Extreme Platform ONE™ - Network Visualization
Project Overview
Extreme Platform ONE™ is a next-generation SaaS platform that radically simplifies operational complexity by unifying networking, security, and AI into a single, cohesive experience.
From real-time issue detection to AI-powered coaching, IT leaders across industries have called it a complete game changer for network operations. The platform transforms IT teams through proactive insights, seamless cloud integration, and GenAI-driven support — enabling faster decisions and reducing the burden of day-to-day network management.
- Operational fragmentation. Networking, security, and management functions lived in separate platforms, forcing teams to constantly context-switch and reconcile information across systems with no single source of truth.
- Reactive-only workflows. Without proactive monitoring or intelligent alerting, teams were always responding to problems after they had already impacted users — never getting ahead of issues before they escalated.
- Visualization complexity. Enterprise network topologies — spanning fabric layers, VLANs, M/LAGs, vISTs, wireless overlays, and multi-vendor device mixes — were extraordinarily difficult to represent clearly without overwhelming or oversimplifying.
- High cognitive load. Engineers had to carry significant mental overhead just to understand the current state of the network, let alone diagnose issues or plan changes effectively.
- Slow troubleshooting cycles. Resolving complex issues depended entirely on tribal knowledge or lengthy escalations, with no AI-assisted guidance built into the workflow.
- Unify the experience. Bring networking, security, and AI-driven operations into a single, coherent platform — giving teams a complete picture of network health without switching between tools.
- Shift from reactive to proactive. Equip IT teams with real-time issue detection, predictive insights, and intelligent alerting so problems are identified and resolved before users are affected.
- Make complexity scannable. Design network topology visualizations that accurately represent technical reality while remaining fast to read and easy to navigate across a range of user skill levels.
- Accelerate resolution with AI. Integrate GenAI-powered coaching and diagnostics directly into the workflow — so engineers get contextually relevant guidance without ever leaving the platform.
- Build a scalable design foundation. Contribute to a robust design system (EDS) so that future features and product lines can be delivered faster, with consistent visual and interaction quality across the entire portfolio.
Ideation
The process began with collaborative team workshops focused on defining user personas and exploring how to best represent complex network topologies visually. The team evaluated multiple approaches for the network fabric canvas, including several rounds of internal ideation and a structured selection process for third-party canvas libraries capable of handling the visualization demands of enterprise networking environments.
Wireframing
Working closely with SMEs, multiple wireframe iterations were produced for the network topology canvas — exploring approaches to device placement, link rendering, layer separation, and information density across fabric layers, VLANs, M/LAGs, vISTs, and wireless connections. Each round was reviewed with technical stakeholders to validate accuracy and usability, resulting in key deliverables including topology canvas layouts, device detail views for wired and wireless devices, and structured client connection representations.
Design Evaluation
High-fidelity designs were evaluated across two dimensions: technical accuracy — verified with SMEs to ensure visual representations remained faithful to network reality — and design system integrity, ensuring alignment with EDS tokens, styles, and interaction standards. Where existing components were insufficient, new ones were proposed and contributed back to the library. This evaluation cycle expanded over time as the platform grew to include new device categories such as TPMEs, tunnel concentrators, controllers, and third-party network elements.
Design System (EDS)
The design work was grounded in the Extreme Design System (EDS), a modern component library established in partnership with dedicated design system colleagues and connected to the UI through design tokens. A significant number of new components were contributed to EDS throughout the project. Feature delivery and design governance were managed in collaboration with the EDS team and technical writers.
UX User Testing Research
Customer research was a continuous and structured part of the design process, managed by the Design Team Manager and conducted by a dedicated UX Researcher. Research findings were reviewed, sorted, prioritized, and implemented by the NVO design team — ensuring that real user feedback directly shaped UI and UX decisions at each stage of the product's evolution.
Windsurf AI Prototyping Initiative
As part of an internal research effort, the team explored how to build polished, high-fidelity UI prototypes connected directly to the design system. This involved using AI-assisted tooling (Windsurf), Figma MCPs, and AI skills to accelerate prototype creation, link designs to Jira tickets, and improve the speed and quality of stakeholder alignment.
Platform Outcomes & Business Results
Platform Capabilities
Only Extreme Platform ONE's all-in-one platform approach enables customers to:
Q4 FY2025 Business Results
Extreme XCO — Creative Direction (2023)
In addition to Platform ONE, creative direction was provided for Extreme XCO, the company's network orchestration product. This included defining the visual language, interaction patterns, and design system alignment for the orchestration experience.
