SYNERGY

2024

About the project

AI-Driven Insights:
Redesigning the Business Consulting Analysis System

Synergy is a transformative platform that integrates AI to enhance the analytical capabilities of business consulting students, empowering them to refine their strategies and insights.

My part of the project was to redesign the platform to enhance user experience, conduct user research, and create an intuitive system, ensuring smooth and easy use.

Tools I used

Problem

Clarity Lost: Confusion
& Feedback Failures

The previous design of the Synergy platform presented several challenges for users.

The interface lacked clarity, making it difficult for business consulting students to identify clickable elements and understand the navigation flow.

There was minimal feedback provided to users after actions were taken, leaving them uncertain whether their inputs were recognized or if progress was being made.

Overall, the design failed to guide users effectively through the process, resulting in confusion and frustration regarding the necessary steps to achieve their goals.

Uncovering Platform Challenges

To identify all the problems within the Synergy platform, I conducted user observations to understand how students interacted with the interface.

This approach allowed me to pinpoint specific pain points and areas of confusion, ensuring that the redesign would address their real needs and improve overall usability.

Old Synergy design - new project page

Students found it difficult to differentiate between fields on the Synergy platform due to a lack of visual differentiation.

The file upload field and analysis fields appeared similar, leading to confusion about their purposes and hindering effective navigation.

Prior to uploading the file, users were unclear about the labels that had no content, they weren’t sure about it’s purpose.

After uploading the file, users faced an overload of elements that competed for their attention, lacking a clear hierarchy to guide their focus.

This confusion was exacerbated by the misleading three-dot button intended for editing, which led users to expect editing options that were not present, as edits are made directly on the project details. This inconsistency resulted in user frustration.

Target Audience

When designing for this project, it’s essential to consider two main audiences: younger, tech-savvy students and older, less tech-comfortable teachers.

Students (18-30):

This group is made up of modern, digital-native individuals. They are quick to adapt to new technologies and expect seamless, intuitive interfaces. They value efficiency, speed, and features that help them stay organized, such as real-time updates and reminders. Aesthetically, they lean toward clean, modern designs with a focus on usability.

Teachers (40-65):

Older, more traditional users, these individuals often prefer simplicity over advanced functionality. They are less familiar with fast-evolving technology. Their primary needs are clarity, reliability, and well-organized processes. Minimizing complexity and providing helpful guidance are key to their positive experience.

Wire frames

First steps to a visual product

After conducting user research and finding all the problems, I started sketching the solution.

My priority was to simplify the user actions, ensuring a clean and intuitive interface where everything is as clear as possible.

Add new project page - step 1 - upload files

Add new project page - step 1 - files uploaded

Add new project page - step 2 - choose a model

Add new project page - step 3 - download documents

User flow

Simplifying the Project Creation Flow

The most critical and previously confusing flow in Synergy was adding a new project.

In the old design, users struggled with unclear steps and a cluttered interface, making it difficult to complete the process.

My goal was to overhaul this flow by providing clear steps, and designing an intuitive layout that made project creation straightforward and frustration-free.

Solution

Seamless Minimalist Experience

The solution was a clean, thoughtfully designed system with a gentle color palette that is inviting and non-intimidating.

The minimalist design enhances the user experience by creating a sense of order and clarity, guiding users seamlessly through the process.

By reducing visual clutter and using a soft, harmonious color scheme, the interface helps users feel more comfortable and focused, ensuring that their actions are intuitive and easy to follow. This design is particularly suitable for business consulting schools and students, as it fosters an accessible learning environment that encourages engagement and exploration.

Projects page - Before

Projects page - After

Add new project page - Before

Add new project page - After

Student account page - Before

Student account page - After

Final design

Minimalist Redesign

The design of Synergy is focused on clean aesthetics and simplicity, ensuring a seamless user experience for both students and teachers.

Projects page - empty — projects page - student - EMPTY

Key Fetures

Feedback and Indicators

In the redesigned Synergy system, one of the most important improvements is the inclusion of clear indicators and real-time action feedback. This was a key element missing in the previous version, which left users uncertain about the status of their actions.

The new design incorporates visual cues, progress bars, and confirmation messages to keep users informed at every stage of the process.

Confirmation messages after making changes

Notification when the process is done

Progress bar when uploading a file

Multi-role Interface

Clear Role Separation
in Synergy's Design

In the new design, I designed distinct interfaces for both students and administrators (teachers) to address issues from the previous design where roles were mixed.

The admin side allows teachers to manage students—adding, editing, assigning credits, and purchasing additional credits—all in a streamlined and intuitive account page.

Previously, the design blurred the lines between roles, mistakenly suggesting that students could purchase credits, leading to confusion. My redesign clearly separated the student and admin functionalities, ensuring that each user role has access only to relevant features, enhancing both usability and system clarity.

Admin teacher side

Student side

UI Design

Components

In this project, I used components to ensure consistency and efficiency throughout the design. By creating reusable elements for both the student and admin sides, I was able to maintain a cohesive look and feel across different pages while also speeding up the design process.

Components allowed me to implement design changes more easily and ensure that any updates would be applied universally, reducing the risk of inconsistencies.

Components also have variants for states, interactive and UX behaviours, these are all accounted for when setting the UI for components.

Thank you!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.