Global Trade

SaaS Solution

Product Designer

The project was a global SaaS solution for 160,000 corporate users, requiring a complete redesign from an outdated early 2000s portal. The user experience was cluttered with disruptive modals and lacked usability. My role was to redefine the experience, collaborating with offshore teams in an Agile format to establish guidelines, design libraries, and systems. We modernized 600+ screens, ensuring consistency, usability, and developer-friendly deliverables.

The project was a global SaaS solution for 160,000 corporate users, requiring a complete redesign from an outdated early 2000s portal. The user experience was cluttered with disruptive modals and lacked usability. My role was to redefine the experience, collaborating with offshore teams in an Agile format to establish guidelines, design libraries, and systems. We modernized 600+ screens, ensuring consistency, usability, and developer-friendly deliverables.

Team

Product Owners, Product Designers, Software Engineers, & Content Writers

Product Owners, Product Designers, Software Engineers, & Content Writers

Duration

August 2022 - December 2023

August 2022 - December 2023

Problem

The website’s aesthetic and usability is very outdated with an overuse of modals and an unorganized structure, resulting in functional confusion and a disjointed workflow.

The website’s aesthetic and usability is very outdated with an overuse of modals and an unorganized structure, resulting in functional confusion and a disjointed workflow.

Can’t disclose client details due to NDA

Can’t disclose client details due to NDA

Can’t disclose client details due to NDA

Solution

Our Solution modernizes and simplifies our users’ daily tasks, empowers engagement with useful tools, clarifies their understanding, and standardizes the system.

Our Solution modernizes and simplifies our users’ daily tasks, empowers engagement with useful tools, clarifies their understanding, and standardizes the system.

Solution

Our solution modernizes and simplifies our users’ daily tasks, empowers engagement with useful tools, clarifies their understanding, and standardizes the system.

Solution

Our solution modernizes and simplifies our users’ daily tasks, empowers engagement with useful tools, clarifies their understanding, and standardizes the system.

Pain Points

Our clients are not power users and tend to be unclear on the navigation of the platform that may benefit them.

Advanced functionality is rarely used.

Utilized a narrow subset of features.

Struggled to properly find the right data.

System feedback is unclear.

No features for accessibility.

Design Standards

Based on these pain points we came up with design standards for the team to follow throughout the design process in order to keep the clients in mind while developing the platform.

Modernize: Make it easy to use, avoiding complex setup. Improve advanced functionality.

Simplify: Prioritize commonly used features and workflows. Provide ways to search, review, and manipulate data.

Empower: Clarify workflows to enhance ability to find required data and inputs.

Clarify: Provide concise and helpful feedback in order to remediate errors.

Standardize: Employ best practices for accessibility.

How Can We Help?

With our extensive research and understanding of the client, the goal is to deliver services seamlessly, across the globe, at any time, through a unified platform.

Testing & Iteration

A gradual design release helped to ease the user into the new system. We needed to rethink the navigation, interactions, workflows, and overall design of the existing portal making sure we include the user during our ideation.

A gradual design release helped to ease the user into the new system. We needed to rethink the navigation, interactions, workflows, and overall design of the existing portal making sure we include the user during our ideation.

A gradual design release helped to ease the user into the new system. We needed to rethink the navigation, interactions, workflows, and overall design of the existing portal making sure we include the user during our ideation.

When working on this project I led discussions, collaborated with the team, discovered and defined new experiences.

When working on this project I led discussions, collaborated with the team, discovered and defined new experiences.

Before: Legacy Cluttered Workflow

Before: Legacy Cluttered Workflow

Work item open

Viewing attachments tab

Top tabs crowd the page

Wide header leaves little room for content

Opens work item search modal

Popup covers the original work item

Selects result, second modal opens

Second work item stacks on top

Three layers of popups overlap

Search + search + work item stacked

Screen cluttered

Hard to compare and transfer attachments

After: New Streamlined Workflow

After: New Streamlined Workflow

Work item open

Viewing attachments tab

Tabs moved to left sidebar

Full width freed for work item content

Opens advanced search

One popup, original stays visible behind

Selects result, popup closes

No second modal opens

Both work items stack in one view

Work item 1 and 2 shown together

Clear screen

Compare and transfer attachments directly

Result

We modernized and streamlined our clients' daily tasks, empowering them to interact with intuitive and efficient tools, which as a result improved their understanding of the system.

We modernized and streamlined our clients' daily tasks, empowering them to interact with intuitive and efficient tools, which as a result improved their understanding of the system.

We modernized and streamlined our clients' daily tasks, empowering them to interact with intuitive and efficient tools, which as a result improved their understanding of the system.

Our unified design helped users feel more confident using the platform in a way they have never used before.

Our unified design helped users feel more confident using the platform in a way they have never used before.

Modernize.

Multifunctional portal, allowing access to many resources or file locations on one page for better management and control.

Modernize.

Multifunctional portal, allowing access to many resources or file locations on one page for better management and control.

Simplify.

Organized tab structure showing what’s important first and a better progression to create a structured process for the user.

Simplify.

Organized tab structure showing what’s important first and a better progression to create a structured process for the user.

Empower.

Grouping sections to help define a good hierarchy in order to avoid errors and clarify requirements in the form.

Empower.

Grouping sections to help define a good hierarchy in order to avoid errors and clarify requirements in the form.

Clarify.

Helpful feedback for users to understand where they can remediate errors.

Clarify.

Helpful feedback for users to understand where they can remediate errors.

Standardize.

Keeping a consistent design style and language to keep things not only accessible, but also more organized and comfortable for the user.

Standardize.

Keeping a consistent design style and language to keep things not only accessible, but also more organized and comfortable for the user.

Modernize.

Multifunctional portal, allowing access to many resources or file locations on one page for better management and control.

Simplify.

Organized tab structure showing what’s important first and a better progression to create a structured process for the user.

Empower.

Grouping sections to help define a good hierarchy in order to avoid errors and clarify requirements in the form.

Clarify.

Helpful feedback for users to understand where they can remediate errors.

Standardize.

Keeping a consistent design style and language to keep things not only accessible, but also more organized and comfortable for the user.

Reflection & Learnings

At the start of this project, I helped establish new patterns for multiple screens. When faced with challenges I was quick to mock-up a design to help with the discussion. This skill helped visualize the possible solution sooner and provided better decision making. I always tried to ask the right questions at the right time to benefit our meetings. I was attentive to past workflow scenarios and was able to include them in new designs. This in turn helped make the system more cohesive and adaptable. I’ve learned from senior team members, refining my ability to communicate, present, and set meeting goals.

At the start of this project, I helped establish new patterns for multiple screens. When faced with challenges I was quick to mock-up a design to help with the discussion. This skill helped visualize the possible solution sooner and provided better decision making. I always tried to ask the right questions at the right time to benefit our meetings. I was attentive to past workflow scenarios and was able to include them in new designs. This in turn helped make the system more cohesive and adaptable. I’ve learned from senior team members, refining my ability to communicate, present, and set meeting goals.

At the start of this project, I helped establish new patterns for multiple screens. When faced with challenges I was quick to mock-up a design to help with the discussion. This skill helped visualize the possible solution sooner and provided better decision making. I always tried to ask the right questions at the right time to benefit our meetings. I was attentive to past workflow scenarios and was able to include them in new designs. This in turn helped make the system more cohesive and adaptable. I’ve learned from senior team members, refining my ability to communicate, present, and set meeting goals.

The product has a long lifespan of work to redesign, but during my time on this project the design was very well received. My implementations were intended to be robust in order to ensure it stuck with the new design pattern, but was adaptable for future design iterations. One major takeaway was my learning in accessibility and leadership, not only from a surface level, but also an internal back-end level. I was able to understand each team members’ role and consider what details they would need from me, which further developed our collaboration.

The product has a long lifespan of work to redesign, but during my time on this project the design was very well received. My implementations were intended to be robust in order to ensure it stuck with the new design pattern, but was adaptable for future design iterations. One major takeaway was my learning in accessibility and leadership, not only from a surface level, but also an internal back-end level. I was able to understand each team members’ role and consider what details they would need from me, which further developed our collaboration.

The product has a long lifespan of work to redesign, but during my time on this project the design was very well received. My implementations were intended to be robust in order to ensure it stuck with the new design pattern, but was adaptable for future design iterations. One major takeaway was my learning in accessibility and leadership, not only from a surface level, but also an internal back-end level. I was able to understand each team members’ role and consider what details they would need from me, which further developed our collaboration.

Recognition

“Nicholas listens carefully to understand the requirements and come up with ideas for creating new screen designs or making screen design changes - He responds immediately to input and changes in requirements (or new requirements as discussions evolve) and literally makes updates dynamically while we are in meetings so that the team gets immediate feedback on the UI designs - He has a strong attention to detail and recalls updates/changes that were made previously that could be reused in new scenarios - He has a great attitude and is always positive and proactive.”

“Nicholas listens carefully to understand the requirements and come up with ideas for creating new screen designs or making screen design changes - He responds immediately to input and changes in requirements (or new requirements as discussions evolve) and literally makes updates dynamically while we are in meetings so that the team gets immediate feedback on the UI designs - He has a strong attention to detail and recalls updates/changes that were made previously that could be reused in new scenarios - He has a great attitude and is always positive and proactive.”

Ann C. - Product Owner

Ann C. - Product Owner

“Nick's skill level and ability to provide innovative solutions are impressive. He also is very good at developing realistic solutions based on client needs, technical conditions, and business requirements. His attention to detail and overall understanding of interaction design are a considerable asset for the team.”

“Nick's skill level and ability to provide innovative solutions are impressive. He also is very good at developing realistic solutions based on client needs, technical conditions, and business requirements. His attention to detail and overall understanding of interaction design are a considerable asset for the team.”

Steve S. - Senior Product Designer

Steve S. - Senior Product Designer

© 2026 Nicholas Glaser

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