Product Design
Project Snapshot
My Role
Product Designer
The Team
Lead Designer
UX Researcher
Cross-functional partners at the client organization
Timeline
January – March 2024
Tools
Figma
Where We Started
Internal workflow tools often prioritize compliance, record-keeping, and technical requirements over clarity or usability, and this system reflected that pattern. The institution asked our team to reimagine their corrective-actions platform to improve transparency, reduce friction, and help users move through sensitive, time-dependent tasks with more confidence. Prior work completed before I joined had revealed just how complex the existing process had become — with multiple roles, branching paths, and nuanced scenarios that were not well supported by the interface or underlying structure. Whether the solution involved redesigning an existing tool or developing a clearer new version of it, the objective remained the same: to create a more intuitive, resilient, and strategically aligned workflow experience that better supported both frequent and infrequent users.
The Problem
Background
The corrective-action workflow had been used across the organization for years, but it had become increasingly difficult for people to navigate. Most of what we understood about the previous experience came from conversations, documentation, and process overviews shared by the client team and by my colleague who had been working with them before I joined. These materials showed that the system involved many roles and branching paths, yet the experience didn’t clearly support that complexity, often requiring more effort than expected and leaving users unsure of where they were in the process or what to do next.
What Wasn't Working
Why It Mattered
Corrective-action processes involve sensitive decisions, strict timelines, and documentation requirements. When a workflow is confusing, the result isn’t just inefficiency — it’s added stress for users who are already handling emotionally charged tasks. Improving clarity was crucial not only for operational accuracy, but also for supporting the people who rely on the system during challenging moments.
Discovery & Understanding
When I joined the project, the research team had already completed stakeholder interviews and early sketches. Rather than repeat discovery, the lead designer and I focused on interpreting, questioning, and synthesizing the wealth of information that already existed. This synthesis phase became our true discovery, centered not on gathering new data but on transforming existing insights into a clearer, actionable direction. We collaborated closely with our researcher and with client partners to validate assumptions, identify missing context, and align on what the new experience needed to support at every stage of the corrective-action journey. This process helped us build shared clarity about the essential tasks, emotional considerations, and structural improvements required for the redesign.
Design Strategy
Goals
Make the workflow clear and easy to follow
The experience needed to guide users step by step with less cognitive load, helping them understand where they were in the process, what was required of them, and what would come next.
Reduce friction and mental effort throughout the process
Many users found the workflow more demanding than expected, so we focused on creating a structure that felt manageable rather than overwhelming, even during high-pressure situations.
Support consistent, confident use across all roles and scenarios
The system needed to work equally well for individuals who interacted with it regularly and for those who used it only occasionally, offering the same clarity and reliability regardless of familiarity.
Guiding Principles
Clarity first
Information, actions, and language should feel immediately understandable without requiring interpretation, ensuring users feel oriented from the moment they enter the workflow.
Only what’s needed
Each screen should provide the right amount of guidance at the right time, focusing attention on what matters and removing anything that could cause distraction or confusion.
Confidence through structure
The interface should create a sense of reassurance, giving users a predictable, supportive environment during moments when decisions carry weight and ambiguity adds stress.
Exploration & Decisions
Although I entered the project with detailed documentation and low-fidelity sketches, much of the design work involved simplifying complexity and translating nuanced workflows into something intuitive. We reviewed each potential screen, branching path, and decision point through the lens of clarity: what is essential, what can be removed, and what needs re-sequencing to reduce confusion. Throughout this exploration, our team shared sketches, challenged assumptions, and met frequently with client partners to refine flows and validate direction. We focused on reducing ambiguity, consolidating scattered information, and reinforcing a sense of progression so users always understood where they were in the process and what needed to happen next.
Final Experience
The final experience emphasized clarity, flow, and ease of understanding. Users gained a clearer sense of orientation and could create, assign, and track corrective actions without feeling overwhelmed. Screens were organized with a more intentional hierarchy, language and labels were made consistent, and key actions were placed in locations that aligned with user expectations. Field structures were simplified, and status indicators made ownership, progress, and next steps more visible. The result was a workflow system that reduced friction, increased confidence, and supported users through sensitive tasks with a greater sense of structure and direction.