Redesigning NewU's Initiative Scheduler to boost usability and engagement
NewU's initiative scheduler was originally designed with multiple pages - Timeline, Roadmap, and Collaborations, all serving similar purposes. This created a confusing and fragmented experience for HR managers, who struggled to navigate and use the portal efficiently. As a result, NewU had to provide hands-on guidance for scheduling initiatives, making the system inefficient.
Category
Case study
Company
NewU
Industry
B2B
Year
2024
Role
Lead designer
Challenge
The previous design of the initiative scheduler had several major usability issues:
Complex Navigation: Multiple tabs (Timeline, Roadmap, and Collaborations) for the same function led to unnecessary cognitive load.
Unclear Terminology: Users found terms like "Collaborations" and "Roadmap" ambiguous and unrelated to their actual scheduling needs.
Lack of Autonomy: HR managers were unable to use the portal without extensive guidance, forcing NewU to intervene manually.
Impacts & Results
Users could now schedule initiatives in just two clicks.
155% increase in active users in 6 months.
745% increase in challenges completed by users in 6 months.
HR managers could now independently schedule initiatives without requiring external assistance.
Active user increase
155.21%
Increase in content engagement
745.07%
Old design
My Role
I was the lead UI/UX designer and worked solo on this project. My responsibilities included research, design, usability testing, and developer handoff.
Research & Insights
To identify the core issues and gather data for the redesign, I conducted:
Usability Tests: Observing how HR managers interacted with the portal to uncover pain points.
Competitor Analysis: Examining scheduling flows from industry leaders to benchmark best practices.
Analytics Review: Identifying drop-off points where users struggled most.
Key user pain points:
Difficulty understanding core concepts within the portal.
Confusion caused by unclear terminology.
Frustration due to the inability to manage scheduling independently.
Design Process
1. Competitor & Comparative Analysis
I studied how platforms with scheduling features handled initiative planning and user experience. This helped me identify opportunities for simplification.
2. Wireframing & Prototyping
Created low-fidelity wireframes to explore layout options.
Developed high-fidelity designs for testing and feedback.
3. User Testing & Iterations
Conducted multiple usability tests.
Gathered feedback and iterated to refine the design.
Key Design Changes
Merged Timeline, Roadmap, and Collaborations into a single "Calendar" page:
Users could now schedule initiatives in just two clicks.
Provided a clear and intuitive interface to set expectations immediately.
My Redesign
Conclusion
This redesign transformed the initiative scheduling experience, reducing friction and empowering HR managers to use the portal effortlessly. The data-driven approach ensured that user needs were at the core of the solution, leading to measurable improvements in engagement and efficiency.