At Robo, a mid-sized agency, I served as the lead designer, overseeing various projects ranging from website design for clients to custom software design for internal tools and external client solutions. In addition to leading high-impact design initiatives, I mentored and advocated for two junior designers at the agency, fostering their growth and ensuring alignment with project goals. Two standout projects during my time at Robo were the Robo Dashboard and the Victory Lane Oil Change website redesign.
Problem Statement
Robo's work demanded balancing client-facing projects with the development of scalable internal tools to showcase value and streamline operations. The challenge was to create solutions that addressed immediate needs while providing a foundation for future growth and innovation, all while leading a team of designers to deliver high-quality outcomes.
Design Process
Robo Dashboard
The Robo Dashboard was an ambitious tool intended to be part of a product suite offered to clients. The first phase focused on tracking call data from IVR systems to demonstrate the effectiveness of automated call workflows. By analyzing and visualizing this data, clients could see metrics like the percentage of users completing tasks without speaking to an agent. The dashboard was also designed to scale, with functionality planned for possible future features such as client communications, document signing, and revenue tracking.
Research and Insights: Collaborated with stakeholders to identify client pain points, particularly around demonstrating the value of IVR systems. Researched dashboard design best practices to ensure scalability and usability.
Ideation and Prototyping: Created wireframes and prototypes to visualize key metrics and user workflows, emphasizing clarity and actionable insights. Worked closely with development and product leadership to ensure that designs met requirements.
Testing and Iteration: Conducted internal usability testing to validate the interface design and ensure scalability for future functionality. Advocated for iterative improvements and user needs while ensuring business goals remained a priority.
Victory Lane Website
Victory Lane Oil Change, a Robo client, needed a comprehensive redesign of their website to improve usability, modernize their brand presence, and address customer pain points.
Research and Insights: Analyzed competitor websites and conducted an in-depth review of the existing design to identify areas for improvement. Collaborated with the client and internal stakeholders to understand their business goals and target audience.
Ideation and Prototyping: Led the design process by creating prototypes and iterating based on client feedback, ensuring alignment with Victory Lane's branding and goals.
Implementation: Worked closely with developers to translate designs into a functional website, balancing user experience with technical feasibility.
Outcomes and Impact
Robo Dashboard
Although the project was in its early stages and to my knowledge has not yet launched, the design work established a strong foundation for showcasing data, comparisons, and trends. This provided clients with insights into Robo's effectiveness and created a framework for future enhancements. The dashboard's scalable design set the stage for additional functionality, ensuring it could grow with evolving business needs.
Victory Lane Website
The redesigned website improved usability and presented a modern, professional brand image for Victory Lane Oil Change. Enhanced navigation, reduced clutter, and clear calls to action helped streamline the customer journey, providing a better experience for visitors and supporting Victory Lane's business goals.
Reflections
My time at Robo reinforced the value of leadership in design, particularly the impact of mentoring and advocating for junior designers. The Robo Dashboard taught me how to approach early-stage product design with flexibility and foresight, while the Victory Lane project highlighted the importance of collaborative client relationships and iterative design processes. These experiences deepened my ability to create scalable, user-centered solutions while fostering a supportive and productive team environment.
A client website design I created. There was little-to-no branding guidance, and this was a bit of a greenfield design - still based on the client's content strategy.
All imagery and associated copyrights are owned by Robo and its respective client(s).
