CASE STUDY
Global Platform SSO
Creating a Unified Login & Recovery Experience for Comcast Xfinity®
-
Client:
Comcast Xfinity -
Role:
Lead UX & Visual Designer -
Product:
SSO & UID Recovery -
Duration:
9 months
-
Client:
Comcast Xfinity -
Role:
Lead UX & Visual Designer -
Product:
SSO and UID Recovery -
Duration:
9 months
-
Client:
Comcast Xfinity -
Role:
Lead UX & Visual Designer
-
Product:
SSO & UID Recovery -
Duration:
9 months
Navigating Legacy, Leading with Clarity
This project demanded more than design—it required systems thinking and stakeholder alignment. We redesigned global SSO and credential recovery across Comcast’s platforms, navigating outdated infrastructure, multiple ID systems, and evolving brand standards—all to better serve frustrated users.
A major lesson: research came in too late. That friction shaped my belief that research must be embedded from the start. Great UX isn’t just polish—it’s clarity, diplomacy, and leadership through ambiguity. That ethos still drives the UX Leadership Lab.
Background
In 2015, users struggled to access Comcast’s services. Login issues led to poor engagement, high call center volume, and eroded trust.
The Problem
- Redundant and outdated ID structures across legacy systems
- Credentials tied to obsolete email addresses
- A confusing and inconsistent UI that undermined trust
- No easy way for users to update recovery options
Success Metrics
- Increase online portal usage
- Decrease call volume related to account access
- Improve customer satisfaction during login and onboarding
- Launch the first product using the newly introduced Xfinity UI design language
The Challenge
This was more than a visual refresh—it was a strategic redesign of how users accessed Xfinity services. The project spanned:
- Web & mobile SSO (single sign-on)
- Credential creation and recovery workflows
- Cross-device behavior consistency
- Support for the new global UI style guide
All of this had to work across multiple lines of business, without disrupting existing backend dependencies.
Research & Discovery
Competitive Benchmarking
We examined brands known for onboarding clarity, modular UX, and transparent interaction models:
- Kayak & Airbnb: For modular and streamlined onboarding
- Apple & Squarespace: For smart, transactional flows
- Hulu & FreshDirect: For clean, visual transparency
- Netflix & Amazon: For cross-device consistency and control
Internal Discovery
We had broad stakeholder involvement, but no central authority to make final decisions. Each group had equal weight, and alignment was slow. Research was a shared resource, and by the time they were looped in, critical decisions were already underway. This taught me the importance of setting stakeholder roles and research engagement early—something I now prioritize in every project.
Design Process
Credential Creation & Recovery
- Designed simplified flows that offered multiple recovery options:Text message, email, phone call, or security question
- Added subtle, recurring prompts encouraging users to keep recovery info up to date
Single Sign-ON
- Consolidated multiple ID systems into a unified sign-in experience
- Ensured users could log in to any Xfinity service with a single credential
- Removed extraneous ads and distractions from the login experience
Single Sign-ON
- Applied the newly adopted Xfinity UI style guide
- Supported dark mode for media-based contexts, light mode for account tools
- Prioritized large touch targets and visual hierarchy for accessibility and mobile use
Final Solution
Key Features
- Unified SSO login for web and mobile
- Seamless credential recovery with multiple fallback options
- First implementation of the Xfinity UI Kit
- Context-aware theming for light/dark mode
- Modular components designed for system scalability
- List Item
Results & Lasting Impact
- Delivered the first live product using Xfinity’s new UI design system
- Successfully aligned stakeholders across every line of business (LOB)
- Improved user success rate for login and recovery flows
- Helped reduce call center volume tied to login issues
- Laid the groundwork for future onboarding simplification across platforms
- Built strong collaboration between UX and the internal innovation team
Final Thoughts
This project was as much about design leadership as it was about interface design. The sheer complexity—technological and organizational—required diplomacy, persistence, and clarity.
And while the visuals mattered, what mattered more was making it easier for real people to simply get where they needed to go. That’s a guiding principle I carried into future leadership roles—and into The UX Leadership Lab.
