Introduction
Apple commissioned me to conduct an Expert Review of FileMaker Pro at a critical milestone in the product’s history. The next release needed to turn a corner—transforming it from an overly complex database tool into something accessible to everyday users, helping open up the broader consumer market. That meant rethinking the interface, simplifying workflows, adhering to best practices, and ensuring the product felt native on both Mac and Windows. Internal divisions made it difficult to align on a clear path forward, which drove the need for a neutral, external third party to deliver a comprehensive, independent assessment. My review included prioritized recommendations to help establish and align around a clear product vision and direction. The report was delivered directly to the executive team, and then again to the product development team by request.
Challenges
- FileMaker was a complex desktop database app. It needed to satisfy advanced database engineers while also becoming more accessible to the targeted prosumer and non-technical market it was expanding into
- The product did not adhere to either Windows or Mac best practices and standards, making it less familiar and comfortable for the average user, which was limiting consumer adoption
- Internal teams were struggling to align on product vision, prioritization, and next steps
- Innovating a product solution that addressed the needs of both prosumer users and experienced database engineers was inherently difficult and complex
Solutions & Deliverables
- Independently navigated the full user journey—intentionally without any setup, input, or influence from the internal team—approaching the product as a novice, a prosumer, and an advanced user while building multiple interlinked database apps
- Conducted a full expert review, combining heuristic evaluation with analysis of adherence to Windows and Apple human interface guidelines and best practices
- Delivered two actionable databases focused on clarity and next-release execution: one containing a prioritized list of issues and recommendations formatted for immediate development use, and another containing the full set of referenced platform guidelines and heuristics for traceability and future evaluation
- Delivered a prioritized Top 10 list: one focused on user challenges, the other on product solutions—designed to drive clarity, alignment, and actionable direction for the next release
- Executive report provided a unified ‘north star’ product vision to align around—synthesizing insights from user journeys, best practices in UX and product design, and innovations for balancing the needs of distinct user groups.
- Engaged both executive and product teams to support alignment and translate the vision into actionable next steps
Outcomes
- The review helped reset product direction at a critical moment, providing a clear and actionable path forward
- The next major release was one of the most successful in FileMaker’s history, with strong adoption and meaningful growth in ARR
- The prioritization framework improved clarity around roadmap decisions and helped accelerate alignment across teams
- The structured outputs were referenced beyond the engagement, influencing future product planning and evaluation processes
- The executive team requested a follow-up presentation, and the north star vision became a shared reference point for product, design, and engineering
Conclusion
This engagement delivered the clarity and strategic direction needed to move FileMaker forward. By independently identifying product challenges, user friction points, and innovative solutions for balancing usability and power, I developed a focused roadmap that aligned internal teams and directly shaped the next major release. That release became a turning point—successfully expanding into the prosumer market, increasing adoption among non-technical users, and delivering one of the most impactful launches in the product’s history. The work balanced simplification with depth, uniting the organization around a shared product vision and positioning FileMaker for broader relevance and sustained growth.