Snehal Khemnar Portfolio

Simplifying how maps and layers are managed in ArcGIS Online through architectural and process improvements

CASE-STUDY

My Role

Product

Designer

Product

Designer

Product

Designer

Duration

1 month

Platform

Web app

Industry

Geospatial

Technology

Geospatial

Technology

Geospatial

Technology

Overview

Nexus is an internal tool that helps teams manage and reuse digital maps and their data without repetitive work. It works alongside ArcGIS Online to make map updates and reuse faster, safer, and more consistent.

This case study focuses on how the system was structured and how key workflows were designed for BETA version.

Context

Teams often manage dozens of web-based maps built from shared data layers. Reusing these layers and keeping maps consistent usually requires manual, repetitive work. Over time, this leads to inconsistencies, slow updates, and a high risk of mistakes. Nexus was designed to remove this friction and make map management easier as systems grow.

Identifying the Problem

Reusing maps and layers sounds simple until you’re dealing with live data.

Teams needed a way to:

Reuse map and layer configuration without recreating it manually

Control exactly what changes and where

Reduce the risk of unintended edits to live maps

The problem was not discovering new workflows, but making existing ones safer and less repetitive.

Key constraint

ArcGIS already defines terminology, hierarchy, and ownership models that users rely on daily.

Introducing new abstractions or renaming familiar concepts would increase cognitive load and slow adoption. Nexus needed to operate within these conventions and behave as an extension of the existing system rather than a replacement.

Users authenticate using existing ArcGIS credentials rather than creating a new account. The login screen is deliberately minimal, explaining what Nexus enables at a high level and offering a single action to proceed.

This avoids introducing friction or uncertainty at the entry point.

Home as orientation

The Home screen is intentionally simple.

It surfaces available capabilities, highlights upcoming ones, and helps users decide where to start. It does not attempt to summarize usage or performance.

The Home screen is intentionally simple.

It surfaces available capabilities, highlights upcoming ones, and helps users decide where to start. It does not attempt to summarize usage or performance.

The Home screen is intentionally simple.

It surfaces available capabilities, highlights upcoming ones, and helps users decide where to start. It does not attempt to summarize usage or performance.

Content Discovery

“My Content” acts as a unified browser for maps and data layers. Content grouping and terminology mirror ArcGIS conventions to avoid relearning. Filtering is progressive and optional, allowing users to narrow results when needed without overwhelming the interface by default.

This approach keeps the experience lightweight even for large content libraries.

Filter

The filter panel is scoped to the current context and can be reset at any point. This avoids locking users into filtered states or forcing them to “manage” filters as a task.

Filters are progressive and optional. By default, users see a clean content list. When needed, they can narrow results by:

The Copy Workflow

Copying layers and properties is the core interaction in Nexus.

This workflow allows users to reuse visual and behavioral configuration—such as symbology, labels, and popups—without manually recreating them across maps.

Because these actions affect live maps, the workflow is intentionally step-based:

Copying layers and properties is the core interaction in Nexus.

This workflow allows users to reuse visual and behavioral configuration—such as symbology, labels, and popups—without manually recreating them across maps.

Because these actions affect live maps, the workflow is intentionally step-based:

Copying layers and properties is the core interaction in Nexus.

This workflow allows users to reuse visual and behavioral configuration—such as symbology, labels, and popups—without manually recreating them across maps.

Because these actions affect live maps, the workflow is intentionally step-based:

Select a source

Choose what to copy

Select a target

Confirm the action

Each step maintains context and reduces the likelihood of accidental changes.

Why Step-Based Flows

A single-screen approach was explored early on.

While it reduced clicks, it made the impact of actions harder to reason about. In environments where changes are difficult to reverse, clarity was prioritized over speed.

A single-screen approach was explored early on.

While it reduced clicks, it made the impact of actions harder to reason about. In environments where changes are difficult to reverse, clarity was prioritized over speed.

A single-screen approach was explored early on.

While it reduced clicks, it made the impact of actions harder to reason about. In environments where changes are difficult to reverse, clarity was prioritized over speed.

Breaking the workflow into steps increased confidence and made the process safer to repeat.

Templates

Templates allow teams to save proven map configurations and reuse them across projects. (feature to be launched)

They act as system memory, helping organizations maintain consistency without enforcing rigid standards. Templates are treated as first-class assets rather than shortcuts.

Templates allow teams to save proven map configurations and reuse them across projects. (feature to be launched)

They act as system memory, helping organizations maintain consistency without enforcing rigid standards. Templates are treated as first-class assets rather than shortcuts.

Templates allow teams to save proven map configurations and reuse them across projects. (feature to be launched)

They act as system memory, helping organizations maintain consistency without enforcing rigid standards. Templates are treated as first-class assets rather than shortcuts.