Waypoint

Waypoint is an internal HR workflow tool that guides managers, HR partners, and team members through corrective action processes. I designed the system to reduce cognitive overload, clarify decision points, and create a more transparent and humane experience, especially for infrequent users navigating high-stakes situations.

My Role

Product Designer

Timeline

December 2025

Tools

Figma

Disclaimer: This project has been anonymized and redesigned to honor confidentiality and NDA requirements. All branding, naming, and visual/UI details shown here are conceptual and do not represent the original client.

Problem & Context

The project began without a defined system to redesign. Our team did not have access to an existing tool or a clear source of truth for how the work was currently being done. Instead, we entered at the earliest stage of the process, focused on understanding what teams thought they needed, how work was actually being completed across departments, and where existing workflows were breaking down. Through interviews, documentation review, and collaborative working sessions, we gathered requirements from multiple stakeholder groups to map current and idealized workflows. The goal was not to improve an existing interface, but to define the structure, logic, and information flows of a new internal system from the ground up.

Discovery & Understanding

01
Interpreting Research
Our UX researcher completed the foundational research and provided extensive notes, early sketches, and detailed requirements. From there, my creative manager and I worked closely with the researcher to interpret the findings, question assumptions, and translate research insights into usable structures. This process involved ongoing discussion, fact-checking, and revisiting decisions as our understanding of the core problems evolved.
02
Identifying Decision Friction
By synthesizing insights across roles and workflows, we surfaced critical decision points, emotional considerations, and moments of cognitive overload. This helped us pinpoint where users hesitated, felt unsure, or struggled to understand what action was required next.
03
Translating Insight into Structure
These insights directly informed the design direction. We aligned with researchers and client partners on the essential tasks the workflow needed to support, then used that clarity to structure the new flow, prioritize decision-making, and reduce cognitive load for infrequent, high-stakes use.

01

Interpreting Research

Our UX researcher completed the foundational research and provided extensive notes, early sketches, and detailed requirements. From there, my creative manager and I worked closely with the researcher to interpret the findings, question assumptions, and translate research insights into usable structures. This process involved ongoing discussion, fact-checking, and revisiting decisions as our understanding of the core problems evolved.

Translating Insight into Structure

These insights directly informed the design direction. We aligned with researchers and client partners on the essential tasks the workflow needed to support, then used that clarity to structure the new flow, prioritize decision-making, and reduce cognitive load for infrequent, high-stakes use.

03

Identifying Decision Friction

By synthesizing insights across roles and workflows, we surfaced critical decision points, emotional considerations, and moments of cognitive overload. This helped us pinpoint where users hesitated, felt unsure, or struggled to understand what action was required next.

02

Early Exploration Artifacts

Before joining the project, the team had produced a set of early sketches and flow explorations to map the corrective action process. I used these artifacts as inputs rather than solutions, analyzing them to surface decision points, role complexity, and moments of uncertainty that needed clearer structure. 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.

Design Strategy in Practice

Turning high-level strategy into practical, human-centered design decisions.

Less mental effort, especially under pressure

We focused on breaking complex decisions into smaller, manageable steps so users could move forward with confidence, even in high-stakes situations.

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.

Only what’s needed, when it’s needed

Information and actions were revealed gradually to keep screens focused and prevent users from feeling overwhelmed by too many options at once.

Clarity without prior familiarity

The system needed to work just as well for someone using it for the first time as it did for experienced users, without relying on memory or training.

Predictable patterns build trust

Consistent layouts, language, and interaction patterns helped create a sense of stability during emotionally charged or time-sensitive moments.

Guiding users through critical choices

The interface was designed to actively support decision-making, clearly signaling next steps and reducing hesitation at key points in the workflow.

One system, multiple perspectives

While roles and responsibilities varied, the underlying structure remained consistent to ensure clarity and reliability across different users and scenarios.

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.