This case study will encompass every stage of the development process for the Logixboard (LXB) dashboard redesign, starting from the initial research phase up to the final design and prototype creation.
Overview
The dashboard serves as the primary landing page for our platform, presenting us with an opportunity to create a positive first impression. Our product reflects the needs of our key customers, referred to as "C1," who often utilize our product as a sales tool.
The objective of this redesign is to create a visually engaging and user-friendly dashboard that enables C1 to leave a lasting impression on their own customers, known as C2.
The dashboard acts as a starting point for C2 to carry out their daily tasks. Upon accessing the dashboard, they can:
- Understand upcoming tasks that require planning
- Identify urgent matters or issues
- Review any pending items that need attention
While the dashboard does not provide detailed information or allow for direct actions, it offers a summary of their responsibilities with C1, guiding them on their next steps.
Problem statement
Problem 1: Planning for upcoming moves
C2s need to ensure they have the right goods, space, and staffing. Knowing what’s going to be moving in the near future will help them plan accordingly to have the most efficient operations.
Problem 2: Knowing when things have changed or gone wrong
Logistics are complicated and having something in the plans change can have a large impact to the overall business. Helping C2s quickly understand when something has changed or gone wrong (and action they can take to resolve it) can help reduce wasted time and money.
Problem 3: Knowing what needs to be actioned
Keeping the supply chain moving is critical to the success of a business. Reducing the turnaround time for the planning of a job or resolution of issues results in saved time, money, and resources.
Users and audience
Logistics Manager - (C2)
As a logistics manager I am responsible for
ensuring goods get to where they need to be as planned.
I need to ensure goods are moving as expected and nothing has changed.
If critical dates have changed, I need to know right away so that I can plan downstream and ensure my operations are not disrupted.
Sourcing/Procurement - (C2)
As a member of the procurement team I am responsible for
securing goods from our suppliers.
I need to know that my orders are progressing as expected and if action is needed from me, I want to know right away so I don’t disrupt the supply chain.
If we’re low on stock in the warehouse, I need to know so I can replenish the goods via a supplier order.
Logixboard principal customers - (C1)
These are medium to large freight companies with a wide range of clients. They provide various services in the freight industry for transporting goods, both on a national and international level.
Roles and responsibilities
Me: Lead Product Designer
Maricel: Sr Product Owner
Logan: Lead developer + team of 5 Developers (backend and frontend)
Scope and constraints
The main goal of redesigning and refreshing this dashboard was to enhance the usability of each module displayed on the page.
The dashboard had remained untouched and unchanged since its initial launch. Various teams had independently added modules, resulting in a cluttered layout lacking coherence.
Team C1 expressed increasing dissatisfaction and frustration due to the confusion caused by the dashboard, as it did not offer the necessary support and clarity required for their daily tasks.
Internally, the main challenges and obstacles revolved around collaborating with a small group of developers for a large-scale project.
At the same time, the design team was overhauling and modernizing the design component library, with some members of the development team rebuilding it entirely.
These two major initiatives were being executed concurrently.
Process and what I did
1- Preparation Work - requirements, milestones and customer interviews
Working closely with the Product Manager/Owner, I leveraged my established relationships with CSRs and clients (C1) from past projects to proactively engage with the CSRs and personally conduct interviews with the designated clients.
Many of the following steps were happening simultaneously
Looking at the supporting data - Mixpanel Observations
Upon reviewing and leveraging mixpanel we noticed the following
The most common tabs directly visited after loading the dashboard
Shipment Explorer (~29%)
Dashboard (~19%)
Container Explorer (6%)
Most common actions taken after loading the dashboard
Calendar entity toggle clicked (Estimated Arrivals → Shipments vs Containers toggle)
Calendar filter applied (Estimated Arrivals)
This Week’s Arrivals toggle clicked (This Week’s Arrivals → Shipments vs Containers toggle)
Search
Since releasing the large search bar on the dashboard (Aug. 8th, 2023), 10.62% of users who have visited the dashboard have used the search bar in the same session.
16.8% visited the search page in the same session
Establishing use case scenarios and milestones
Aggregating and ranking CSR dashboard feedback and requests from Customers (C1 and C2)
At Logixboard, we utilized ProductBoard to manage feature requests, ideas, and enhancements. Each feedback or request was categorized with tags for convenient compilation into lists.
Scheduling customer interviews by connecting with customer service representatives for Clients (C1) Research and Interview
From the feedback collected in productboard, I put together a list of potential clients to interview. I also developed a set of open-ended questions to use during one-on-one interviews.
2- Design Research
Exploring and analyzing design patterns that align with the requirements of each project and resonate with my creative vision.
Developing the information architecture flow for the existing Dashboard
In this phase of intensive research, I ensure to thoroughly analyze and comprehend the functionality of each module, including their purpose and integration within the overall application.
Dashboard - Initial visual concepts
Throughout the initial phase of exploration in design, I worked together with a designer from the marketing team to develop several additional visual concepts. None of these concepts were intended to be functional.
This exercise proved valuable in pushing our creative boundaries and exploring new possibilities, resulting in visuals that were quite distinct from our existing work at that time.
Additional concepts emerged as we shifted our attention to a practical framework, integrating specific ideas that I had started to develop during the domestic/trucking project.
Initial dashboard designs for customer review
These are a few of the preliminary designs presented in the second round of client interviews. Utilizing visuals enabled me to observe changes in responses as well as initial instinctual reactions.
My objective was not solely focused on creating a simpler and more functional product but also on ensuring that it was more intuitive and enjoyable for our customers.
During the creation of these initial designs, I began working on the component library for this project.
While improving our visual presentation, specific elements from the trucking/domestic project and the dashboard redesign project formed the basis for updating components that were widely used across the application.
Final Design
Collaborating closely with engineers and annotating designs to guarantee the preservation of all details throughout quick iterations and enhancements to the component library.
Providing a telemetry checklist to ensure that all crucial elements were monitored for future measurement of success and identification of areas for improvement.
Outcomes and lessons
Undertaking this large project involved numerous rounds of customer interviews and internal reviews and refinements.
An important lesson learned was that the project became even more challenging for everyone when developed alongside the overhaul of the component library.
Communicating the changes made at the component level and their impact on the final designs proved to be particularly demanding for the development team. This experience truly put our communication skills and tools to the test and required each of us to exercise more patience.
This project successfully demonstrated that Agile work can be effectively carried out remotely. I am deeply grateful for and appreciative of all the team members I had the opportunity to collaborate with throughout every stage of this endeavor.
Desktop and Mobile Prototypes
