Layered Appsmith Git connection and repository setup interfaces

Case study

Guided Git Connection

Turning Git setup into a guided product experience

at Appsmith

Choose your depth

The problem, my contribution, outcomes, and strongest screens.

My role

Product design · Developer experience · Interaction design

Product focus

A shared three-step model for Git connection, application import, and precise failure recovery.

The Short Version

I redesigned Appsmith’s Git connection and import journeys into one guided three-step model. A developer can pick a provider, set up SSH, grant repository access, and recover from a failure without ever losing track of where they are or why the product just asked them to leave it.

The Mess

Connecting or importing through Git meant crossing between Appsmith and an outside provider. Repository requirements, remote URLs, SSH keys, deploy keys, and write access all had to line up before anything would work, and a generic error left people with no idea which side of that line to fix.

My Part in This

  1. Converted technical prerequisites into a visible three-step flow shared by connection and import.
  2. Explained each repository action in context, with embedded guidance at the moment it was needed.
  3. Covered providers, existing repositories, remote URLs, key generation, deploy-key permissions, and confirmation.

What Got Better

  1. Turned repository and SSH prerequisites into a visible, teachable sequence.
  2. Connected configuration, import, success, and recovery through one reusable interaction model.

Impact

What Actually Moved

For the Business

One interaction model across connection and import made a technically demanding capability easier to implement, support, and extend.

For the Humans

Developers can see the current step, understand each repository action, and recover without restarting the journey.

For the Spreadsheet

Supports activation and continued adoption of Git workflows that increase Appsmith’s value for professional development teams.

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