ServiceNow portals have come a long way, from early Service Portal implementations to today’s unified Employee Center Pro experiences. They’re powerful, flexible, and packed with capability.

But here’s the truth: enabling a portal is easy. Creating one that users actually want to use is not.

Your portal is your digital front door. It’s where users come to get help, find answers, and interact with your organization. When designed with intent, it drives adoption, reduces friction, and builds trust. When it isn’t, it becomes just another system users work around instead of with. 

At Strato, we believe portals shouldn’t just function. They should connect, guide, and delight. 

Well... "It Works." Isn't That Enough?

Out of the box, a ServiceNow portal works. Users can search, submit tickets, access knowledge, and use it on mobile. That’s a solid foundation—but it’s only the starting line. What's often missing: 

• Clear, intuitive navigation that reflects how users actually think
• Visual polish and design consistency that builds confidence
• Role-specific experiences that reduce cognitive load
• Business outcomes like higher adoption, fewer misrouted tickets, and faster resolution

Functionality without intent leads to clutter, confusion, and low engagement. Wow happens when users are given the right tools, at the right moment, in the right way.

Our goal is simple: take your portal from “It works.” → “This makes my job easier.”

What Does "Wow" Really Mean? 

UI is what users see. UX is what they feel. Wow isn’t flashy visuals or clever animations. It’s the quiet confidence a user feels when they immediately know:

• Where to go 
• What to do 
• And that the system is working for them

The best experiences often go unnoticed until users are forced to use something else. That’s when the value becomes obvious.

Wow is clarity. Wow is ease. Wow is momentum.

How We Get There 

At Strato wow is intentional. It's designed. 

User Centric By Design
We design around real user tasks, not organizational charts. By reducing friction and cognitive load, we help users move forward with confidence and speed. 

Adaptive and Personal
We leverage the platform’s capabilities to surface relevant content dynamically, so users see what matters to them, not everything at once.

Seamless Across Devices
Whether on desktop, tablet, or mobile, the experience remains consistent, intuitive, and familiar. The experience adapts, without compromise.

The Strato Approach: Designed Experiences on ServiceNow 

Strato is GlideFast’s design studio, built on a simple philosophy:
Great experiences don’t happen by accident. They’re designed.

Our Designed Experience approach blends UX best practices, behavioral modeling, and a custom design system built specifically for ServiceNow. This allows us to move seamlessly from concept to build, without losing fidelity or intent

We Start with Understanding

• Listening to users through interviews and observation
• Aligning business goals with real user needs
• Assessing where you are, and envisioning where you can go

We Work with Your Brand 

• Translating your identity into a digital experience
• Applying design standards with purpose and consistency
• Partnering with marketing and internal teams to speak a shared visual language

We Show What’s Possible

• Behaviorally informed design concepts
• Thoughtful, inviting interfaces
• Solutions that solve problems, not just showcase features

Our Core Principles 

Know Your Users: We listen first. We watch how users move, where they hesitate, and what they expect—then design pathways that feel natural and obvious.

UX Before Tech: We don’t widget-shop. We focus on outcomes, then recommend the right tools to support them.

Design and Efficiency: We reduce noise, highlight priorities, and give users transparency—especially into their work, requests, and progress.

Measure and Iterate: Using built-in UX analytics, we follow real behavior, refine experiences, and continuously improve impact.

Success Isn't Talked About. It's Demonstrated 

GlideFast’s design studio is an accomplished team of UX/UI designers who have worked on over 300 portals. We approach each new portal with a blank slate on which we apply best practices, behavioral models, and research. We don't pre-define or make assumptions; your business and users are unique, your portal experience should be a direct reflection of that. We've: 

• Unified fragmented departments
• Simplified complex workflows
• Increased self-service adoption
• Reduced ticket volume and friction
• Built trust between users and platforms

Sometimes the right answer is out-of-the-box—elevated with advanced CSS and thoughtful design. Other times, it’s a custom solution built precisely for your needs. Our process reveals the difference.

Because when design is intentional, your portal doesn’t just work. It wows.

See what "Wow" Looks Like! Explore real-world ServiceNow portal transformations and see how Strato turns good experiences into great ones.

About GlideFast Consulting, A Division of Apex Systems

GlideFast Consulting is an Elite ServiceNow Partner that specializes in delivering exceptional solutions on the ServiceNow platform. We pride ourselves on offering industry-leading services, unparalleled expertise, and a track record of positive customer reviews. Our extensive experience in ServiceNow, combined with our unwavering commitment to customer success, sets us apart from our competitors and enables us to deliver successful outcomes for every client. Whether it's our deep platform knowledge, process-driven standardization, or innovative approach, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best possible experience. Visit us at www.glidefast.com.