SCOUT had a complex ecosystem of features that required users to manually create and manage portfolios, making it difficult for them to discover relevant topics. Additionally, the current state of the platform was too fragmented and, in some cases, broken:

• Lack of a clear workflow path, making it hard for users to navigate.
• Disconnected features and tools, which hindered seamless user interactions.
• Onboarding new users was cumbersome, requiring manual assistance via calls with the customer success and sales teams.
• Monolithic and rigid UI components, which lacked the flexibility needed for rapid iteration and improvement.

Key challenges included:

• Reducing cognitive load for new users while allowing flexibility for expert users.
• Integrating semantic search capabilities while maintaining support for legacy lexical search.
• Ensuring discoverability of SCOUT’s powerful tools, such as comparative analytics and alerts, without overwhelming users.
• Aligning cross-functional stakeholder needs into a unified user experience.

1. User Research & Stakeholder Interviews

‍To ensure our redesign addressed real user pain points, we conducted in-depth interviews with customers and the sales team. These interviews provided insights into:

• Common frustrations and roadblocks users faced when creating and managing portfolios.
• The most frequently used SCOUT features and underutilized functionalities.
• Sales team feedback on onboarding challenges and feature discoverability.

2. Taxonomy & User Flow Analysis

‍Understanding how users navigated SCOUT was crucial. We conducted a taxonomy audit to refine category structures and ensure consistent labeling. Additionally, we:

• Mapped out existing user flows to identify broken patterns and inefficiencies.
• Optimized navigation by reducing unnecessary steps and simplifying workflows.
• Introduced progressive disclosure techniques to balance usability for novice and expert users.
• Additionally, based on the revised taxonomy, we simplified the overall navigation structure to ensure quicker access to core tools and workflows. This involved restructuring the sidebar, consolidating fragmented entry points, and introducing a consistent visual language across components.

3. Wireframing & Prototyping

‍Leveraging insights from our research, we developed low-fidelity wireframes to visualize:

• A guided portfolio discovery process, helping users select topics of interest.
• A streamlined dashboard (SCOUT Home), aggregating key portfolio insights.
• Improved navigation, reducing the friction in accessing reports, alerts, and comparative tools.
• Use case-driven workflows, allowing users to tailor SCOUT’s tools to their needs.

Through iterative prototyping in Figma, we validated designs with stakeholders and refined user interactions before development.

1. Portfolio Discovery for New Users

• Implemented suggested topics based on user interests.
• Simplified topic and organization selection through predefined library topics.
• Designed an automated description generator for added topics, reducing manual input.

2. SCOUT Home (Dashboard)

• Created a centralized dashboard with aggregated insights (e.g., topics, organizations, alerts).
• Avoided` unnecessary complexity by removing direct search initiation from the Home screen.
• Switch Folder and Projects metaphor to Reports. Reports now replace Folders and Projects, maintaining the same organizational logic while simplifying terminology.
• Use left navigation area as quick acctions and access, for example, user can see quick link to Topics, Organizations and Reports. Also the following alerts Topic, Industires  and Reports.

3. Actionable Insights Through Use Cases

• Designed predefined and customizable use cases that structure how users interact with topics and organizations.
• Introduced a dropdown system for users to switch between use cases seamlessly.
• Integrated ChatGPT to enhance topic-related insights and trend suggestions.

4. Comparative Analysis & Alerts

• Improved Radar, Matrix, and KPI tools, ensuring intuitive comparison workflows.
• Allowed users to activate alerts on an item level, with a clear distinction between static and dynamic insights.

Although the project is still in development, the design solutions have led to:

• A simpler, more intuitive onboarding experience, reducing user drop-off rates.
• Increased alignment between product, engineering, and business teams.
• A scalable design framework adaptable for future feature enhancements.
• Positive early feedback from internal stakeholders and test users.

Although the project is still in development, the design solutions have led to:

• Stakeholder alignment is key: Early collaboration across teams ensured smoother decision-making and fewer redesign cycles.
• User research drives impactful design: Direct interviews with customers and sales teams provided critical insights that reshaped our approach.
• Balancing complexity with usability: Designing for both novice and expert users required progressive disclosure techniques.
• Future-proofing design: Building a modular system allowed for easier integration of AI-driven insights and automation.