Project Context
Databricks is redesigning the Unity Catalog permissions and access-request experience to reduce setup friction for new enterprise admins. The project covers key workflows in the Databricks workspace, including granting table access, requesting approvals, and understanding inherited permissions. You are the UX/UI Designer on a cross-functional team of 8, and the redesign is expected to ship in 10 weeks to support a committed Q3 enterprise adoption push.
Key Stakeholders
The Product Manager wants to keep the launch on schedule and is pushing for a narrow MVP. The Engineering Manager is concerned about implementation complexity in the Databricks workspace shell and wants to avoid changes that require backend permission-model updates. The Head of Security & Governance wants stronger visibility and auditability, even if it adds steps. The Sales lead for strategic accounts is asking for a more polished end-to-end flow because two large customers have cited permissions UX as a renewal risk.
Constraints
- Timeline: 10 weeks total, with design sign-off required by end of Week 3
- Team: 1 designer, 1 PM, 1 researcher, 4 engineers, 1 engineering manager
- Budget: $35,000 for research, prototyping, and content support
- Dependency: backend team can support only 2 API changes this quarter
- Launch requirement: feature must be included in the Q3 platform release notes and ready for a 5-customer private preview
Complications
- Midway through discovery, the Security team requests an additional approval step for high-risk datasets, which was not in the original scope.
- Engineering reports that one proposed design pattern for inline permission editing in Unity Catalog would add 3 extra weeks unless the interaction is simplified.
- A senior PM disagrees with your recommended direction and prefers a denser, admin-first UI that conflicts with research from less technical data stewards.
Deliverables
- Define how you would handle stakeholder disagreement on design direction and scope while keeping the project moving.
- Propose a decision-making framework for narrowing the MVP versus deferring functionality.
- Create a 10-week execution plan with milestones, ownership, and escalation points.
- Identify the top risks to launch and how you would mitigate them.
- Specify the success criteria for the private preview and Q3 release.
