In the ever-evolving world of UI development, innovation is key to staying ahead of the curve. One such groundbreaking approach that has gained momentum at 8x8 is the utilization of microservices for building and deploying user interfaces: Micro Frontends. The Micro Frontend approach to UI development has revolutionized the way we build user interfaces, offering a plethora of benefits that enhance flexibility, scalability, and efficiency. Micro Frontends are at the core of 8x8’s Workspace concept of providing intuitive, purpose-built UIs that can be customized to fit each individual user's needs. The new 8x8 Supervisor Workspace is a prime example of 8x8’s design philosophy.

In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of utilizing Micro Frontends, from independent module development to seamless fault fixing, empowering development teams and users alike.

Workspace Customization and Flexibility

Micro Frontends provide the framework for individualized workspaces, allowing users to define their own UI space by selecting and assembling widgets. This customizable approach empowers users to tailor their UI experience to their specific needs, enhancing productivity and user satisfaction. With modules that are not reliant on each other, users can freely customize and rearrange their UI components, creating an interface that aligns with their workflows and preferences. The versatility and flexibility offered by Micro Frontends promote a user-centric approach, resulting in a more engaging and intuitive experience.

Independent and Verifiable Modules

One of the core benefits of Micro Frontends is the ability to create independent verifiable modules. Each module is self-contained, responsible for a specific functionality or feature. Modules could be a widget or a group of widgets, but could also include images, translations, components, and more. By decoupling modules, developers can easily identify and address issues or add enhancements without impacting the entire UI. These modules can then reference a registry to retrieve information about their purpose, versioning, and location, enabling seamless integration into the overall UI. This modular approach promotes code reusability, reducing duplication and enhancing maintainability.

Democratizing UI Development

In traditional UI development, a single team often owns the entire UI codebase. However, Micro Frontends break down these barriers by allowing each team to develop and maintain their own independent modules. This approach empowers teams to work concurrently and autonomously, significantly boosting development speed and productivity. Teams can independently create new widgets without being dependent on one another, fostering innovation and agility. The resulting modular ecosystem enables rapid prototyping, faster time-to-market, and the ability to scale UI development efforts seamlessly. And these benefits extend to customers and partners by allowing them to create and publish their own widgets based upon the Micro Frontend architecture.

Direct to the Source

Another advantage of the Micro Frontend architecture is widgets that talk directly to the source of data. Direct data connectivity eliminates the need for intermediate layers or APIs, reducing latency and enhancing real-time data access. Additionally, it means that each widget can talk to different sources of data independently, combining disparate data sources into a single unified interface. Nowhere is this more apparent than the work being done on 8x8’s Supervisor Workspace, which combines and displays 8x8 Contact Center information such as real-time and historical data, interaction analytics, and quality management—all in a single unified interface. And the direct data can include external 3rd party sources. In the case of Supervisor Workspace, this will eventually include things like workforce management schedules and adherence, as well as CRM and ERP data like closed sales and open tickets.

Dynamic and Upgradable UI

Unlike traditional static front ends, Micro Frontends adopt a dynamic and upgradable UI approach. With the press of a button and a refresh on the user interface, the latest version of each module can be effortlessly loaded. This allows for quick fault resolution and feature enhancements, as updates can be easily deployed without disrupting the entire application. The ability to upgrade individual modules independently also facilitates A/B testing, enabling developers to experiment and iterate on specific features to enhance user experience. By creating a dynamic mosaic of modules, it eliminates the need for version updates, and each module is updated independently.

Granular Targeting and Localization

Micro Frontends empower developers to target specific user groups, customers, or regions by adding modules tailored to their needs. For instance, translation and international packages can be added separately, ensuring localized content is easily integrated into the UI. This granular targeting not only enhances user experience but also enables personalized experiences for different user segments. By isolating and updating individual modules, localization efforts become more efficient, reducing development time and allowing for rapid expansion into new markets.

Conclusion

Micro Frontends have ushered in a new era of UI development, offering a multitude of benefits that propel innovation, scalability, and flexibility. By enabling independent verifiable modules, seamless fault fixing, granular targeting, and empowering development teams and users, this microservices approach revolutionizes the way we build and customize user interfaces. Embracing Micro Frontends unlocks a world of possibilities, propelling organizations towards a future of dynamic, scalable, and user-centric UI development.