Streamlining access requests
Improved how users request and get access to resources by making the flow trusting, clearer, and faster.
Challenge
Developers often share links to Postman collections, environments, or workspaces without checking access levels. The recipient lands on a dead-end screen that says “You don’t have access,” with no clarity on what to do next or what will happen if they click "Request Access."
This led to:
Missed collaboration opportunities
Confusion over who would get the request
Lack of trust in the system (Was the request even received?
Team admins getting overloaded or not notified
Results
After launching the redesigned Request for Access flow, we monitored access events, request outcomes, and feedback via in-product signals and support data. We saw a clear improvement in user confidence and speed of resolution.
62%
drop in abandoned access attempts
78%
of requests approved within 6 hours
2X
faster access resolution time
Research to understand the chaos
We started by mapping the emotions and behaviors. From our empathy map, we found that users:
Felt blocked and frustrated when they couldn’t access shared resources
Often questioned, "Who is this requester?" or "Why
don't they already have access?"
Were willing to help, but didn't want to be interrupted or burdened
Meanwhile, requesters:
Were unsure if their request was seen or acted upon
Felt awkward pinging teammates for access
Sometimes gave up entirely
Competitive analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis to identify commonalities among competitors and gather valuable insights for building our product. This research allowed us to differentiate ourselves and provided a basis for product development.
Goals
We defined our success with three experience goals:
Clarity – Users should always understand what will happen next
Efficiency – Reduce steps to grant access with minimal interruption
Trust – Let both requester and reviewer feel confident in the system
Mapping the current system
Using a system flow diagram, we exposed how complex and inconsistent the old RFA logic was.
Key issues:
Toasts gave unclear feedback or didn't show up at all
Reviewers had to manually switch context to figure out who was requesting access and why
If no admin was notified (e.g., in non-team links), requests went into a black hole
The Solution
We revamped the entire Request for Access flow with three key principles:
1. Contextual Access Requests
We customized what’s shown based on what kind of link is being accessed. Like. collection, workspace, or API.
2. Clear Request States
Users now see feedback: “Request sent,” “In review,” or “Access granted”
No more guessing whether their request went through
3. Smarter Notifications for Reviewers
Admins and editors get actionable emails and in-app toasts
Duplicate or already-handled requests are handled gracefully
Explorations and early concepts
In-app CTA
Maintained context by placing the request inside the target workspace
But easy to miss, especially for users unfamiliar with Postman
Hard to infer intent and show relevant UI
Exposed too much before access—created security concerns
In-app modal
Improved visibility over the CTA
But felt intrusive—blocking access made it feel like a bug
Didn’t solve the trust issue or clearly guide the next step
Slack integration
Worked well for teams already using Slack
But added friction: required Postman Slack app, proper login state, and teammate visibility
Too many variables made it unreliable as the primary flow—better suited as a secondary option
Full page blocker with note
Clear, focused UI with minimal distractions
But the “note” field added questionable value
Research showed reviewers mainly used email domains to decide. So, note became unnecessary friction.
Final Designs
For the requester:
A focused screen to submit access
Immediate feedback when a request is sent
Status screen while waiting for approval
Confirmation email when access is granted
For the reviewer:
Lightweight notification with one-click Approve/Deny
Visibility into requester email and resource context
Automated fallback logic (e.g., notify team admin if resource editor isn’t part of the team)
Results
62% drop in abandoned access attempts
2x faster access resolution time
78% of requests approved within 6 hours
Positive feedback from users on reduced cognitive load