Overview

I led UX design for a suite of classified enterprise tools supporting non-linear workflows across a dashboard of interconnected systems (hubs and spokes). Due to confidentiality constraints, this case study focuses on design strategy and outcomes rather than visual artifacts.

Role & Scope

Senior UX Designer

• Led interaction design and information architecture across complex product system
• Evolved a shared design system used across teams
• Facilitated alignment with product, engineering, and domain stakeholders
• Owned usability strategy for complex, high-stakes workflows

Tools: Figma, FigJam, Atlassian Suite

Design Challenges

• Users needed to configure and evaluate virtualization tests with many dependencies
• Workflows were non-linear and often crossed product boundaries
• High cognitive load due to system scale, interdependencies, and domain complexity
• Strong need for consistency and predictability in mission-critical environments

The core challenge was enabling expert users to move quickly and confidently without overwhelming them.

Design Approach

Design System Leadership
I began by auditing the existing design system to identify which patterns users already trusted. Rather than introducing novel interactions, I focused on:

• Simplifying and standardizing existing patterns
• Eliminating extraneous variation between patterns
• Preserving familiar behaviors to reduce user-retraining fatigue

As new features were designed, components and patterns were intentionally folded back into the Figma library, allowing it to evolve into a scalable foundation. I also authored and refined usability guidelines to ensure consistent access and cross-team usability.

Complex Workflow & Configuration Design
A key product I designed was a tool (Battle Management Aid) that allowed users to assemble defense assets from an inventory, sequence them, and assess performance.

Key UX considerations included:

• Supporting experimentation of sequence performance
• Making outcomes visible before commitment through map renderings
• Providing clear performance feedback

After configuration, users could run simulations to understand operational or geographic implications and compare the results to existing defense coverage. The design prioritized clarity, reversibility, and rapid comprehension.

Information Architecture & Cognitive Load Reduction
Traditional linear step-by-step wizards proved cumbersome due to cross-product dependencies (e.g. data from elsewhere feeds into and informs the current workspace). To address this challenge, I focused on:

• Capability to save configurations in one product and load them into another
• A centralized hub-like workspace
• Clear navigation indicators

I helped design a dashboard that provided a system-level overview, allowing users to orient themselves without mentally reconstructing the entire process.

“You’d be the second person I’d hire if I were to start my own company. My partner would be the first.”

Tomiko Thompson, Senior Systems Engineer at IDT