The challenge

The main challenge was making the UI understandable and working out the main user needs. It all started with a rather complex framework that is the basis of the entire solution: each company that wants its tool on the site fills in the framework, and the tool then appears there. End users can search all the tools with filters to find the one most suitable for them.

I couldn't do much in-depth user testing, so I looked for other ways to decide. This was one of the first projects where I used AI (mostly ChatGPT and Figma's AI tools) for a lot of decisions. I always aimed for at least two or three possible solutions, then chose the best one based on my expertise, the fit with the product and its technical capabilities. The final decision was always mine.

Midway through the designs, the brand was updated and we had to migrate to it. All the components had been created by me during the project, and I only got fonts and colors with a few examples to go by. The layouts stayed the same, but almost every component got a new look, and with the new color scheme some layers were inverted, for example a dark background with light cards flipped around, or the other way round.

Key decisions

• How much help to give. There are many specific terms, so we had to decide what level of knowledge to design for. With the team we chose more help over less, adding tooltips on hover to anything not self-explanatory.

• Excel or online form. Providers have a login area to edit their offer, get verified, add users and more. Would they prefer to upload a file or fill in a form? We implemented both, to see which works best over time.

• The user life cycle. We kept coming back to how valuable a feature is to the user, based on how long and how often they visit. Does someone who cares about one or two features need a complex filtering system?

• Accessible by default. I checked colour contrast, used clear labels on inputs and controls, and followed common accessibility standards and good practice across the components.

The results

The complicated framework behind the product has been made as understandable as possible, with the option to read more about various topics. Tool providers have their own dashboard to manage their tool, update its logic and more. Many have joined and added their tools so far, and no major issues have come up with the logic.

Next steps

At least one round of user testing is next. Even if the result is positive, it would confirm that the decisions so far were in the right direction and that no major problems are hiding in the product. It would also be worth looking at whether providers choose the Excel upload or the form.