The platform helped construction teams track workers, equipment, safety and site activity, but its growing feature set had made common tasks hard to find. I led its first redesign, mapping user journeys and access across four roles before reorganising the navigation around the tasks people came to complete.
0
onboarding routesconnected to one worker record
0
access roleswith different levels of visibility
0
core questionsused to organise the product
−54.7%
reported drop-off rateafter version 2.0 launched
RoleProduct / UX Designer
Time2024
ScopeUser journeys · Information architecture · Initial design system
01
Features grew faster than the navigation
The platform tracked workers, equipment, safety, and activity across construction sites. As features were added, related tasks ended up in separate sections. My screen audit found common actions buried in deep menus or repeated in different places.
The earlier interface showed the problem in three ways:
Insights: Five unlabelled icons mixed the type of information with the worker, company, or asset being viewed.
Location: A solid colour overlay obscured the floor plan people needed to read.
Safety: Alerts appeared over the timesheet instead of staying with the relevant worker record.
Insights
Location
Safety
Earlier screens. Names, projects, and companies obscured.
product walkthrough
The redesign
Who is on site, and does that match the plan?
A clearer starting point for Daily Insights.
02
Map onboarding and access
Before changing the navigation, I mapped how a worker entered and moved through the platform. A manager could add one person, upload a crew, or invite workers to register through a QR code or link. Each route needed to lead to a worker record used for certificates, badges, assignments, and time on site.
I also mapped access across four roles. Some users needed a view across several projects; others worked within one site. These maps established two requirements for the redesign: bring related worker information together, and show each role the tools and projects they could use.
Ways in
Add one personA manager enters their details
Upload a crewMany workers at once
Invite to registerBy QR code or link
Worker recordCertificates · badges · assignments · time on site
What follows
Add certificatesTrack expiryCompliance
Assign a badgeTime on sitePresence
Assign workAssignmentCompany · cost code
RolePortfolioWorkforceEnterpriseProject tools
Super adminRuns the platform
Enterprise adminRuns a company's projects
Project adminRuns one or more sites
Other usersFollow progress
FullOwn projects or view onlyHidden
03
Choose what belongs at the top
The product organised information along two dimensions: the task a user came to complete and the worker, company, or asset involved.
My first proposal grouped the navigation by object. Workforce, Companies, and Assets each contained their own insights, location, and records. This reflected how the data was organised, but it made common site management questions span several sections.
I changed the primary navigation to reflect the task. A manager checking who is on site could open Daily Insights, then view employees, companies, or assets within it. Resources followed the same object pattern for records. Location kept the floor plan as its main workflow.
How is it going?Daily InsightsTop levelWhere is it?LocationTop levelWhat's on record?ResourcesTop levelWorkersTop levelHours, overtime, check-inWho is on which floorProfile, documents, safety auditCompaniesTop levelActual against budgeted crewCompanies on each floorManagers, workers, approvalsAssetsTop levelUtilisation and operatorAssets on each floorTracker, maintenance, cost code
Each row becomes a section; the questions repeat inside it.
Each column becomes a section; the objects become tabs inside it.
Resulting navigation
ProductionBIM · Location · Schedule
WorkforceInsights · Location · Manage
CompaniesInsights · Location · Manage
AssetsInsights · Location · Manage
SafetyOrientation · Reports · JHA
HardwareGateways · Sensors · Wearables
Alerts · Project settings
DashboardOverview · Production · Safety
Schedule
LocationFloor plans
Report
Daily InsightsCompany · Employee · Asset
ResourcesEmployee · Company · Asset
Onboarding
HardwareWearables · Gateways · Sensors
Project settings · Help
Four rules guided the redesign
01
Two levels, then a panel.
Users move from a section to an object tab. Record details open beside the list so they can act without losing their place.
02
Set up location once.
Managers draw zones on a floor plan; those locations can then be used across insights, timesheets, and safety information.
03
Keep status with the record.
Consistent row markers and status colours make flagged items recognisable across lists.
04
Adjust access by role.
Portfolio-level tools appear for users who work across projects. Within a project, navigation reflects each user’s permissions.
One pattern for worker, company, and asset records
Each record starts with a list and opens a detail panel. In the company view, flagged and unauthorised workers and pending approvals appear before less urgent information.
Company list and detail panel.
The onboarding map also informed the worker record. Certificates show mandatory requirements and expiry; self-registrations enter a pending approval queue; badge activity stays available alongside the worker’s details.
Worker record with documents and status.
Floor plan setup.
For location, managers calibrate a floor plan, draw zones, and place sensors in three guided steps. The plan remains visible while they define each zone.
1Calibrate2Draw zones3Place sensors
04
Build an initial design system
I created an initial design system alongside the redesign, covering colour, typography, components, and status patterns. I worked with the founder and product manager on the website’s colour direction while a graphic designer developed the logo. The system gave the team reusable interface decisions for the redesigned screens and subsequent work.
Platform design systemPoppins · blue + gold · 4px spacing
Version 2.0 launched with the revised navigation, redesigned screens for insights and records, the location workflow, and the initial design system.
~2×sessions
2×+pages per session
−54.7%drop-off rate
−50.9%bounce rate
+21.5%average session length
Company product analytics reported approximately 2× sessions, more than 2× pages per session, 54.7% lower drop-off, 50.9% lower bounce rate, and 21.5% longer average sessions compared with the previous version. The release included other product changes, so these figures describe the version’s performance rather than the isolated effect of the redesign.
Takeaway
The key decision was to organise the top-level navigation by task, then let people switch between workers, companies and assets within each section. Version 2.0 shipped with that structure, redesigned records and insights, a guided location workflow and an initial design system. Company analytics improved after the release, which also included other product changes; I cannot isolate the redesign’s effect.
