File Request
Easily collect large numbers of confidential files from external users while keeping submissions private between participants.
01
＿___ What I Did ＿＿
A brand new feature that enables users to easily  collect confidential files without exposing other folder contents.

Before

Collecting confidential files from multiple people is tedious and time-consuming.

The pain point occurs especially when people need to gather a high volume of private submissions such as competition entries, bids, creative work.
For example, Daniel, an architecture competition organizer, needs to collect design submissions from 52 firms. Each entry includes large rendering files and technical drawings. To keep submissions private between participants, Daniel is forced to choose a tedious workflow — either collecting files through individual folders or emails. Both methods require repeated manual steps and waste hours of his time.
Emails : Opening 52 emails to download, upload, and manually organize files.
Emails : Opening 52 emails to download, upload, and manually organize files.
Separated Individual folders : Repeatedly creating and sharing 52 folders one by one

After

Easily collect many confidential files in just a few clicks.

Everything is automatically organized, private, and hassle-free.
Daniel Request files
Recipient Alan uploads files.
02
＿___ Why I Did it ＿＿
File Request became a critical purchase requirement for major enterprise clients evaluating whether to continue using OneDrive Business

Context

This feature also received a high number of votes on the OneDrive UserVoice forum, highlighting strong demand across different user segments. The product team consisted of me (the designer), a UX writer, a PM, and one engineering team. I had just six weeks to deliver the design so it could be included in the next major update—meeting this deadline was essential to retain our key enterprise clients.

My Challenges

  • Built a two-sided user experience balancing privacy and ease of use.
  • Seamlessly integrated into the existing system while navigating the legacy code limitations .
  • Layering new sharing logic into an already complex permission system, while keeping it familiar to the user's existing mental model.
03
＿___ The Result ＿＿
Recognized at Microsoft’s largest annual tech conference 2019. Validated by 2020 Sharing Benchmark Results.
Demoed at Microsoft Ignite 2019

Impact

File Request was showcased at Microsoft Ignite 2019, highlighting its value to enterprise users worldwide. Following the launch, it received positive user feedback and contributed to higher satisfaction scores for external sharing in the 2020 Sharing Benchmark Report.
04
＿___ How I Got There ＿＿

01 Defined a mental model to simplify the new permission layer.

It is the crucial first step in the design process to prevent the new File Request permission layer from adding any confusion to an already complex enterprise sharing system. From a technical perspective, requesting a file in OneDrive means creating an 'anyone can upload' link applied to a folder. However, introducing this as another sharing link type within the existing sharing experience would increase cognitive load, requiring users to understand subtle distinctions between four types of sharing links. To avoid risking the already intricate system, we came up with this mental model. It can easily extend from the existing legacy codebase while being straightforward for OneDrive users.
  • OneDrive : Users select a folder and request files to be uploaded to that location. Recipients of the request have upload-only permission

    We also can see competitors treat File Request as distinct from their standard sharing.
  • Box uses a temporary email address to automatically collect attachments
  • Dropbox offers a separate interface with a dedicated list for file requests

02 Map Out The Flow To Integrates Into The Existing System

By decomposing the end-to-end experience, I identified key integration points where the new feature could plug into OneDrive system. So, I can built new features’ UI flows smoothly without causing friction or disrupting the OneDrive patterns.
Emails : Opening 52 emails to download, upload, and manually organize files.
Break down experience into step by step
Visualize and iterate the task flow
Identified key integration where the new feature could plug into OneDrive system

03 Shape Solution for What Legacy Systems Can Support

I needed to make sure the solution respected technical constraints—so the File Request feature could launch on time. By starting from the integration point within the system, I grounded my design direction in feasibility, which made the rest of the experience flow naturally.
With ongoing feedback and collaboration with engineering, I refined the experience to stay user-focused while working within the limits of the legacy codebase.
Entry Point
Emails : Opening 52 emails to download, upload, and manually organize files.
Add New Menu: Easier for coding but it will compete with other high priority actions in the system.
Folder Command Bar / Contextual Menu: Stronger focus and aligns with the folder based mental model
Manage Request
Emails : Opening 52 emails to download, upload, and manually organize files.
Separated List : 1.5 years work for Engineers
In Existing Access Pane : 1.5 months for Engineers
Affordance of Folder with File Request Applied
Emails : Opening 52 emails to download, upload, and manually organize files.
Info Bar : Obvious for users but adds backend complexity requiring multiple API calls and custom engineering work.
Icons with Callouts: Not as noticeable but consistent with existing OneDrive patterns, and lightweight to implement.

04 Crafting Thoughtful UI and Clear Messaging

When introducing a new type of permission feature in enterprise environments, clarity is everything. Even slight ambiguity can undermine user trust or lead to  unintended security risks. That’s why every element of the UI must be intuitive and communicate clearly when users are interacting with the File Request feature.


I worked closely with a UX writer to iterate on the messaging, and designed a custom interface component to support each use case .
Creating a file request : Four steps only
Receiving a request: Communicate that other uploader won’t have access.
Closing  Request: Communicate that people with the link won’t be able to upload but file will still keep here.
Guiding user through different edge or error cases

05 Designing End-To-End Flows That Are Thoughtfully Complete

Building on all the work I’d done before, I was able to streamline UX flows—bringing clarity and ease to every step of the File Request experience.
05
＿___ Launched and Live ＿＿
You can find several YouTube videos that demonstrate how the feature works.