updates and backups.
Then use Terraform Enterprise.
With IBM Cloud
IBM looks after the platform.
Customer team
Provide a licence and setup details.
IBM Cloud
Set up the environment. Keep it running, updated and backed up.
The team uses TFE to manage its own infrastructure.
01 · The tool
Terraform
Engineers describe the servers, networks and storage they need in code. Terraform creates or changes them consistently.
02 · The team platform
Terraform Enterprise
Terraform Enterprise (TFE) helps teams review changes, set rules and control access. They organise this work in workspaces. With the usual installation, the customer also maintains the platform.
03 · The managed service
TFE on IBM Cloud
IBM maintains the platform. Customer teams use it to manage their own servers, networks and storage. Each customer gets a separate environment, called an instance.
The design challenge: help teams understand what they need to set up, what IBM takes care of and how to start their work.
02 · My contribution
Leading the experience from setup to first use
As Lead Product Designer, I worked with product, engineering, architecture and service reliability teams to define how customers would set up and start using Terraform Enterprise on IBM Cloud.
The challenge was to bring requirements around licensing, networking, security and access into a journey customers could follow.
01
Define the customer journey
Mapped the steps from setting up an instance to signing in and starting work in Terraform Enterprise. Identified where customers needed guidance, what IBM would manage and where the experience moved between the two products.
02
Work through technical constraints
Worked with engineering and product teams to understand service requirements, permissions and credentials. Used those constraints to shape the setup flow while keeping it consistent with familiar IBM Cloud patterns.
03
Design beyond the successful setup
Created task flows, wireframes and detailed screens for provisioning and instance management. Covered empty accounts, failed setup, licence changes and deletion, alongside the main journey.
04
Turn research into design priorities
Tested the prototype with three experienced Terraform users. Their difficulties with login details, navigation and service responsibilities gave us specific issues to address in design reviews and the next iteration.
05
Explore the next version with AI
Used Figma Make to turn ideas for Phase 2 into an interactive prototype, covering guided setup, workspaces, access and policy checks. This helped make the proposed experience easier to explore before development.
AI supported the screen building and interactions. My design focus remained on what customers needed to understand, which actions they could take and when they would move from IBM Cloud into Terraform Enterprise.
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