Client: illumin (AdTech, Demand-Side Platform)
Role: Technical Writer & Learning Systems Architect
Environment: ServiceNow KM, Now Assist (AI), Saleo, Absorb LMS, Camtasia

Summary

illumin, a programmatic DSP used by marketers to plan and execute cross-channel campaigns, needed to scale enablement across product education, documentation, AI support, and certification, simultaneously.

I led the architectural build-out of a fully integrated enablement ecosystem, transforming fragmented documentation into a structured operational knowledge system that supported:

• High-risk execution workflows
• AI-powered retrieval
• Interactive in-product learning
• Enterprise certification pathways
• Governance and analytics maturity

This role evolved from a writing engagement to a systems design and enablement transformation initiative.

The business context

illumin faced a triple cold-start problem:

1. No structured learning path

There was no formal pathway to move users from novice to certified practitioner on the DSP.

2. High Platform Complexity

Two proprietary canvas-based tools had no technical documentation. Execution-heavy workflows (API integrations, deal configuration, pixel setup) carried operational risk.

3. Toolchain migration without expertise

A migration to ServiceNow provided powerful KM infrastructure, but no internal knowledge architecture strategy or AI configuration expertise.

The company needed a scalable enablement system and more articles.

My mandate

Design and operationalize an integrated enablement framework spanning:

• Knowledge architecture
• AI retrieval optimization
• Interactive product tours
• Certification and LMS design
• Governance and analytics

I operated as both Product Owner (for KM) and Learning Architect.

Strategic execution

1. Knowledge architecture & AI readiness (ServiceNow + Now Assist)

As Product Owner for the ServiceNow KM implementation, I:

• Designed taxonomy and metadata structures
• Configured article templates for structural consistency
• Built scalable categorization logic for search optimization
• Introduced lifecycle governance and version control discipline

AI optimization

I structured 100+ articles specifically for Now Assist (AI agent) to ensure:

• High-accuracy retrieval
• Clear answer-first formatting
• Reduced ambiguity in execution workflows
• Improved ticket deflection potential

This positioned the knowledge base as a grounding layer for AI, not just a content repository.

System Architecture

illumin Knowledge Base (100+ articles)
        ↓  structured for AI retrieval
ServiceNow KM
        ↓  taxonomy + metadata + templates
NowAssist AI Agent
        ↓  semantic retrieval + synthesis
Customer self-service answer
        ↓  ticket deflection
Support team capacity freed

2. Interactive enablement (Saleo + Camtasia)

Recognizing that static documentation was insufficient for complex UI workflows, I introduced guided UX overlays and visual learning assets.

Saleo product tours

• Designed and deployed 15+ interactive walkthroughs
• Embedded contextual guidance directly within proprietary canvas tools
• Reduced friction in first-use campaign configuration

3. Enterprise certification & learning system (Absorb LMS)

I architected the illumin Academy from the ground up.

Certification design

• Engineered 4 certification tracks
• Developed 31 structured lessons
• Aligned content to practical execution workflows

LMS Administration

• Managed full Absorb LMS configuration
• Designed user journey flows
• Automated certification triggers
• Structured assessment and progression logic

This created a formalized pathway from onboarding to certified platform proficiency.

4. Governance, analytics & operational intelligence

As sole knowledge base administrator, I owned the full governance lifecycle:

• Editorial standards (structure, tone, terminology)
• Contributor alignment
• Version tracking and content retirement
• Monthly analytics reporting
• Demand-based prioritization

Behavioral demand analysis (6-month snapshot)

To shift documentation from reactive to strategic, I implemented rolling 6-month performance analysis.

Knowledge base engagement

• 6,766 total article views
• 660 internal search queries
• Top 15 articles accounted for 22% of operational demand

Demand concentration

User behavior revealed that documentation was being used primarily as an execution engine, not general education.

Highest-demand workflows included:

• Pixel implementation (GTM, audience mapping)
• Audience onboarding (LiveRamp integration)
• Campaign and deal configuration
• REST API documentation
• Reporting integrations (Looker Studio)
• Holdout experimentation and conversion path analysis

Top search queries reflected transactional, high-intent behavior:

• Deal Configuration
• Guaranteed Inventory
• Tracking Pixel Implementation
• API Integrations
• Data Onboarding Integration
• Impression-Level Controls

Strategic interpretation

Documentation demand clustered around high-risk, high-impact execution tasks:

• Inventory configuration
• Tracking infrastructure
• API integrations
• Experimentation frameworks

This insight reshaped content prioritization strategy, focusing on operational execution clarity rather than general product explanation.

The knowledge base evolved into:

• A decision-support system
• A risk-mitigation tool
• An AI-grounded retrieval layer
• A certification-aligned learning engine

Organizational impact

This initiative transformed enablement from fragmented documentation into an integrated learning and execution ecosystem.

illumin gained:

• Structured AI-ready knowledge architecture
• Execution-aligned documentation prioritization
• Embedded interactive product guidance
• Formalized certification pathways
• Mature governance and analytics reporting

Sample

View the live knowledge base & AI Agent
Look for the NowAssist icon in the bottom right to see how the AI synthesizes my documentation into real-time answers.