I joined the Network Overview Assistant team to improve and scale their application that consolidates network data from dozen of tools into a single, map- and dashboard-based interface. In this role, I designed new features, refined existing ones, and completely overhauled the design system to create a more cohesive, intuitive user experience and also scale the product into a more mature state.
Disclaimer: as this project was developed under NDA, I am showing designs I custom made for this showcase built after my work ad Vodafone.
My Role
Staff Product Designer
Company & Industry
Vodafone Center of Excellence AI
Telecommuncation Industry
Team Composition
3 Product Designers
Product Owner
4 Frontend Devs
2 Backend Decs
Solution Architect
My Key Contributions
Stakeholder Interviews
User Research
Lo- & HiFi Designs
Design System Rework
User Testing & QA
Feature Prioritization
KPI Definition & Refinement
Market & Competitor Research
Selected Final Designs
The Challenge
1/3
All roles at Vodafone working with network data had to rely on over a hundred of different internal tools.
These tools weren’t connected, were often outdated, and each had a different interface and logic
Users had to log in into dozens of applications in order to complete their day to day tasks
This led to inefficient utilisiation of work force and frustrated workers throughout several areas of the enterprise
Network Overview was built to consolidate everything into one application but the early version was at times hard to use and visually inconsistent.
According to Network Operators and other target groups, they often gave it a chance but it did come back as their needs were not yet addressed enough
The design system was chaotic as components and tokens were reused inconsistently as well as improperly
There was no single source of truth as developed designs were not consistent to the design system components
As with a lot of early products, there was a need to rethink processes so that the product could scale well to avoide legacy hiccups in the future.
This meant reworking the design system so that existing problems don’t stack until they are hard to solve
It was important to introduce processes that focused on addressing the right user problems in a way that enhances user adoption drastically
Introducing a more data driven approach into strategic decision making in order to define data backed hypotheses and reason decisions comprehensibly to business stakeholders
Introduce a proper and thorough QA step into our sprint cycles
My Key Contributions
2/3
Designed and Reworked Core Workflows.
Performed qualitative and quantitative research to identify opportunities within the user journeys as well as the business side
Made the tool easier to learn and more pleasant to use day-to-day by introducing features such as user onboarding and well usable patch notes
Redesigned the map view and designed new map features so network operators and other target groups could access needed information quicker
Cleaned up overloaded dashboards to focus on what actually matters
Designed several must have features that were lacking in the app but needed by the users such as image upload or task ticketing
Rebuilt the Design System from the Ground Up.
Reviewed what was already there and removed messy, inconsistent components
Set up a clean, reusable component library with clear rules and naming
Introduced color, spacing, and typography tokens for consistency across screens
Wrote guidelines and aligned on components and patterns to make it easier for devs to build things as intended
Tested and iterated towards a more mature product
Ran quick usability tests to see whether network operators and other target groups were using the product as intended and to identify improvements
Caught pain points early like confusing labels or steps that didn’t make sense
Performed user feedback sessions to improve designs before actual development
Used analytics and set up custom filters to understand how metrics influenced our KPIs
Facilitation of Retros to Improve Design and Dev Collaboration
Created space for devs and designers to give feedback and empathise with each other leading to a more honest and transparent collaboration
This helped us catch misunderstandings early and build more trust as a team
Examples for positive outcomes are refined handoffs that met expectations of both sides or a more improved way to perform QA on developed designs
Impact & Reflection
3/3
We multiplied User Adoption and improved key KPIs steadily
This led to immense cost savings for Vodafone as all of our users previously completed their tasks using several outdated tools
Network Overview is now viewed as the main network operations tool within Vodafone for the futureWe were able to broaden our user base by adding crucial features for our different target groups, balancing business and user needs
Also, we were able to back the product with more business stakeholder support by addressing their KPIs if their respective group used our product
The product became easier and more enjoyable to use for expert as well as new users
We could regularly measure improving user satisfaction scores and received positive feedback in our sprint review sessions
We were able to form an active community of users visiting our product reviews and contributing to our success
The reworked design system functions as fundament for designers, devs and POs in this project throughout its life cycle
Developers reported fewer design-related implementation issues thanks to the cleaned-up and documented design system
The design system I built was picked up by the following design team upon my departure and is being continuously scaled
Retros and regular check-ins between design and development improved team alignment and cut down on misunderstandings and rework
Personally, this project helped me grow as a designer who doesn’t just deliver UI — but actively shapes how teams work together, scale products, and make better decisions
Personally, this project helped me grow my understanding to scale projects and build bridges between design and development
Depending on what stage a product is in, different values have a higher priority
While Network Overview had a very quick and radical process before I arrived, it reached a point when scaling processes and structure are important for it to grow
Healthy and frequent communication between designers and developers play a crucial role in product development in order to meet targets and keep the morale high which is why I will always try to promote the exchange
