Design System

Foundations

Components

Patterns

FAQs

Design System

Design System

Design System

Foundations

Components

Patterns

FAQs

Design Principles

Design Principles

Design Principles

Our design principles serve as the foundation for all experiences we create.

Introduction

Our design principles serve as the foundation for all experiences we create. They guide our decision-making, inform our priorities, and help ensure consistency across all touchpoints. These principles reflect our brand values and our commitment to our users.

Uplifting

We empower our users to do more with less and become rock stars within their organization in the process.

In Practice

Design Considerations

  • Focus on User Success: Design experiences that make users look good and feel accomplished

  • Highlight Achievement: Celebrate user milestones and successes within the interface

  • Enable Efficiency: Create workflows that save time and reduce complexity

  • Progressive Disclosure: Present complex functionality in digestible ways that grow with user expertise

  • Actionable Insights: Surface valuable information that helps users make better decisions

  • Does this feature or interaction enable users to accomplish more with less effort?

  • Will this design choice help users demonstrate value to their stakeholders?

  • Are we providing clear paths to success and acknowledging achievements?

  • Does the experience grow with the user as they develop expertise?

Frictionless

When users want to control, we provide seamless experiences that minimize user interaction (i.e. 1-click). When direct control is unimportant and undesired, the system just automatically does what needs doing.

In Practice

Design Considerations

  • Intentional Automation: Automate routine tasks that don't require user decision-making

  • Minimal Steps: Reduce clicks and steps for common tasks to the absolute minimum

  • Smart Defaults: Provide intelligent default settings based on context and user patterns

  • Contextual Actions: Surface relevant actions based on the user's current task

  • Clear Control Points: Make it obvious where user input is required vs. where the system handles tasks

  • Is this interaction necessary, or can the system handle it automatically?

  • Have we reduced the number of steps to complete this task to the minimum?

  • Are we respecting the user's time by automating what's possible?

  • Do users have appropriate control over critical decisions?

  • Are interactions designed for the most common use cases first?

Engender Trust

Nutanix experiences engender customer trust by thinking beyond our own offerings and fully understanding our customer's real-world, end-to-end, experiences. 

In Practice

Design Considerations

  • Holistic Understanding: Design with awareness of the user's entire workflow, not just our part

  • Transparent Operations: Clearly communicate what the system is doing and why

  • Consistent Reliability: Deliver predictable, reliable experiences that work as expected

  • Honest Communication: Be forthright about limitations and provide clear paths forward

  • Ecosystem Awareness: Acknowledge and integrate with other tools in the user's environment

  • Does this design show understanding of the user's broader context and needs?

  • Are we being transparent about system operations and decision-making?

  • Have we considered how this experience fits into the user's larger workflow?

  • Does our interface communicate honestly about capabilities and limitations?

  • Are we demonstrating expertise that extends beyond our immediate product?

Empathetically Crafted

The crafting of Nutanix experiences is guided by empathy derived from a deep knowledge of our customers' goals, motivations, and pain points. 

In Practice

Design Considerations

  • User-Centered Design: Base decisions on research and genuine understanding of user needs

  • Emotional Awareness: Consider how users feel when interacting with our products

  • Thoughtful Details: Pay attention to small interactions that impact the overall experience

  • Anticipate Needs: Design solutions that address problems before users encounter them

  • Reduce Cognitive Load: Create experiences that are mentally easy to process and navigate

  • Have we talked to actual users about this design decision?

  • Does this design address known pain points in the current workflow?

  • Are we considering both novice and expert users' perspectives?

  • Does this experience feel thoughtfully crafted rather than mechanically assembled?

  • Have we considered the emotional state of users when they encounter this interface?

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