An open source developer portal
Designing a developer portal
API Suite had already been in development for some time before I joined the team, with basic developer portal features built and a style guide designed and implemented. My initial goal was to optimize the existing design while also working on new features to ensure API Suite was ready for commercial launch later that year.
First, some technical context. Our product, initially a developer portal, aimed to become a solution for small organisations, allowing them to centralize their API documentation, access, and management for developer teams, clients, and partners. A core concept of API Suite was to optimize the experience for every type of user, regardless of their level of technical expertise. This was achieved through an RBAC system while also ensuring a clear and easy-to-understand overall experience. This needed to be true whether a user was creating an API product, managing its status, setting up a gateway, or configuring identity integrations.
Design wise, it meant using a clear and optimised communication, step-by-step processes, visible information and quick accesses.
Designing a marketplace
The second core feature of the API Suite was the creation of a marketplace. This enables companies to offer and/or sell third-party integration services for their own platforms. We designed a marketplace where clients could filter and search for specific API products and integrations, get an overview of them, quickly access relevant documentation, perform quick integration actions (if available), and more.
Before API Suite was officially launched, we were already testing and analysing our product with a few clients using a custom-tailored version of API Suite. We gathered qualitative and quantitative feedback, usage analytics, feature requests, and more, providing us with an initial overview of critical areas for improvement and the direction API Suite should take in terms of fixes and new feature development.
However, when it came to configuring these integrations for portal admin users, we spent a great deal of time researching, analyzing, designing, and testing the best use cases for integration setups, input requirements, and related flows. Designing an optimal user experience on the configuration side of the marketplace for portal users directly impacts the overall user experience of client-side users who wish to use the portal’s products and integrations.
key takeaways
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True Agile methodology. Being part of the development team for API Suite was my first real exposure to Agile methodology. It took me some time to adjust, especially to the Agile lingo and its ceremonies, but ultimately, it came down to following the flow, maintaining open communication with my team, being honest about my doubts, and embracing the challenge.
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Landing in the middle of a product development and with a baby on the way. I joined as the sole Product Designer halfway through the development of API Suite, stepping into an established team that had already been working together for almost a year, using technology I was unfamiliar with. At the same time, I was about to become a first-time father. “Challenging” doesn’t even begin to describe those initial months.
But I made it through. Both experiences shared common threads: self-doubt, anxiety, stress, trial and error, sleepless nights, continuous learning, and the invaluable support of partners. The biggest lesson? Just dive in—things will work out in the end. Trust yourself, and trust the people around you.
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The Aha moment. It’s real—and nothing compares to finally understanding something that’s been driving you crazy. That’s exactly how I felt when I finally grasped how API Suite works and saw its value as a product.
The journey wasn’t easy, especially since I had zero technical background. I dove deep into extensive research on APIs, developer portals, integrations, gateways, and more. In the end, the effort paid off.
