Designing from Insights
[Overview]
The Context
This case study focuses on my work across multiple products — including a B2C mobile app and several B2B SaaS tools — and how I developed and applied a structured mapping approach to translate research into design strategy and actionable product decisions. Using user story maps, user flows, and journey maps, I aligned teams, defined MVPs, prioritised roadmaps, and de-risked delivery by grounding decisions in validated insight.
The Context
This case study focuses on my work across multiple products — including a B2C mobile app and several B2B SaaS tools — and how I developed and applied a structured mapping approach to translate research into design strategy and actionable product decisions. Using user story maps, user flows, and journey maps, I aligned teams, defined MVPs, prioritised roadmaps, and de-risked delivery by grounding decisions in validated insight.
Problem Statement
Products often begin with loosely defined requirements and assumptions about user needs. Without structure, teams misalign, scope inflates, and features are built without understanding how they fit into the end-to-end experience. I needed a way to turn raw research into a clear, shared understanding of user goals, pain points, flows, and priorities — enabling teams to build the right product in the right order.
Problem Statement
Products often begin with loosely defined requirements and assumptions about user needs. Without structure, teams misalign, scope inflates, and features are built without understanding how they fit into the end-to-end experience. I needed a way to turn raw research into a clear, shared understanding of user goals, pain points, flows, and priorities — enabling teams to build the right product in the right order.
Skills Demonstrated
Insight Synthesis
User Story Mapping
Product Strategy
MVP Prioritisation
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Interaction Design & IA
[Impact]
Clear MVP Definition & Release Planning
By mapping activities → steps → details for the Coachi app, I transformed research insights into a structured user story map that directly informed the MVP scope, phased release plan, and backlog hierarchy (epic → feature → user story). This ensured the team shipped a lean, high-value first release grounded in actual user needs.
Faster, More Intuitive User Workflows
Through iterative user flow diagramming for the User Management Tool, I collaborated with engineering to simplify complex IT support workflows. This process surfaced opportunities such as user profile cloning and a job scheduler, dramatically reducing the steps required for common tasks and informing early technical spikes that derisked development.
Evidence-Led Product Vision
Current-state and future-state journey maps for both learner and instructor segments in the Coachi app uncovered moments of friction, emotional highs/lows, and unmet needs. These maps became the foundation for opportunity generation, design implication statements, and ultimately the entire product requirements backlog, ensuring decisions were user-centred and strategically aligned.
[My Process]
1. Research Analysis & Opportunity Identification
Context:
This section showcases how I synthesise early research, grounded in the context of a B2C mobile app. The purpose was to uncover user needs, motivations, and systemic pain points, and establish a clear understanding of the current experience and identify where design could deliver the most value.
Actions:
• Synthesised interview, observational, and contextual data into themes and user needs.
• Identified key tasks, motivations, pain points, and emotional triggers across user groups.
• Created early narratives for who the target users are and their needs.
• Highlighted functional gaps and experience breakdowns to guide solution exploration.
1. Research Analysis & Opportunity Identification
Context:
This section showcases how I synthesise early research, grounded in the context of a B2C mobile app. The purpose was to uncover user needs, motivations, and systemic pain points, and establish a clear understanding of the current experience and identify where design could deliver the most value.
Actions:
• Synthesised interview, observational, and contextual data into themes and user needs.
• Identified key tasks, motivations, pain points, and emotional triggers across user groups.
• Created early narratives for who the target users are and their needs.
• Highlighted functional gaps and experience breakdowns to guide solution exploration.
2. User Story Mapping (Coachi App)
Context:
This section demonstrates my approach to defining the MVP for a mobile app by using user story mapping to prioritise features and build a roadmap grounded in real user behaviour and needs. The resulting story map also serves as a blueprint for early low-fidelity wireframe iterations.
Actions:
• Translated findings into activities, steps, and detailed interactions using a user-centred structure.
• Mapped stories chronologically to visualise the entire experience across multiple phases.
• Used the map to define MVP vs Future Release items based on value, effort, and constraints.
• Connected the story map to a Notion-based backlog (epics → features → user stories) to form a coherent delivery pipeline.
• Developed supporting low-fidelity wireframes and wireflows to validate interactions and screen logic externally and with engineering.
2. User Story Mapping (Coachi App)
Context:
This section demonstrates my approach to defining the MVP for a mobile app by using user story mapping to prioritise features and build a roadmap grounded in real user behaviour and needs. The resulting story map also serves as a blueprint for early low-fidelity wireframe iterations.
Actions:
• Translated findings into activities, steps, and detailed interactions using a user-centred structure.
• Mapped stories chronologically to visualise the entire experience across multiple phases.
• Used the map to define MVP vs Future Release items based on value, effort, and constraints.
• Connected the story map to a Notion-based backlog (epics → features → user stories) to form a coherent delivery pipeline.
• Developed supporting low-fidelity wireframes and wireflows to validate interactions and screen logic externally and with engineering.
3. User Flow Diagramming (User Management Tool)
Context:
This section highlights how I used user flow diagramming within a B2B SaaS product I led the design for. It shows how I collaborated cross-functionally to create clearer, faster, and more intuitive user pathways while validating technical feasibility with engineering.
Actions:
• Documented ideal paths for tasks such as onboarding users, modifying permissions, and offboarding.
• Collaborated closely with the lead developer to ensure feasibility, identify technical unknowns, and shape early spikes.
• Iterated to reduce cognitive load, steps, and decision points — simplifying each flow while aligning with UX heuristics and user expectations.
• Added innovative flow improvements (e.g., cloning existing profiles, job scheduling) grounded in research and validated through prototypes.
3. User Flow Diagramming (User Management Tool)
Context:
This section highlights how I used user flow diagramming within a B2B SaaS product I led the design for. It shows how I collaborated cross-functionally to create clearer, faster, and more intuitive user pathways while validating technical feasibility with engineering.
Actions:
• Documented ideal paths for tasks such as onboarding users, modifying permissions, and offboarding.
• Collaborated closely with the lead developer to ensure feasibility, identify technical unknowns, and shape early spikes.
• Iterated to reduce cognitive load, steps, and decision points — simplifying each flow while aligning with UX heuristics and user expectations.
• Added innovative flow improvements (e.g., cloning existing profiles, job scheduling) grounded in research and validated through prototypes.
4. Current-State Journey Mapping (Coachi Learners & Instructors)
Context:
This section demonstrates how I used current-state journey mapping for both a mobile apps user groups to uncover real-world frustrations, emotional drivers, and contextual challenges. This work grounded design decisions in lived user realities and revealed critical experience gaps to address.
Actions:
• Mapped stages, actions, goals, pain points, and emotions across real-world contexts.
• Created a scenario-based narrative explaining why each moment mattered and how it affected adoption motivation.
• Exposed systemic challenges, such as fragmented information sources and unclear mental models.
4. Current-State Journey Mapping (Coachi Learners & Instructors)
Context:
This section demonstrates how I used current-state journey mapping for both a mobile apps user groups to uncover real-world frustrations, emotional drivers, and contextual challenges. This work grounded design decisions in lived user realities and revealed critical experience gaps to address.
Actions:
• Mapped stages, actions, goals, pain points, and emotions across real-world contexts.
• Created a scenario-based narrative explaining why each moment mattered and how it affected adoption motivation.
• Exposed systemic challenges, such as fragmented information sources and unclear mental models.
5. Future-State Journey Mapping & Opportunity Generation
Context:
This section illustrates how I used future-state journey mapping to envision an improved end-to-end experience across platforms and use cases within a mobile app ecosystem. This process translated insights into actionable opportunities, design implications, and a clear long-term product direction, which I used initially in my low-fi design iterations, before moving into hi-fidelity.
All design choices where document on a miro board for cross-functional collaboration and so a through-line could be traced from the hi-fi design choices back to the research data.
Actions:
• Identified opportunities aligned to each stage of the journey.
• Facilitated collaborative sessions to interrogate ideas with the product team and instructors.
• Converted validated opportunities into design implication statements, then into user stories that fuelled the backlog.
• Used design artefacts like the future state journey map and the user stories as a point of reference when designing low-fi to hi-fi wireframes.
5. Future-State Journey Mapping & Opportunity Generation
Context:
This section illustrates how I used future-state journey mapping to envision an improved end-to-end experience across platforms and use cases within a mobile app ecosystem. This process translated insights into actionable opportunities, design implications, and a clear long-term product direction, which I used initially in my low-fi design iterations, before moving into hi-fidelity.
All design choices where document on a miro board for cross-functional collaboration and so a through-line could be traced from the hi-fi design choices back to the research data.
Actions:
• Identified opportunities aligned to each stage of the journey.
• Facilitated collaborative sessions to interrogate ideas with the product team and instructors.
• Converted validated opportunities into design implication statements, then into user stories that fuelled the backlog.
• Used design artefacts like the future state journey map and the user stories as a point of reference when designing low-fi to hi-fi wireframes.
[Key Learnings]
1. Mapping Is a Strategic Tool, Not Just a Deliverable
Story maps, flows, and journeys are most valuable when used to align teams and drive decisions, not simply document them. They accelerate consensus and sharpen focus.
2. Co-Creation with Engineering De-Risks Delivery
Working side-by-side with developers during flow creation surfaced feasibility issues early and enabled technical innovation (e.g., job scheduler), reducing rework and strengthening trust.
3. Future-State Journeys Unlock Product Vision
By contrasting current vs future experiences, I created a shared understanding of what “great” looked like — enabling the team to think beyond features and towards end-to-end service design.
[Persona]
Jhon Roberts
Marketing Manager
Content
Age: 29
Location: New York City
Tech Proficiency: Moderate
Gender: Male
[Goal]
Quickly complete purchases without interruptions.
Trust the platform to handle her payment securely.
Access a seamless mobile shopping experience.
[Frustrations]
Long or confusing checkout processes.
Error messages that don’t explain the issue.
Poor mobile optimization that slows her down.
Designing from Insights
[Overview]
Skills Demonstrated
Insight Synthesis
Insight Synthesis
User Story Mapping
User Story Mapping
Product Strategy
Product Strategy
MVP Prioritisation
MVP Prioritisation
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Interaction Design & IA
Interaction Design & IA
The Context
This case study focuses on my work across multiple products — including a B2C mobile app and several B2B SaaS tools — and how I developed and applied a structured mapping approach to translate research into design strategy and actionable product decisions. Using user story maps, user flows, and journey maps, I aligned teams, defined MVPs, prioritised roadmaps, and de-risked delivery by grounding decisions in validated insight.
The Context
This case study focuses on my work across multiple products — including a B2C mobile app and several B2B SaaS tools — and how I developed and applied a structured mapping approach to translate research into design strategy and actionable product decisions. Using user story maps, user flows, and journey maps, I aligned teams, defined MVPs, prioritised roadmaps, and de-risked delivery by grounding decisions in validated insight.
Problem Statement
Products often begin with loosely defined requirements and assumptions about user needs. Without structure, teams misalign, scope inflates, and features are built without understanding how they fit into the end-to-end experience. I needed a way to turn raw research into a clear, shared understanding of user goals, pain points, flows, and priorities — enabling teams to build the right product in the right order.
Problem Statement
Products often begin with loosely defined requirements and assumptions about user needs. Without structure, teams misalign, scope inflates, and features are built without understanding how they fit into the end-to-end experience. I needed a way to turn raw research into a clear, shared understanding of user goals, pain points, flows, and priorities — enabling teams to build the right product in the right order.
[Impact]
Clear MVP Definition & Release Planning
By mapping activities → steps → details for the Coachi app, I transformed research insights into a structured user story map that directly informed the MVP scope, phased release plan, and backlog hierarchy (epic → feature → user story). This ensured the team shipped a lean, high-value first release grounded in actual user needs.
Faster, More Intuitive User Workflows
Through iterative user flow diagramming for the User Management Tool, I collaborated with engineering to simplify complex IT support workflows. This process surfaced opportunities such as user profile cloning and a job scheduler, dramatically reducing the steps required for common tasks and informing early technical spikes that derisked development.
Evidence-Led Product Vision
Current-state and future-state journey maps for both learner and instructor segments in the Coachi app uncovered moments of friction, emotional highs/lows, and unmet needs. These maps became the foundation for opportunity generation, design implication statements, and ultimately the entire product requirements backlog, ensuring decisions were user-centred and strategically aligned.
[Key Learnings]
1. Mapping Is a Strategic Tool, Not Just a Deliverable
Story maps, flows, and journeys are most valuable when used to align teams and drive decisions, not simply document them. They accelerate consensus and sharpen focus.
2. Co-Creation with Engineering De-Risks Delivery
Working side-by-side with developers during flow creation surfaced feasibility issues early and enabled technical innovation (e.g., job scheduler), reducing rework and strengthening trust.
3. Future-State Journeys Unlock Product Vision
By contrasting current vs future experiences, I created a shared understanding of what “great” looked like — enabling the team to think beyond features and towards end-to-end service design.
[My Process]
1. Research Analysis & Opportunity Identification
Context:
This section showcases how I synthesise early research, grounded in the context of a B2C mobile app. The purpose was to uncover user needs, motivations, and systemic pain points, and establish a clear understanding of the current experience and identify where design could deliver the most value.
Actions:
• Synthesised interview, observational, and contextual data into themes and user needs.
• Identified key tasks, motivations, pain points, and emotional triggers across user groups.
• Created early narratives for who the target users are and their needs.
• Highlighted functional gaps and experience breakdowns to guide solution exploration.
1. Research Analysis & Opportunity Identification
Context:
This section showcases how I synthesise early research, grounded in the context of a B2C mobile app. The purpose was to uncover user needs, motivations, and systemic pain points, and establish a clear understanding of the current experience and identify where design could deliver the most value.
Actions:
• Synthesised interview, observational, and contextual data into themes and user needs.
• Identified key tasks, motivations, pain points, and emotional triggers across user groups.
• Created early narratives for who the target users are and their needs.
• Highlighted functional gaps and experience breakdowns to guide solution exploration.
2. User Story Mapping (Coachi App)
Context:
This section demonstrates my approach to defining the MVP for a mobile app by using user story mapping to prioritise features and build a roadmap grounded in real user behaviour and needs. The resulting story map also serves as a blueprint for early low-fidelity wireframe iterations.
Actions:
• Translated findings into activities, steps, and detailed interactions using a user-centred structure.
• Mapped stories chronologically to visualise the entire experience across multiple phases.
• Used the map to define MVP vs Future Release items based on value, effort, and constraints.
• Connected the story map to a Notion-based backlog (epics → features → user stories) to form a coherent delivery pipeline.
• Developed supporting low-fidelity wireframes and wireflows to validate interactions and screen logic externally and with engineering.
2. User Story Mapping (Coachi App)
Context:
This section demonstrates my approach to defining the MVP for a mobile app by using user story mapping to prioritise features and build a roadmap grounded in real user behaviour and needs. The resulting story map also serves as a blueprint for early low-fidelity wireframe iterations.
Actions:
• Translated findings into activities, steps, and detailed interactions using a user-centred structure.
• Mapped stories chronologically to visualise the entire experience across multiple phases.
• Used the map to define MVP vs Future Release items based on value, effort, and constraints.
• Connected the story map to a Notion-based backlog (epics → features → user stories) to form a coherent delivery pipeline.
• Developed supporting low-fidelity wireframes and wireflows to validate interactions and screen logic externally and with engineering.
3. User Flow Diagramming (User Management Tool)
Context:
This section highlights how I used user flow diagramming within a B2B SaaS product I led the design for. It shows how I collaborated cross-functionally to create clearer, faster, and more intuitive user pathways while validating technical feasibility with engineering.
Actions:
• Documented ideal paths for tasks such as onboarding users, modifying permissions, and offboarding.
• Collaborated closely with the lead developer to ensure feasibility, identify technical unknowns, and shape early spikes.
• Iterated to reduce cognitive load, steps, and decision points — simplifying each flow while aligning with UX heuristics and user expectations.
• Added innovative flow improvements (e.g., cloning existing profiles, job scheduling) grounded in research and validated through prototypes.
3. User Flow Diagramming (User Management Tool)
Context:
This section highlights how I used user flow diagramming within a B2B SaaS product I led the design for. It shows how I collaborated cross-functionally to create clearer, faster, and more intuitive user pathways while validating technical feasibility with engineering.
Actions:
• Documented ideal paths for tasks such as onboarding users, modifying permissions, and offboarding.
• Collaborated closely with the lead developer to ensure feasibility, identify technical unknowns, and shape early spikes.
• Iterated to reduce cognitive load, steps, and decision points — simplifying each flow while aligning with UX heuristics and user expectations.
• Added innovative flow improvements (e.g., cloning existing profiles, job scheduling) grounded in research and validated through prototypes.
4. Current-State Journey Mapping (Coachi Learners & Instructors)
Context:
This section demonstrates how I used current-state journey mapping for both a mobile apps user groups to uncover real-world frustrations, emotional drivers, and contextual challenges. This work grounded design decisions in lived user realities and revealed critical experience gaps to address.
Actions:
• Mapped stages, actions, goals, pain points, and emotions across real-world contexts.
• Created a scenario-based narrative explaining why each moment mattered and how it affected adoption motivation.
• Exposed systemic challenges, such as fragmented information sources and unclear mental models.
4. Current-State Journey Mapping (Coachi Learners & Instructors)
Context:
This section demonstrates how I used current-state journey mapping for both a mobile apps user groups to uncover real-world frustrations, emotional drivers, and contextual challenges. This work grounded design decisions in lived user realities and revealed critical experience gaps to address.
Actions:
• Mapped stages, actions, goals, pain points, and emotions across real-world contexts.
• Created a scenario-based narrative explaining why each moment mattered and how it affected adoption motivation.
• Exposed systemic challenges, such as fragmented information sources and unclear mental models.
5. Future-State Journey Mapping & Opportunity Generation
Context:
This section illustrates how I used future-state journey mapping to envision an improved end-to-end experience across platforms and use cases within a mobile app ecosystem. This process translated insights into actionable opportunities, design implications, and a clear long-term product direction, which I used initially in my low-fi design iterations, before moving into hi-fidelity.
All design choices where document on a miro board for cross-functional collaboration and so a through-line could be traced from the hi-fi design choices back to the research data.
Actions:
• Identified opportunities aligned to each stage of the journey.
• Facilitated collaborative sessions to interrogate ideas with the product team and instructors.
• Converted validated opportunities into design implication statements, then into user stories that fuelled the backlog.
• Used design artefacts like the future state journey map and the user stories as a point of reference when designing low-fi to hi-fi wireframes.
5. Future-State Journey Mapping & Opportunity Generation
Context:
This section illustrates how I used future-state journey mapping to envision an improved end-to-end experience across platforms and use cases within a mobile app ecosystem. This process translated insights into actionable opportunities, design implications, and a clear long-term product direction, which I used initially in my low-fi design iterations, before moving into hi-fidelity.
All design choices where document on a miro board for cross-functional collaboration and so a through-line could be traced from the hi-fi design choices back to the research data.
Actions:
• Identified opportunities aligned to each stage of the journey.
• Facilitated collaborative sessions to interrogate ideas with the product team and instructors.
• Converted validated opportunities into design implication statements, then into user stories that fuelled the backlog.
• Used design artefacts like the future state journey map and the user stories as a point of reference when designing low-fi to hi-fi wireframes.