01 — Context
Where engineers actually work.
CORE UI (formerly SNP) is a web application used by Comcast engineers to manage and troubleshoot nationwide network infrastructure. Its P2P circuit listing serves as a central hub for locating, creating, modifying, and decommissioning point-to-point network circuits. Engineers rely on it daily, making quick circuit discovery essential to minimizing maintenance delays and service disruptions.
02 — Problem
Thousands of rows, no way to see the one that matters.
Engineers had difficulty locating specific circuits within large datasets, filtering out irrelevant records, and accessing actions to modify or decommission circuits. Limited table customization made it harder to prioritize relevant information, increasing the time and effort required for routine network operations.
“The columns I use most are at the far end of the table. I’m constantly scrolling back and forth just to find the information I need.”
— NETWORK ENGINEER
Fig. 01
Before — the original listing. ① Columns locked in one order for every team ② Long, uniform rows make it easy to lose your place ③ No quick way to copy a value, so engineers retyped or memorized it
03 — Research
What I learned watching engineers work.
Observing engineers navigate the circuit listing revealed three key usability challenges:
Different priorities: Each engineering team relied on different columns, making a fixed column order inefficient.
Loss of context: Engineers frequently lost their place when scanning across large tables.
Manual workarounds: Engineers resorted to copying values or memorizing circuit attributes to reference information across columns.
04 — Key decisions
Three choices that shaped the table.
Working within the existing design system, I focused on improving table flexibility and efficiency while accommodating large datasets.
Decision 01
Let each team choose its own columns
Why
Research revealed that each engineering team prioritized different circuit attributes, making a fixed column order inefficient.
Tradeoff
Added interaction complexity in exchange for greater flexibility and personalized workflows.
Decision 02
Let engineers set the row density
Why
Engineers struggled to scan dense tables and keep their place across long, uniform rows, and what felt readable depended on their screen and task.
Tradeoff
Added one more setting to the Customize panel, in exchange for rows that fit each engineer’s screen instead of one size for everyone.
Decision 03
Copy any value in one click
Why
Engineers frequently copied or memorized attribute values to reference information elsewhere in the table.
Tradeoff
Prioritized a cleaner interface over permanently visible actions, making the copy function less immediately discoverable.
Fig. 02
Before — every team sees the same fixed columns, status is plain text, and circled row actions out-shout the data.
Fig. 03
After — a Customize entry point, status you can scan by color, links on both ends of the circuit, and quieter row actions.
05 — Solution
Built around three everyday tasks.
The table stays familiar, but each engineer can now shape it to their own work: arrange the columns that matter, choose a row density that suits their screen and task, and copy any value without leaving the row.
Two quieter refinements did the rest: status engineers can scan by color instead of reading every cell, and row actions that step back so the circuits come forward.
Fig. 04
Customizing columns — show, hide and reorder attributes so each team sees its own columns first.
Fig. 05
Display density — switch between compact, default and comfortable rows from the same Customize panel.
Fig. 06
Quick copy — hover or keyboard focus reveals a copy button inside the cell; one click copies the full value and confirms for about 1.5 seconds. Links still navigate.
06 — Outcome
What changed.
Conducted comparative usability testing with five network engineers, measuring the time required to identify a circuit’s link type and bundle ID for decommissioning. The redesigned table reduced average task completion time by 42% compared to the original.
Additionally, the redesign received an average satisfaction score of 8.6/10 from network engineers. These results demonstrated how greater table flexibility and improved data accessibility could streamline everyday engineering workflows.
07 — Reflection
What I’d do next.
With more time and fewer technical constraints, I would explore persistent table preferences and team-specific column configurations, allowing engineers to return to a workspace tailored to their needs.
This project reinforced that effective UX isn’t always about simplifying an interface, but giving users the flexibility to work efficiently within complex systems.
