Role: Lead UX | Conception, IA, Research, Visual Design
Overview
Managing multiple accounts on mobile devices can be overwhelming due to cluttered interfaces, slow navigation, and poor accessibility. This project focused on redesigning Smartgistics' mobile account listing experience for both brokers and admins, with a goal of significantly improving usability, efficiency, and accessibility.
Goals
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Enhance Usability and Speed:
Optimize performance for fast loading and seamless navigation. -
Streamline Key Workflows:
Focus on essential actions like account switching, searching, filtering, and admin controls. -
Ensure Consistency and Scalability:
Maintain brand consistency with the desktop experience while allowing flexibility for future feature growth. -
Improve Mobile Accessibility and Interaction:
Design for touch-first interactions with gesture-based efficiencies and minimal-tap navigation.
Tools
- Figma (Wireframing and Prototyping)
- Microsoft Teams and Slack (User interviews and usability testing)
- Google Docs (User feedback/surveys)
Problem
Users found it challenging to quickly locate and manage their accounts due to:
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An unstructured layout
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Lack of filtering options
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Inefficient navigation patterns
Additionally, administrators required the ability to perform essential account management actions—such as modifying ownership, viewing shipment data, and handling account permissions—on the go without complex workflows.
Users
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Brokers:
Responsible for managing shipments, coordinating deliveries, and maintaining communication between shippers and carriers. Their roles are fast-paced and require minimal friction during interactions. -
Admins:
Oversee account management, user access, and logistics operations. Their workflows are more strategic but demand responsiveness due to the dynamic nature of logistics data.
My Role
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Led user research, stakeholder interviews, and competitor analysis
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Created information architecture tailored for mobile usage
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Developed wireframes, prototypes, and final visual designs
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Advocated for touch-first, performance-driven design
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Ensured scalability and consistency with desktop systems
Process
Research & Insights
User Interviews and Usability Testing:
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Shadowed and interviewed three brokers (across different seniority levels) and two admins, plus the CEO
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Focused on pain points, speed of task completion, and mobile behavior
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Measured task times to capture real-world usage patterns
Competitor Analysis:
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Analyzed best practices from financial and SaaS platforms with strong account listing UIs
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Focused on mobile filtering, gesture-based interactions, and information prioritization
Key Insights:
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Users desired quick, glanceable account information
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Intuitive filtering and powerful search were top priorities
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Gesture-based actions (e.g., swipe to act) were favored over traditional tap-based workflows
Multi-Phase Design Approach
Recognizing the differences between desktop and mobile needs, we prioritized essential daily workflows on mobile while ensuring future scalability:
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Streamlined account management features
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Optimized search and filter functionality
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Emphasized responsive layouts and intuitive tap/swipe interactions
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Deliberately excluded non-essential desktop functions to avoid mobile clutter
Wireframes and prototypes were continuously validated with user feedback to ensure real-world usability for brokers and admins alike.
Outcomes
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Increased Readiness:
Brokers could now manage customer interactions immediately instead of waiting to return to an office, reducing lost opportunities. -
Instant Feedback:
Brokers and admins could instantly check shipment details, credit information, or performance metrics on the go. -
Operational Efficiency:
Admins gained real-time access to account management, boosting team oversight without being tied to a desk.
Reflection
This project highlighted the importance of prioritizing key workflows when moving from desktop to mobile. By focusing on fast access, intuitive interactions, and the real needs of brokers and admins, we created a solution that not only improved task speed but also increased user satisfaction and operational flexibility.