PagerDuty Automation Actions Trial [UX architecture][product led growth][self service]

PagerDuty is incident response software used by engineering teams. One of its newer features let teams automate parts of that response, but the only way to try it was through a sales call. I designed the UX architecture that turned this feature into a self-service trial accounting for different user roles, permissions, and product entry points.

Impact:Trial requests jumped from 6 to 50/month · 223 total requests · 50 activated trials · 4 converted accounts

Role:UX Architecture, Product Design, User Flow Mapping, Cross-functional Collaboration

Collaborators:Julianna Green (Lead Engineer), Sean Noble (Product Manager) Jon Grieman (Engineering Manager)

UX architecture of the Automation Actions Trial
UX architecture of the Automation Actions Trial

Why

The only way to trial PagerDuty’s Automation Actions feature was through a sales call via contact form. Monthly trial requests sat at 6, and the feature couldn’t grow without a self-service path.

How

A self-service trial flow that accounted for two user types, multiple entry points, and multiple combinations of permissions and trial states.

Impact

Trial requests jumped from 6 to 50/month · 223 total requests · 50 activated trials · 4 converted accounts all after one month

I started by mapping the two user types. Each had different permissions, entry points, and outcomes, and I needed to design for both simultaneously.

The requestor can discover the trial but can’t activate it, so I designed their path to surface the request to someone who can.

Requestor flow mapping three entry points
Requestor flow mapping three entry points

The activator hold the permissions to turn the trial on, so their path ends in a setup wizard, a live trial, and a success email.

Activator flow mapping four entry points
Activator flow mapping four entry points

I worked closely with the lead engineer to define the scope due to constraints regarding back-end permissions and available components, and we collapsed every screen into a clear flow.

Sketches of multiple user flows and journeys based on permissions
Sketches of multiple user flows and journeys based on permissions

The first entry point to the trial is an interstitial landing page that explains the trial and routed the user based on their role.

A trial modal is triggered when a user tries to run an automation during a live incident, the most engaged action within the feature.

Run Action modal on the Incident Detail page — admins see "Activate trial," general users see "Request trial"
Run Action modal on the Incident Detail page — admins see "Activate trial," general users see "Request trial"

A response for every state: successful activation, pending request, ineligible account, duplicate submission.

We bundled another feature, Runbook Automation, into the trial alongside Automation Actions, creating an onboarding wizard so users could hook up both features immediately.

Multi-step onboarding guide walking trial users through the product
Multi-step onboarding guide walking trial users through the product

Here’s a flow of an activator discovering the feature inside a live incident to beginning their trial.

Trial discovery inside an active incident — "Run Actions" surfaces a tooltip introducing Automation Actions with "Activate trial" and "Learn more" CTAs at the exact moment of intent.
Trial discovery inside an active incident — "Run Actions" surfaces a tooltip introducing Automation Actions with "Activate trial" and "Learn more" CTAs at the exact moment of intent.

Runbook Automation provisioning modal — admins enter their email and subdomain to spin up a 14-day trial instance directly from the product, no sales call required.
Runbook Automation provisioning modal — admins enter their email and subdomain to spin up a 14-day trial instance directly from the product, no sales call required.

"Verify account via email" loading modal walking users through the three RBA setup steps while the instance provisions in the background.
"Verify account via email" loading modal walking users through the three RBA setup steps while the instance provisions in the background.

"Welcome to Automation Actions!" Pendo tooltip on first load of the activated trial, with "Get started →" and progress dots for the onboarding sequence that follows.
"Welcome to Automation Actions!" Pendo tooltip on first load of the activated trial, with "Get started →" and progress dots for the onboarding sequence that follows.

After we shipped, trial requests went from 6 to 50; 223 total requests, 50 activated trials, and 4 converted accounts after a single month.

”Simple wizard design made the feature easily understandable. I’ve had 0 questions from solution consultants on how it works. After a lot of requirements, work, and documentation, Omar took on an outsized role in creating the AA/RB trial integration. His preparation and materials presented made our two day design workshop go very smoothly and Omar was a go to for engineering after the project kicked off.”

Sean Noble · Principal Product Manager