PRODUCT DESIGN
Software Asset Management Workspace
PRODUCT ROADMAPPING
UX UI DESIGN
RAPID ITERATIONS
Role
Lead Product Designer
Deliverables
Site Flows
Roadmap
Mockup Design
Technical Documentation
Team
Sr. Engagement Manager
Sr. Technical Consultant
Sr. Business Process Consultant
Certified Master Architect
Duration
6 weeks (Nov 2024)
Tools
Figma
Table of Contents
HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED
Summary
Client
In the Top 5 Largest Banks in the world. A Big Four Amercian Bank. Fortune 500.
Mission
This international bank required a quick turn around on product solution to simplify the management of thousands of software contracts, overseeing tens of billions of dollars. Their existing tool struggled with growing complexity, fragmented data management, and limited collaboration across stakeholders and contracts.
My Contribution
As the Lead Designer, I navigated a constrained timeline and limited user access by leveraging my experience and expertise to distill the design process down to its essentials. Ensuring we remained on time and on budget without sacrificing usability.
I conducted a comprehensive review of the current state, identifying key usability gaps and inefficiencies. With a strategic, user-centered approach, I led the creation of a custom solution that transformed intricate workflows into a structured, intuitive experience.
By focusing on high-impact design decisions, I delivered high-fidelity mockups and conducted targeted stakeholder reviews to drive alignment quickly. Improving data organization, streamlined collaboration, and ensured contract data was reviewed and published efficiently.
Despite project constraints, my approach ensured a high-quality, scalable solution, balancing business goals, user needs, and technical feasibility to successfully deliver on schedule.
COOL! BUT WAS IT SUCCESSFUL?
Measurable Impact
Fewer Errors & Resubmissions
Streamlined data entry and validation reduced manual errors, leading to fewer rejected contracts and smoother approvals.
Increased Efficiency
Reduced compliance risks, prevented unnecessary costs, ensured timely access to critical tools, improved financial forecasting.
Higher Adoption & Usability
Intuitive design reduced onboarding time and made it easier for teams to navigate complex contract workflows with minimal training.
1000+ Contracts
Efficiently managing contracts with automated tracking, structured workflows, and real-time updates helping to stay on top of renewals, compliance, and vendor agreements.
Enhanced Collaboration
Enabled real-time visibility and updates across multiple teams, cutting down communication gaps and approval bottlenecks.
$1B + Assets Managed
Over a billion dollars in software agreements, ensuring cost control, regulatory compliance, and strategic financial planning for long-term business success.
THINGS WILL GO WRONG, PLAN FOR IT.
The Challenge
This project presented four key challenges:
Tight Timeline
We had 6 weeks to complete this high-profile project, requiring our most senior team, strategic prioritization of the design process, rapid iteration, and close alignment with stakeholders to ensure we delivered a solid solution.
Outside Development Team
Development was led by the client’s internal team, with our senior team providing guidance. Their technical expertise was unknown, so I anticipated knowledge gaps. This meant I had to approach design differently. Simplifying the process for end users, but also ensuring the solution was technically feasible. I treated the developers as a user group of their own, creating an intuitive solution that balanced usability and technical constraints.
Limited User Access
Having limited access with end users beyond the project team, we relied on key stakeholders with extensive business context. While this provided expert insight, it limited our ability to validate designs across a broader user base.
Complexity & Phased Implementation
While I learn quickly, fully grasping every nuance of their system in a constrained timeline wasn’t realistic. To tackle this, I took a phased approach:
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Created a flexible template design that could be repurposed for different contract types, ensuring scalability.
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Mapped out a structured redesign in phases, allowing us to focus on delivering one core function exceptionally well, while setting the stage for future iterations.
PROCESS & APPROACH
Getting Started
Approach
Given the tight timeline and the client-led development, I took a strategic, user-centered approach to ensure both usability and feasibility. My process focused on rapid iteration, clear documentation, and close collaboration with both end users and the client’s development team.
Discovery and Alignment
Assessed the existing SAM Workspace, identified pain points, & aligned priorities with stakeholders.
Rapid Design and Validation
Creating High-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes, gathering early feedback.
Designing for Dual Users
Simplified workflows for end users while ensuring technical feasibility for the client’s developers.
Collaboration
Worked closely with devs to ensure build feasibility, providing clear design documentation for the client.
Timeline
Using my experience and expertise, I distilled the design process to the necessities to fit within our schedule and remain on time and on budget.
Their Old System
I first conducted a reverse demonstration to assess the existing product, uncovering key user personas, workflows, and pain points. This helped us identify inefficiencies and define success, shaping our approach to a more intuitive solution. This helped us identify inefficiencies and define success, shaping our approach to a more user-centred solution. Their systems were outdated, segmented, and not intuitive.
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*Note these are scrubbed recreations of their old system. No data or content was pulled from the original client.
USER & BUSINESS INSIGHTS
Understanding
The Process Flow
I relied on stakeholder interviews, system audits, and past user insights to map out existing workflows. I conducted a comprehensive review of the current system, identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and usability pain points. This allowed me to pinpoint critical areas for improvement while ensuring the new solution fit seamlessly within their operational framework.
Creating A User Persona with Limited User Access
With no direct access to most end users, I took a research-driven approach to persona development. I worked closely with key stakeholders who had deep organizational knowledge, leveraging their expertise to understand:
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Who the users are (roles, responsibilities, pain points).
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How they interact with contract workflows (needs, behaviours, challenges).
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What factors impact their efficiency (technical skill levels, collaboration points).
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With a foundation based in UX Research, I created data-informed personas that represented real user needs despite limited direct feedback. This persona helped guide design decisions.
WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
The Solution
This tool makes contract management easier by guiding users through key steps like drafting, review, and final approval. Ensuring clarity and reducing errors. Dashboards provide real-time visibility, making it easy to see which contracts need attention.
Designed For Simplicity & Collaboration
Enabling employees to work faster, with fewer mistakes, and improving completion rates. Smart automation and predictive intelligence enable faster, more informed decisions, ensuring data accuracy.
Designed with Technical Considerations
To make sure it was practical to build, I worked closely with developers, leveraging best design practices and combining it with existing content and improving past layouts where needed.
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
Next Steps
Given the time constraints, our team delivered an exceptional product. However, if the engagement were extended, my approach would focus on further validation, refinement, and iteration to maximize usability and adoption. Ensuring the product is not only functional but also optimized for real-world use, driving long-term value and business impact.
1. User Testing & Validation
Conduct structured user testing to evaluate contract creation and management flows. Measure success rates, time to task completion, click rates, and qualitative feedback to assess usability and identify any missing or confusing features.
2. Iterate
Refine the product based on feedback and conduct another round of user testing.
3. Plan for Future Enhancements , Like Mobile!
To keep improving the product, I’d map out a roadmap for future extentions and new features. A key area to explore is a mobile app. Users are on the go, and their tools should be too. I’d rethink the step-by-step form for small screens, test with users to validate the flow, and gather feedback on what works, paying attention to things like core interactions, content hierarchy, and accessibility. The goal is to keep things simple and clear while handling complex tasks. Features like save-as-you-go, offline access, security compliance, and using the camera to upload documents would make the experience even smoother.
COOL THINGS
