How to fit a complex internal tool into a real workflow

Project overview

An internal admin tool created for bank clerks and shop managers to process and manage loans, a B2B part of the MVP of the micro-financing platform.

Original platform language (Russian) was translated to English using Figma AI.

My Role:

Solo UX designer

Focus:

Product thinking, IA, UX Audit, System thinking

Team:

PM, BA, PO, 3 Developers

Company:

Linker Soft Group

Timeline:

3 months, 2024

Impact

30k+ loan requests processed within nine months

Reduced training costs by designing intuitive flows

Developer-ready UI aligned with MUI library

Understanding the system’s logic, dependencies, and mental models before designing

Information architecture

By visualising current structure & information flows I learned system's logic & dependencies

Complex systems can't be oversimplified, but we can clarify them for users by a clear hierarchical system that correlates with the information flow across the main user’s tasks.

Information architecture

By visualising current structure & information flows I learned system's logic & dependencies

Complex systems can't be oversimplified, but we can clarify them for users by a clear hierarchical system that correlates with the information flow across the main user’s tasks.

Information architecture

By visualising current structure & information flows I learned system's logic & dependencies

Complex systems can't be oversimplified, but we can clarify them for users by a clear hierarchical system that correlates with the information flow across the main user’s tasks.

Information Architecture analysis

Information flow across roles

Task analysis

Analysing main tasks for different roles clarified how to navigate them to complete their most frequent goals and actions

People often use only a small portion of a complex product frequently. Despite users were not available at that stage of the project, to understand their tasks, I interviewed Project Owner & Business Analyst, as they knew the most about the business.

Task analysis

Analysing main tasks for different roles clarified how to navigate them to complete their most frequent goals and actions

People often use only a small portion of a complex product frequently. Despite users were not available at that stage of the project, to understand their tasks, I interviewed Project Owner & Business Analyst, as they knew the most about the business.

Task analysis

Analysing main tasks for different roles clarified how to navigate them to complete their most frequent goals and actions

People often use only a small portion of a complex product frequently. Despite users were not available at that stage of the project, to understand their tasks, I interviewed Project Owner & Business Analyst, as they knew the most about the business.

Task analyses example

Heuristics analysis

Evaluating an interface against proven usability principles helped to identify usability issues

Repetitive navigation levels, no feedback or clear hierarchy, hard-to-read long tables, filters detached from context, memory overload, high risk of accidental actions

Heuristics analysis

Evaluating an interface against proven usability principles helped to identify usability issues

Repetitive navigation levels, no feedback or clear hierarchy, hard-to-read long tables, filters detached from context, memory overload, high risk of accidental actions

Heuristics analysis

Evaluating an interface against proven usability principles helped to identify usability issues

Repetitive navigation levels, no feedback or clear hierarchy, hard-to-read long tables, filters detached from context, memory overload, high risk of accidental actions

Filters detached from tables, causing confusion

Too many actions in right-side table menu: should I remove only from the table or completely? What if my hand slips and I block the wrong person?

Lack of visual feedback (hover effect, error prevention).

Overloaded tables - too many columns, poor readability.

Heuristics analysis example

Cognitive load and errors - users have to jump between tabs to complete the flow.

Long form - what happen if the filling up is interacted?

CTA:

fix hierarchy & naming, so user knows what's next

cancel is red and on the right can cause unintended action

Lack of hierarchy and intuitiveness, require to determine information levels.

2 nav bars have the same naming that is confusing.

Heuristics analysis example

Key UX Improvements to help users to deal with the complexity

Consistent navigation and UI clean-up help users to know where they are and what’s possible next

Before - loss of orientation

After - clear visual hierarchy

Consistent navigation and UI clean-up help users to know where they are and what’s possible next

Before - loss of orientation

After - clear visual hierarchy

Navigation & Hierarchy

Consistent navigation and UI clean-up help users to know where they are and what’s possible next

Before - loss of orientation

The original layout used two similar top navigation bars, which made it hard for users to understand where they were in the system.

After - clear visual hierarchy

I restructured navigation into three levels: 1. a sidebar for system-level orientation, 2. tabs for local context, and 3. breadcrumbs for step awareness. This reduced cognitive load, clarified navigation intent, and made complex workflows easier to navigate.

01

Tables & Filters

Readable tables & maintainable filters fasten the workflow

Before - time-consuming

After - easy to orient

Tables & Filters

Readable tables & maintainable filters fasten the workflow

Before - time-consuming

After - easy to orient

Tables & Filters

Readable tables & maintainable filters fasten the workflow

Before - time-consuming

Long tables with disconnected filters and without system feedback created a time-consuming and frustrating experience.

After - easy to orient

I adapted the MUI React library elements, organized tables with readable layouts, and prioritized column order, so that relevant information is visible at a glance. Filters have become part of the workflow, not floating UI fragments, so contextual actions now appear in the right place.

02

Before

confusing actions

confusing actions

disconnected filters

disconnected filters

hard to orient in tables

hard to orient in tables

no system feedback

no system feedback

After

customize view

more columns fit on the page view

filters in the workflow

system feedback

customize view

more columns fit on the page view

filters in the workflow

system feedback

Forms

Intuitive entity creation flow - less memory overload

Before - high error risk & memory overload

After - intuitive flow & error prevention

Forms

Intuitive entity creation flow - less memory overload

Before - high error risk & memory overload

After - intuitive flow & error prevention

Forms

Intuitive entity creation flow - less memory overload

Before - high error risk & memory overload

Multy-tab flows, long forms inside modal windows that contain other modal windows, etc.

After - intuitive flow & error prevention

Clear flow with the progressive disclosure, so the users could intuitively follow the process and be reminded to fill up missing information later.

03

Before

modal window with long forms

modal window with long forms

multiple tabs to fill in

multiple tabs to fill in

interrupted flow

interrupted flow

memory overload

memory overload

After

logical sections with progressive disclosure

logical sections with progressive disclosure

logical sections with progressive disclosure

separate flow

progress indicator

progress indicator

progress indicator

Starting point

Relevant Home page for each role to excelerate their main tasks

Knowing main goals for each user role, we could identify their starting point - relevant Home page, so each user role start the app from their most frequent task.

Starting point

Relevant Home page for each role to excelerate their main tasks

Knowing main goals for each user role, we could identify their starting point - relevant Home page, so each user role start the app from their most frequent task.

Starting point

Relevant Home page for each role to excelerate their main tasks

Knowing main goals for each user role, we could identify their starting point - relevant Home page, so each user role start the app from their most frequent task.

04

Home page for each user role identified in Site Map

Home page for each user role identified in Site Map

Outcome

Internal tool that fits users' workflow, supporting 30k+ successfully processed loan requests within the first nine months of operation.

MVP with a scalable & consistent UI foundation aligned with MUI React Library.

What I learned

Respect complexity instead of fighting it

This project showed me that complexity doesn’t disappear. The real design challenge is finding how to navigate the user in it, as well as choosing how much of it users should carry and how much the system should absorb for them.

Good UX is also a business decision

I learned how to advocate for design choices with long-term impact. For example, pushing a more robust entity-creation flow into the MVP meant higher upfront effort, but reduced training needs, errors, and maintenance later. This helped me see UX as a way to reduce complexity, not just for users, but for the business as well.

What's next

The next step is to observe how users work with the tool in their daily context. This will help validate the design decisions and identify where complexity still leaks into the user experience, as well as where the system can further absorb it.

Building a shared design system will prepare the platform for consistent scaling, reduce design and development friction, and allow the team to move faster without sacrificing clarity or quality.

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2024

How I streamlined complex loan forms into a 10-minute, self-service flow

How I streamlined complex loan forms into a 10-minute, self-service flow

New app design for in-store micro-financing without bank clerks' assistance

Reached 30k+ conversions in 1st year

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