As a Senior Product Designer at TechSolutions, I was tasked with redesigning the central dashboard for our internal project management tool. The challenge was that the tool served two very distinct user groups: Project Managers (PMs) who needed a high-level, comprehensive overview of multiple projects, detailed reporting, and resource allocation insights, and Individual Contributors (ICs) who required a simple, focused view of their personal tasks, deadlines, and minimal distractions. Their needs were often conflicting; PMs wanted more data, while ICs wanted less clutter.

To address this, I initiated a thorough user research phase, conducting in-depth interviews and surveys with representatives from both groups. I mapped out their daily workflows and identified their core, non-negotiable requirements. The key insight was that while their views differed, the underlying data they needed was often the same, just presented differently. Based on this, I proposed a 'Dynamic Dashboard' concept featuring a customizable, widget-based interface. This allowed PMs to configure their view with project summaries, Gantt charts, and team performance metrics, while ICs could default to a streamlined 'My Tasks' view, showing only their assigned work and deadlines. We implemented shared elements like a universal search and quick status update buttons that served both.

I created iterative prototypes, conducting usability testing with mixed groups to ensure the design resonated with both mindsets. The development involved a modular approach, allowing for independent component updates.

Upon launch, the new dashboard received overwhelmingly positive feedback. PMs reported a 25% reduction in time spent compiling status reports due to immediate access to real-time data, and ICs noted a 10% increase in task completion accuracy due to the improved clarity and focus. User adoption metrics significantly improved across both segments, demonstrating that a carefully segmented, yet integrated, design could successfully bridge conflicting user needs.

The STAR method is a structured approach for answering behavioral interview questions by detailing the Situation, Task, Action, and Result of a specific experience.

S - Situation: Describe the background or context of the situation. T - Task: Explain your responsibility or role in that situation. A - Action: Detail the specific steps you took to address the task. R - Result: Share the outcomes of your actions and what you learned.

As a Senior Product Designer at TechSolutions, I was tasked with redesigning the central dashboard for our internal project management tool. The challenge was that the tool served two very distinct user groups: Project Managers (PMs) who needed a high-level, comprehensive overview of multiple projects, detailed reporting, and resource allocation insights, and Individual Contributors (ICs) who required a simple, focused view of their personal tasks, deadlines, and minimal distractions. Their needs were often conflicting; PMs wanted more data, while ICs wanted less clutter.

To address this, I initiated a thorough user research phase, conducting in-depth interviews and surveys with representatives from both groups. I mapped out their daily workflows and identified their core, non-negotiable requirements. The key insight was that while their views differed, the underlying data they needed was often the same, just presented differently. Based on this, I proposed a 'Dynamic Dashboard' concept featuring a customizable, widget-based interface. This allowed PMs to configure their view with project summaries, Gantt charts, and team performance metrics, while ICs could default to a streamlined 'My Tasks' view, showing only their assigned work and deadlines. We implemented shared elements like a universal search and quick status update buttons that served both.

I created iterative prototypes, conducting usability testing with mixed groups to ensure the design resonated with both mindsets. The development involved a modular approach, allowing for independent component updates.

Upon launch, the new dashboard received overwhelmingly positive feedback. PMs reported a 25% reduction in time spent compiling status reports due to immediate access to real-time data, and ICs noted a 10% increase in task completion accuracy due to the improved clarity and focus. User adoption metrics significantly improved across both segments, demonstrating that a carefully segmented, yet integrated, design could successfully bridge conflicting user needs.