Modernizing UX With Strategic Design
Rethinking the User Experience of Two Supply-Chain Platforms
Impact & Results
Modernizing Enterprise UX
Simplified legacy supply-chain workflows to reduce friction and improve usability across decades-old complex planning systems
Scaling Design Systems
Delivered more than 80 low-fidelity wireframes, 40+ high-fidelity mockups, and two end-to-end prototypes in a rapid, three-month engagement
Streamlining Project Delivery
Built 50+ reusable Figma components to standardize UI patterns across multiple SAS product modules
Stakeholder Communication
Served as a primary client presenter, guiding stakeholders through deliverables to strengthen internal confidence and advance decision-making
Original Demand Planning dashboard: Scattered color palette, confusing layout, outdated feel
Low-fidelity mockups created by the Globant team: new features and a modernized layout
High-fidelity mockups created by the Globant team: new color palette, a clean and organized layout, and updated product features
The Project
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As an Independent Contractor hired to be the Visual Design Lead, I immersed myself in all aspects of the project. From analyzing user interviews and crafting a Strategic Vision document to leading the visual design direction for the high-fidelity mockups, my involvement spanned the project lifecycle. I was one of three primary presenters to the client and was responsible for sharing the team’s findings and deliverables directly with SAS stakeholders, guiding them through prototypes, and facilitating discussions. My leadership and clear communication helped manage client expectations and drive the project to success.
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SAS Institute Inc. hired a team of eight visual and UX designers from digital agency, Globant, to develop modernized design solutions for two of their most powerful supply-chain platforms, Demand and Assortment Planning. Seeking my skills in visual design, storytelling, and leadership, and because of my past experience as a UX and Visual Designer at Globant, I was requested by senior leadership at the agency to support the project as an independent contractor.
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Logistically, the scope, tight timeline, and amount of stakeholders and designers involved in this project offered both immense opportunity and challenge. SAS Assortment and Demand Planning tools require years of training (some stakeholders had been at the company 10+ years), and the Globant team was required to onboard, analyze, synthesize, design, and deliver modernized solutions in a timeframe of just three months.
Additionally, the existing systems provided a series of unique challenges. After user research and interviews, we identified key system challenges and user pain points to prioritiz in the UX Modernization process. Some of the pain points heard repeatedly included:
“Too clicky”: Dissatisfying user experience with too many clicks required to accomplish a goalSteep learning curve: While some users had over a decade of experience in the platform, newcomers were faced with steep learning curves and overwhelming amounts of data and possible actions
Lack of personalization: System was not set up to adapt to the preferences and settings of unique users
Out-dated look & feel: Team felt uninspired and fatigued with the user interface
Inability to quickly update data: Platform lacked simple UX elements, like viewing images in a grid or row
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Throughout the engagement, the SAS and Globant team operated within an agile methodology in order to foster collaboration and allow for a flexible and iterative design process. With the guidance of a project manager, the Globant design team relied on the principles of scrum and worked within a series of sprints. Daily sprint meetings and team updates kept the designers aligned and quickly called out roadblocks.
The project scope highlighted a four-phase design thinking process which set expectations and identified key deliverables. The four phases were broken down into Immersion & Analysis, Define & Design, Test & Iterate, and Refine & Deliver.
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At the end of the three-month engagement, the Globant design team had produced a huge amount of work. Included in the final deliverables were two in-depth journey maps, more than 80 low-fidelity wireframes, an updated taxonomy, design-system documentation, more than 40 high-fidelity mockups, two entirely clickable high-fidelity prototypes (one for the Demand Planning experience and one for the Assortment Planning experience), and 50 new Figma components to be added to existing SAS Figma libraries. Globant’s workflows and findings were presented weekly in sessions with SAS stakeholders, producing a vast library of insights and process documentation.
Figma Components
As part of this project, over 50 new Figma components and instances were created to easily showcase different states and features in the wireframes created for SAS Institute.
The Four Phase Design Thinking Process
Immersion & Analysis
In this initial phase, the Globant team conducted interviews and evaluations to understand the existing SAS Assortment and Planning experiences, identify pain points, and outline potential solutions. In-depth visual design research analyzed competitor solutions and identified themes and trends across similar technology platforms.
Define & Design
User-centered design defined phase two of the project. The Globant team created customer journeys, user personas, roadmaps, and storyboards. Keeping the user at the center of this phase allowed the team to better understand critical workflows within the SAS Platform and prioritize initiatives for the prototyping phase.
Refine & Deliver
In the final phase, the visual design team developed more than 40 high-fidelity mockups and two clickable prototypes for the Demand and Assortment Planning experiences. Updates were made to existing SAS Figma libraries including the adoption of a new icon style and over 50 new components and instances were created.
Test & Iterate
With approved user personas and roadmaps in hand, the Globant team created low-fidelity clickable prototypes, incorporating new features and a modernized look and feel. Stakeholder user tests shed light on adaptability and ease-of-use. Daily sprint meetings tracked progress and kept the team on target to meet tight deadlines.
Assortment Planning Prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype of the Assortment Planning Platform provided a full look into how a user could create and manage a plan for an upcoming season, analyze products, and track team progress.