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02  ·  UX Lead

Decision Builder for Microsoft Fabric

Bringing SAS Intelligent Decisioning into the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem, evolving existing design patterns to seamlessly integrate with Fabric's design system and workflows.

SAS × Microsoft Enterprise UX Design Lead · 2023–2025
TL;DR

I led the UX design for SAS Decision Builder's integration into Microsoft Fabric — a strategic partnership that required adapting a complex, enterprise-grade decisioning tool to a brand-new platform and design language.

The work spanned from early demo concepts through iterative redesign of core components — the ribbon menu, the panel layout, and the end-to-end workflow — ultimately delivering a product that felt native to Fabric while retaining the depth SAS users rely on.

SAS
Demo Video  ·  SAS.com
SAS Decision Builder on Microsoft Fabric — updated demo, November 2024.
Microsoft Fabric
Blog Post  ·  Microsoft Fabric
Elevating Microsoft Fabric with new ISV solutions — featuring SAS Decision Builder.
SAS Decision Builder for Microsoft Fabric
Key Roles & Responsibilities

Driving end-to-end design across a cross-platform collaboration

As UX Lead, I led the product from early concept demos to production delivery — shaping a cohesive experience across SAS and Microsoft by bridging domain complexity, design systems, and platform constraints.

Key contributions:

  • Led UX from exploration to production
  • Unified SAS Filament and Microsoft Fluent
  • Simplified complex decisioning workflows
  • Partnered with product, engineering, and platform teams
  • Iterated on core patterns: ribbon, panels, workflow canvas
Challenges & Approach

Navigating complexity across systems and ambiguity

SAS Decision Builder ID Design System
Challenges
  • 01Limited domain context and evolving requirements
  • 02Tight timelines while adapting to Fluent design standards
  • 03Inconsistencies across components, icons, and typography
  • 04Translating SAS-native patterns into a new design system
  • 05Gaps in system coverage requiring new component definitions
Approach

I partnered closely with Microsoft designers, Decisioning designers, product, and engineering to align on a shared direction — ensuring the experience remained:

  • Cohesive across platforms
  • Consistent in patterns and language
  • Intuitive for end users
Fluent & Fabric Design System
The Design Evolution

From concept to complete workflow

The design progressed through three distinct phases — each building confidence, refining fidelity, and expanding scope until the full end-to-end workflow was established.

Phase 01
Demo 1
Initial concept exploration. Establishing the visual direction and platform fit.
→
Phase 02
Demo 2
Refined interactions. Component-level decisions solidified. Stakeholder alignment.
→
Phase 03
Full Workflow
The complete end-to-end experience. Production-ready specs delivered to engineering.
Case #1

The Ribbon Menu — adapting Decision Builder's tab-based command surface to Fabric

The tab menu is Decision Builder's primary command surface — packed with actions, modes, and contextual controls. Adapting it to Microsoft Fabric's ribbon menu required deep prioritization and a rethinking of the information hierarchy.

Before
Ribbon Menu — Before
The original SAS ribbon: wide, tab-based, command-dense. Efficient for power users but unfamiliar to Fabric-native users.
↓
After
Ribbon Menu — After
The ribbon contains the primary set of actions within a Fabric item, usually associated with editing scenarios. It consists of tabs paired with a toolbar.
Case #2

The Panel — adapting the core layout for Fabric

The panel supports configuration, inspection, and editing of decision logic. The design evolved from SAS conventions to a layout aligned with Fabric's spatial model, improving clarity and information hierarchy.

Panel — Three-stage redesign: Original, Before, After
Outcome

A Decision Builder that feels native to Fabric

The product successfully integrated SAS Decision Builder into Microsoft Fabric — reducing onboarding friction for new users while preserving depth for existing SAS users.

SAS® Decision Builder on Microsoft Fabric ↗
Takeaways
01

Domain knowledge and design system familiarity are critical to move quickly and make effective design decisions in complex, agile environments.

02

Cross-functional and cross-company collaboration accelerates alignment and leads to deeper product understanding and higher-quality outcomes.

03

Designing within an existing ecosystem requires adaptation, not reinvention — aligning patterns and interactions is key to creating a cohesive experience.

Future Opportunity
01

Further align components with Fluent UI patterns to improve consistency across the Fabric ecosystem.

02

Refine visual details such as typography and iconography to elevate overall polish and usability.

03

Incorporate user feedback and validation to iterate on real-world usage and improve experience quality.

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