The growth challenge
Atlan started as a tool for data experts, but we hit a growth ceiling. To expand, we needed to serve non-technical business users without alienating our core audience. I led the design effort to make Atlan accessible to both technical and business users while driving data enrichment across the platform.
Goal: Grow our user base by making data discovery intuitive for business users while keeping data experts productive.
Understanding the problem
Data experts and business users have completely different needs:
- Data teams are comfortable with complex interfaces and technical workflows
- Business users need simple tools that feel familiar, like Excel or Google Sheets
- Our challenge was serving both audiences without compromising either experience
We also needed to increase data enrichment across the platform in a way that felt natural, not forced.
Breakthrough insight
After mapping user journeys for both personas, I had a key realization: instead of forcing business users to learn our interface, we should bring Atlan to the tools they already use daily.
The solution: Integrate Atlan into Google Sheets and Excel, plus create a browser extension for seamless access to data context wherever users work.
Google Sheets integration
I designed a seamless way for users to collaborate on data assets using familiar spreadsheet tools. This removed the barrier of learning new interfaces while still providing Atlan's powerful data context.
Users can start collaborating directly from the assets page by choosing their preferred tool: Google Sheets or Excel.
Once data is exported to their spreadsheet, users can collaborate with their teams in a familiar environment and sync changes back to Atlan when ready.
Browser extension
The second solution was a Chrome extension that brought Atlan's data context directly into users' existing workflows. Instead of switching between tools, they could access data information wherever they were working.
I designed an admin interface where companies could configure and deploy the extension across their organization.
When users work in tools like Tableau, they can instantly see metadata and context from Atlan without switching applications. This eliminated context switching and made data discovery effortless.
Preparing for launch
As we approached launch, I focused on polishing the user experience and incorporating feedback from early test users. The key was ensuring both integrations felt natural and didn't disrupt existing workflows.
The results
The launch exceeded our expectations and proved that meeting users where they work drives adoption:
Key metrics:
- 40% increase in metadata enrichment
- 25% faster task completion times
- 30% improvement in user satisfaction scores
User feedback: Business users loved being able to work with data in familiar tools, while data experts appreciated that more people were contributing to data quality.
This project proved that the best way to expand your user base is to adapt your product to their existing workflows, not force them to adapt to yours.