Lucy Carpenter

Lucy CarpenterLucy CarpenterLucy Carpenter
More

Lucy Carpenter

Lucy CarpenterLucy CarpenterLucy Carpenter
TABLEAU

TaBLEAU PUBLIC

I led this 9-month redesign project from discovery through launch—owning the full UX strategy and end-to-end design. I collaborated closely with research, engineering, and PMs to shape the product vision, and I drove alignment through stakeholder feedback, cross-functional reviews, and executive presentations.

project goalS

Business goals

To close the global data skills gap and position Tableau as the leader in data literacy education. This initiative aims to upskill individuals and organizations, drive broader product adoption, and foster a data‑driven culture that ultimately supports deeper engagement and growth across Tableau’s ecosystem. Tableau Public's mission is also a business strategy: ignite passion for data by making Tableau accessible, engaging, and irresistible—turning curious users into lifelong advocates.

Design goal

The redesign of Tableau Public aimed to create an accessible, self-directed learning platform that supports users across all skill levels—from beginners building foundational data skills to advanced users eager to contribute within a vibrant community. By balancing simplicity and depth, integrating intuitive onboarding and contextual prompts, and fostering peer-to-peer engagement through groups and forums, the design made complex data concepts approachable and encouraged active participation.

solutions

Redesigned Learning Experience 

A revamped learning platform with intuitive onboarding flows, contextual prompts, and progressive feature disclosures that supported users from beginner to advanced levels.

Data Storytelling Tools

Introduction of educational resources and storytelling principles embedded into the platform to help users create compelling, data-driven narratives.

Mobile and Cross-Platform Support

Better responsiveness and functionality across devices, making learning and exploration possible anytime, anywhere.

challenges

Supporting a broad user spectrum

Designing an experience accessible to beginners while still engaging advanced users who contribute and explore complex visualizations.

Balancing simplicity and depth

Creating an intuitive onboarding and learning path that gradually introduces features without sacrificing the platform’s analytical power.

Integrating education and storytelling

Leveraging design to make complex data concepts approachable and to empower users to tell compelling, data-driven stories.

Ownership model

Tableau Public was jointly owned by Marketing and Product, creating healthy tension between brand and UX goals. 

discovery

I engaged closely with power users to uncover frustrations and capture their goals. I led cross-functional workshops with stakeholders from Tableau Academy, Documentation, and Training teams to align product strategies and ensure cohesion across offerings. Collaborating with UX research, I identified key pain points in users’ learning journeys and upskilling efforts. Additionally, I benchmarked in

Show More

Design-Led Approach & Collaboration

Design Leadership & Strategy

  • Led quarterly planning sessions to align design goals with business priorities
  • Facilitated key workshops for cross-functional collaboration and strategic decision-making
  • Hosted bi-weekly stakeholder design reviews to gather feedback and maintain executive alignment

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication

  • Scheduled regular 1:1s with PMs and tech leads to prioritize work and plan design deliverables
  • Coordinated meetings with cross-functional partners to ensure cohesive product development

Agile Execution & Team Engagement

  • Participated in weekly standups to stay aligned on project progress and blockers
  • Established quick feedback channels on Slack for real-time design input and iteration
  • Organized weekly brainstorming sessions with engineering teams to foster innovation and solve complex challenges

information architecture revamp

To bring clarity to Tableau Public’s complex ecosystem, I created an information architecture (IA) diagram that mapped how users moved between key surfaces—like the homepage, profile pages, galleries, onboarding, and learning resources. This helped the team visualize overlaps, gaps, and opportunities across the experience.

flow diagram

I used the redesigned information architecture to unify scattered learning resources—Academy, challenges, tutorials—into a centralized hub which supported many different types of users and their flows. This made it easier for users to discover content relevant to their skill level and goals. I also streamlined the transition from Tableau Cloud back to Public profiles, allowing users to track their

Show More

cross-vertical collaboration

Tableau Public was jointly owned by Marketing and Product, creating healthy tension between brand and UX goals. I built trust across both teams and aligned priorities into a unified strategy. For onboarding, Marketing focused on homepage engagement, while Product emphasized clear learning paths. I led workshops to surface these goals and designed a solution that blended compelling messaging with intuitive UX. The result secured buy-in and set the foundation for strong adoption.

Design iteration

During the design iteration phase of Tableau Public, I drove weekly collaboration sessions with engineers and PMs to tackle key design deliverables, fostering shared ownership and rapid iteration. I partnered closely with PMs and tech leads in weekly 1:1s to align on priorities, resolve blockers, and adjust scope as needed. I reviewed progress both async and in formal design reviews with executive

Show More

VALIDATION

To validate the Public redesigns, I ran in-person usability studies at the project midpoint and near the end, partnering with UX research. Additionally, we conducted asynchronous A/B testing on usertesting.com. For example, early feedback revealed confusion around making the switch between learning and taking action in Tableau Cloud, leading us to simplify the UI and clarify the IA—improving user engagement and completion of the first viz.

RESULTS

1 Million+ Visualizations Published

The Tableau community contributed over a million visualizations in 2022, showcasing the platform's growing adoption and the active participation of users in sharing data stories.

25% Increase in Public Dashboards

There was a 25% rise in the number of public dashboards published within a year, indicating a significant boost in user engagement and content creation.

30% Growth in Daily Active Users

Daily active users grew by 30%, reflecting a more engaged user base and increased daily interactions with the platform.

30 Million Users Leveraging Community Content

Approximately 30 million Tableau users accessed community-generated content, such as datasets and pre-built dashboards, enriching their data projects and fostering a collaborative environment.

Media

Copyright © 2025 Lucy Carpenter