📊User Research & Discovery

User Research

  • Conducted interviews and internal feedback sessions.

  • Developed personas for clients, contractors/suppliers, and builders.

  • Observed workflows and identified repetitive tasks.

Competitive Analysis

  • Benchmarked competitors like Buildxact, Procore, and Buildertrend.

  • Noted strengths: clear dashboards, collaboration tools, template systems.

  • Identified gaps BuildMacro could address with AI-powered features.

Insights

  • Users needed role-specific dashboards.

  • Automation could replace manual estimations and approvals.

  • Navigation hierarchy required simplification.

🎯Design Goals

  • Reduce friction in onboarding and navigation.

  • Improve collaboration across stakeholders.

  • Enhance customization (dashboards, tables, templates).

  • Integrate AI-driven workflows (takeoffs, billing, approvals).

  • Maintain a scalable and consistent design system.

Platform Onboarding

Old Onboarding

Challenge was to not creating the confusion and stress for the user by him/ her in the long form But I need to have the minimal information that need the so much info that required so much form

How I Solved Onboarding Flow

Divided the whole Onboarding in 2 parts.

  • Platform onboarding

  • Company creation (separate)

Problem in the Current Onboarding Experience

The current onboarding experience lacks clarity and structure:

  • No Stepper is used, which leaves users unsure about how many steps are involved or how long the process will take.

  • Unnecessary information is shown upfront, such as detailed password rules and placeholder descriptions, which clutters the UI and overwhelms the user.

  • Poor use of space due to repetitive or verbose field instructions reduces focus and usability.

These issues can cause confusion, frustration, and potential drop-offs during account creation.

My Solution to Improve Onboarding Experience

To address the issues in the current onboarding experience, I implemented the following improvements:

  • Introduced a Stepper to clearly indicate the number of steps in the process, helping users understand where they are and what’s next.

  • Simplified the UI by removing unnecessary placeholder descriptions and reducing visual noise.

  • Displayed password requirements dynamically, only when users interact with the password field—keeping the form clean and focused.

  • Enhanced form structure to guide users smoothly, reducing friction and improving overall user satisfaction.

This approach makes onboarding more intuitive, organized, and user-friendly.

Old Dashboard Problems


Changes Made & Why
1. Sidebar → Direct Project Display
  • Old Design: Projects are nested under a sidebar menu (Dashboard → Projects).

  • New Design: Projects are shown directly on the main screen.

  • Why:

  • Reduces Clicks: No more clicking through the hierarchy.

    • Faster Access: Users can see all projects immediately after logging in.

    • Better Visibility: The main goal—project management—is now front and center.


2. Dashboard Menu Shifted from Sidebar to Navbar

  • Old Design: Sidebar hosts main navigation including Dashboard.

  • New Design: Core navigation (Dashboard, Reports, etc.) is shifted to a top navbar.

  • Why:

  • Cleaner Layout: Frees up horizontal space and allows more content to be shown at once.

    • Improved Focus: Navbar menus are more accessible and easier to scan at a glance.

    • Mobile-Friendly: Better adaptability for responsive/mobile designs.


3. Profile Tab Relocated to Bottom Left

  • Old Design: Profile was in settings menu and not have been part of the dashboard.

  • New Design: A dedicated area in the bottom-left corner shows the user profile.

  • Why:

  • Better User Orientation: Gives users an easy place to look for profile/account settings.

    • Persistent Access: Keeps user-related actions always visible but non-intrusive.

    • Improved Hierarchy: Separates action-oriented items (top nav) from passive/profile info.


4. One-Page Data Overview

  • Old Design: Requires multiple clicks to navigate through sections.

  • New Design: Everything important is accessible on one screen.

  • Why:

  • Efficient Workflow: Ideal for power users who want to quickly overview and take action.

    • Reduced Cognitive Load: No need to remember where things are hidden in nested menus.

    • Better for Monitoring: Especially useful for roles that oversee multiple projects or teams.

Challenges in Table Design

Problems

  • No option to drag and reorder rows

  • Plus icon and checkbox were always visible and looked unprofessional

  • No bulk addition or deletion functionality

  • No way to pin frequently used feature buttons

  • No quick access to frequent settings or actions

  • Lack of customization for table toolset

  • Empty states weren't helpful or informative

  • Adding a new row wasn't clearly placed or discoverable

  • Users were limited to only one data representation (table view), which restricted usability and flexibility.

Solution

  • Added a drag icon that appears on hover, allowing users to reorder rows easily

  • Made plus icon and checkbox appear only on hover for a cleaner, modern interface

  • Introduced bulk add/delete options to handle multiple rows efficiently

  • Added feature pinning via the Settings menu, enabling users to keep tools handy

  • Integrated a Settings menu with pinning, letting users customize their quick-access toolbar

  • Introduced a Settings panel where users can manage and pin features they need most

  • Designed meaningful empty states with icons and tips to guide users when no data is present

  • Made the add row control more intuitive by positioning it contextually within the row area

  • Introduced multiple data views (Table, Kanban, Timeline, Calendar, Dashboard, etc.) to allow users to visualize and interact with data in the way that best suits their workflow.

🧭Design Process

  • User Flows: Mapped onboarding, settings, and task workflows.

  • Wireframes: Built low-fidelity screens to validate navigation.

  • UI Design: Created high-fidelity prototypes in Figma using Shadcn components.

  • Testing: Ran usability tests with internal teams.

  • Iteration: Refined dashboards, settings pop-ups, and automation flows.

🎨Solution & Final Design

  • Dashboard & Widgets – Customizable, drag-and-drop for key metrics.

  • Onboarding – Split into platform setup + company creation to reduce overload.

  • Table Module – Drag-and-drop rows, bulk actions, quick toolset, and better empty states.

  • System Settings – Redesigned as a full-screen popup with memory, so users don’t lose context.

  • Automation (AI Workflows) – Trigger-based automations for tasks, notifications, and reports.

  • Plans & Takeoffs – Added revision history and plan comparison.

  • RFI Module – Linked RFIs with approval workflows (AOP).

  • Template Library – Community-driven, supports free and paid templates.

  • Mailbox – Unified email management for invoices, RFQs, and bills.

  • Social Analytics – Post scheduling, CRM lead tracking, engagement data.

  • AI Bill Upload – Upload bills, auto-categorized via AI.

System Setting

  • Problem: Settings were scattered across multiple pages. Users had to leave their current task to access them, then manually navigate back, which interrupted their workflow.

  • Research: Mapped how often users switch between configuration tasks and active project work. Identified the pain of losing context when jumping in and out of settings.

  • Solution: One-page System Setting Hub. Introduced a full-screen pop-up for System Settings. This opens on top of the current page without forcing the user to navigate away.The pop-up remembers where the user was last working inside the settings, so when reopened, it resumes at the same section.

  • UX Outcome: Users can configure data or templates without losing their place. Closing the pop-up brings them right back to where they left off in their main workflow. This preserves context, reduces repetitive navigation, and improves productivity.

Widgets

  • Problem: No way to see important data at a glance

  • Research: Dashboard personalization trends

  • Solution: Add widgets → select data & columns → place on dashboard

  • UX Outcome: Clearer insights, easy custom reporting

Plans & Takeoff

  • Problem: Needed better markup, plan versioning

  • Research: Spoke to construction teams about site workflows

  • Solution: Added markups, takeoff tools, revision restore, plan compare (overlay)

  • UX Outcome: Accurate drawings, clear changes, faster planning

RFI Module

  • Problem: No clear RFI handling

  • Research: Studied how site teams send/track info

  • Solution: Clean form for RFIs with docs, status, line-item link

  • UX Outcome: Fewer delays, clear approvals, full traceability

Template Library

  • Problem: Users recreate similar docs manually

  • Research: Asked teams about repetitive tasks

  • Solution: Community Template Library — upload/share free & paid templates

  • UX Outcome: Saves time, easy download, community resource

Mailbox Module

  • Problem: Important docs lost in separate inboxes

  • Research: Mapped email workflows for finance & suppliers

  • Solution: Integrated Mailbox — view invoices, RFQs, receipts inside BuildMacro

  • UX Outcome: No switching apps, better document control

Social Analytics

  • Problem: Posting & tracking social media is scattered

  • Research: Benchmarked top social tools

  • Solution: Multi-platform posting, link accounts, schedule posts, view CRM stats (likes, leads)

  • UX Outcome: One place for posts & analytics — saves time

System Automation

  • Problem: Manual repetitive tasks (emails, SMS)

  • Research: Looked at automation triggers & best practices

  • Solution: AI workflows — add trigger points, e.g. auto email/SMS when project created

  • UX Outcome: Saves time, reduces errors, smoother ops

✅Results and Impact

  • Reduced clicks & steps: Simplified navigation saves time for users every day.

  • Cleaner layouts, faster workflows: Improved structure and page flow make tasks quicker to complete.

  • User-tested & feedback-driven: Multiple design iterations based on real user inputs.

  • Improved visual clarity & hierarchy: Easier to scan screens, better readability.

  • Improved visual Minimized user confusion: Clear forms, tooltips, and logical grouping of actions. & hierarchy: Easier to scan screens, better readability.

  • Context-preserving pop-ups: Users stay in their workflow without losing progress.

  • Modern, minimal UI: Consistent styling with Shadcn components for professional look.

  • Smart modules: Widgets, automation, and AI help reduce manual work.

  • Community-driven features: Template Library connects users for time-saving resources.

  • Future-ready architecture: System Settings, automation triggers, and upcoming mobile app planned.

  • Higher user satisfaction: Focused on real workflows to match daily tasks

  • Scalable design system: Easy to expand with new features & modules.

📚Learnings

  • Designing for enterprise SaaS requires balancing complex workflows with simplicity.

  • Modular onboarding reduces user overwhelm.

  • Pop-up based settings improved usability and task continuity.

  • Feedback loops and internal testing drive iterative improvements.

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