This summer, I had the opportunity to be part of Broadcom’s Summer Worker Program as a User Interface Developer. From day one, I knew I was going to learn a lot—but I didn’t realize just how much I would grow, not only as a developer, but also as a teammate, communicator, and contributor.

Diving In: Understanding the Problem

I joined the Datacom team, where I was introduced to a powerful product designed to provide insights into query performance across large-scale database environments. While the backend team focused on core logic and infrastructure, my responsibility centered on how users—primarily DBAs—interact with this data to ensure a helpful and efficient experience.

One of my main tasks involved migrating key components from Angular to React, helping modernize the UI and improve scalability. As part of this migration, I built tools to help DBAs analyze slow or expensive queries. This led to the development of two core features: the Query Statistics Table and the SQL Optimization Report.

What I Built

Query Statistics Table

This component displays detailed, real-time metrics about query executions. It acts as a dashboard that helps DBAs monitor query performance and resource consumption over time, spot inconsistencies, and identify performance spikes.

Key metrics included:

• Statistics/Type:

• Last: Most recent execution

• Max: Slowest or most resource-intensive run

• Min: Fastest or least resource-intensive run

• Total: Cumulative values over all tracked executions

• Elapsed Time:

• Total: Total execution time

• Time Stamp: When the query ran

• CBSIO:

• Total: Total I/O resource units consumed

• Time Stamp: Time of execution

Once a DBA identifies an outlier query, the next step is to understand why it’s slow or expensive. That’s where the SQL Optimization Report comes in.

SQL Optimization Report

This tool provides a deep diagnostic view of how a SQL query is executed by the database engine. Without it, DBAs would have to manually analyze SQL plans—a time-consuming and error-prone task.

The report is not generated automatically. Instead, it remains hidden until the DBA selects a query they want to investigate from the Query Stats Table. This intentional choice helps avoid unnecessary clutter and improves screen readability.

Once generated, the report presents:

• Execution plan details

• Run timestamps and query IDs

• Candidate plans and cost comparisons

• Restriction cost breakdowns

• Suggestions to improve performance

The goal was to present all of this information in a clean, readable format that simplifies complex diagnostics.

Design Focus: Making Complex Data Digestible

For both features, I focused on presenting technical data in a way that’s easy to scan, understand, and act on. Some of the improvements I implemented in the React version included:

• Collapsible containers with clear section headers

• Tabbed views to compare multiple queries side-by-side

• Layouts and components designed for clarity, consistency, and efficiency

I followed UI/UX principles like feedback, scan-ability, minimalism, and flexibility—all while staying within the constraints of the existing design system.

Beyond the Code: What I Learned

This experience taught me much more than how to write UI components. It reshaped how I think as a developer.

• I deepened my React skills by building real-world, dynamic features.

• I learned Zustand for managing application state effectively.

• I integrated GraphQL to fetch and display backend data efficiently.

But the technical side was only half the journey. I also grew in areas like:

• Communication – whether demoing features or contributing to team discussions

• User experience – becoming more mindful of how layout, labels, and responsiveness impact usability

• Collaboration – learning how to contribute in a cross-functional team and iterate on feedback

I started thinking more critically about how small design decisions shape the overall product experience.

Reflections

I was incredibly fortunate to work alongside amazing mentors and teammates this summer.

• Thanks to my manager, Pavani, for her unwavering support and guidance.

• A special shoutout to my assigned buddy, Lalitha, for her technical mentorship and patience.

• Huge thanks to the Plano UI/UX team for their collaboration and insights.

• And finally, thanks to the Datacom team—Kevin, Emelda, Rajesh, Pooja, Jeff, Gary, Mathew, and Sivangu—for your encouragement, feedback, and willingness to teach. I learned so much from each of you.

As the summer wraps up, I leave with new technical skills, a deeper appreciation for user-centered design, and greater confidence in taking on real-world projects. I’m excited to carry these lessons forward into the next chapter of my journey—wherever it may lead.