Uncovering the Hidden Cost of
Complex Tools: How Simplifying a complex
Excel-based Assessment Saved $1.2M
Role
Lead UX & Ui
Contribution
User Experience
Visual Design
Research
Company
Itron - Global technology
in energy and water
resource management
Timeline
4 weeks
Uncovering the Hidden Cost of Complex Tools: How Simplifying a complex Excel-based Assessment Saved $1.2M
Role
Lead UX & Ui
Contribution
User Experience
Visual Design
Research
Company
Itron - Global technology
in energy and water
resource management
Timeline
4 weeks
Uncovering the Hidden Cost of Complex Tools: How Simplifying a complex Excel-based Assessment Saved $1.2M
Role
Lead UX & Ui
Contribution
User Experience
Visual Design
Research
Company
Itron - Global technology
in energy and water
resource management
Timeline
4 weeks
01
Project Overview
At Itron, multi-million dollar innovation projects were being evaluated with a 47-tab spreadsheet that most people abandoned after one attempt. Critical investment decisions were made without proper risk assessment, costing the company hundreds of thousands in failed projects.
01
Project Overview
At Itron, multi-million dollar innovation projects were being evaluated with a 47-tab spreadsheet that most people abandoned after one attempt. Critical investment decisions were made without proper risk assessment, costing the company hundreds of thousands in failed projects.
01
Project Overview
At Itron, multi-million dollar innovation projects were being evaluated with a 47-tab spreadsheet that most people abandoned after one attempt. Critical investment decisions were made without proper risk assessment, costing the company hundreds of thousands in failed projects.
MY ROLE
As Lead UX Designer, I spearheaded the systematic transformation of Itron's risk assessment process over 4 months. Working with a cross-functional team of 6 members, I conducted user research, redesigned the assessment workflow, and established design principles that balanced methodological sophistication with practical usability.
MY ROLE
As Lead UX Designer, I spearheaded the systematic transformation of Itron's risk assessment process over 4 months. Working with a cross-functional team of 6 members, I conducted user research, redesigned the assessment workflow, and established design principles that balanced methodological sophistication with practical usability.
MY ROLE
As Lead UX Designer, I spearheaded the systematic transformation of Itron's risk assessment process over 4 months. Working with a cross-functional team of 6 members, I conducted user research, redesigned the assessment workflow, and established design principles that balanced methodological sophistication with practical usability.
THE CHALLENGE
The heart of the challenge was balancing depth with usability. The spreadsheet was detailed enough to capture every angle of risk, but its complexity made it unusable. I needed to create a tool that people could trust, one that surfaced the right level of detail at the right time, while giving decision-makers a clear view of portfolio health.
THE CHALLENGE
The heart of the challenge was balancing depth with usability. The spreadsheet was detailed enough to capture every angle of risk, but its complexity made it unusable. I needed to create a tool that people could trust, one that surfaced the right level of detail at the right time, while giving decision-makers a clear view of portfolio health.
THE CHALLENGE
The heart of the challenge was balancing depth with usability. The spreadsheet was detailed enough to capture every angle of risk, but its complexity made it unusable. I needed to create a tool that people could trust, one that surfaced the right level of detail at the right time, while giving decision-makers a clear view of portfolio health.
02
Understanding the Users
While the numbers showed clear friction, the real story came through in the voices of frustrated users. What stood out in these conversations was that the framework itself wasn’t broken. The scoring system worked. The problem was the experience — it was too overwhelming, too fragmented, and too hard to trust. The real opportunity was to take a process that already had substance and make it usable, transparent, and credible for everyone involved.
Research approach: I conducted 8 user interviews and observed 6 users attempting to complete risk assessments with the existing tool. . From this, I created a primary persona that represented the typical evaluator. This persona and its supporting quotes became the foundation for reframing the experience.
02
Understanding the Users
While the numbers showed clear friction, the real story came through in the voices of frustrated users. What stood out in these conversations was that the framework itself wasn’t broken. The scoring system worked. The problem was the experience — it was too overwhelming, too fragmented, and too hard to trust. The real opportunity was to take a process that already had substance and make it usable, transparent, and credible for everyone involved.
Research approach: I conducted 8 user interviews and observed 6 users attempting to complete risk assessments with the existing tool. . From this, I created a primary persona that represented the typical evaluator. This persona and its supporting quotes became the foundation for reframing the experience.
02
Understanding the Users
While the numbers showed clear friction, the real story came through in the voices of frustrated users. What stood out in these conversations was that the framework itself wasn’t broken. The scoring system worked. The problem was the experience — it was too overwhelming, too fragmented, and too hard to trust. The real opportunity was to take a process that already had substance and make it usable, transparent, and credible for everyone involved.
Research approach: I conducted 8 user interviews and observed 6 users attempting to complete risk assessments with the existing tool. . From this, I created a primary persona that represented the typical evaluator. This persona and its supporting quotes became the foundation for reframing the experience.
JOURNEY MAPPING
To visualize the problem, I mapped the end-to-end journey of completing an evaluation. The pain points were obvious: evaluators felt buried in detail, project leads had no transparency, and executives were left piecing together an incomplete picture. Reframing this journey helped shift the conversation from frustration to opportunity.
JOURNEY MAPPING
To visualize the problem, I mapped the end-to-end journey of completing an evaluation. The pain points were obvious: evaluators felt buried in detail, project leads had no transparency, and executives were left piecing together an incomplete picture. Reframing this journey helped shift the conversation from frustration to opportunity.
JOURNEY MAPPING
To visualize the problem, I mapped the end-to-end journey of completing an evaluation. The pain points were obvious: evaluators felt buried in detail, project leads had no transparency, and executives were left piecing together an incomplete picture. Reframing this journey helped shift the conversation from frustration to opportunity.
03
Exploring the Solution
The user research revealed that the problem wasn't just a bad interface—it was a fundamental mismatch between complex methodology and user needs. My solution focused on three core principles: progressive guidance instead of overwhelming choice, transparent calculations to build trust, and contextual education to build user capability.
03
Exploring the Solution
The user research revealed that the problem wasn't just a bad interface—it was a fundamental mismatch between complex methodology and user needs. My solution focused on three core principles: progressive guidance instead of overwhelming choice, transparent calculations to build trust, and contextual education to build user capability.
03
Exploring the Solution
The user research revealed that the problem wasn't just a bad interface—it was a fundamental mismatch between complex methodology and user needs. My solution focused on three core principles: progressive guidance instead of overwhelming choice, transparent calculations to build trust, and contextual education to build user capability.
USER FLOW
Designing the user flow for the Itron Risk Calculator required balancing simplicity with depth. This structure transformed the user experience from "Where do I even start?" to "I know exactly what to do next" - directly addressing the guidance and confidence issues identified in our research.
USER FLOW
Designing the user flow for the Itron Risk Calculator required balancing simplicity with depth. This structure transformed the user experience from "Where do I even start?" to "I know exactly what to do next" - directly addressing the guidance and confidence issues identified in our research.
USER FLOW
Designing the user flow for the Itron Risk Calculator required balancing simplicity with depth. This structure transformed the user experience from "Where do I even start?" to "I know exactly what to do next" - directly addressing the guidance and confidence issues identified in our research.
WIREFRAMING & IA
I built a mid-fidelity prototype and walked users through the full workflow. Testing revealed what worked (step-by-step guidance reduced overwhelm) and what didn’t (collaboration gaps persisted). These insights drove refinements that turned the flow into a tool teams could actually trust and adopt.
WIREFRAMING & IA
I built a mid-fidelity prototype and walked users through the full workflow. Testing revealed what worked (step-by-step guidance reduced overwhelm) and what didn’t (collaboration gaps persisted). These insights drove refinements that turned the flow into a tool teams could actually trust and adopt.
WIREFRAMING & IA
I built a mid-fidelity prototype and walked users through the full workflow. Testing revealed what worked (step-by-step guidance reduced overwhelm) and what didn’t (collaboration gaps persisted). These insights drove refinements that turned the flow into a tool teams could actually trust and adopt.
04
Design & Delivery
The entire application underwent comprehensive redesign across three core interfaces. The design evolution shows a dramatic transformation from a basic data display tool to an intuitive decision-making platform.
04
Design & Delivery
The entire application underwent comprehensive redesign across three core interfaces. The design evolution shows a dramatic transformation from a basic data display tool to an intuitive decision-making platform.
04
Design & Delivery
The entire application underwent comprehensive redesign across three core interfaces. The design evolution shows a dramatic transformation from a basic data display tool to an intuitive decision-making platform.
DESIGN SYSTEM
A solution isn’t complete unless it scales and includes everyone. I built a library of reusable components and semantic risk colors formed a lightweight design system. Accessibility was built in from the start, achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. The solution was now consistent, inclusive, and ready to scale.
DESIGN SYSTEM
A solution isn’t complete unless it scales and includes everyone. I built a library of reusable components and semantic risk colors formed a lightweight design system. Accessibility was built in from the start, achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. The solution was now consistent, inclusive, and ready to scale.
DESIGN SYSTEM
A solution isn’t complete unless it scales and includes everyone. I built a library of reusable components and semantic risk colors formed a lightweight design system. Accessibility was built in from the start, achieving WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. The solution was now consistent, inclusive, and ready to scale.
05
Impact & Key Learnings
The most impactful UX work often happens in unglamorous but critical business processes where strategic design thinking can unlock enormous organizational value. Users don't resist analytical sophistication, they resist opacity in high-stakes contexts where professional credibility depends on understanding methodology. The most efficacious solutions tessellate complexity with transparency rather than trading sophistication for simplicity.
05
Impact & Key Learnings
The most impactful UX work often happens in unglamorous but critical business processes where strategic design thinking can unlock enormous organizational value. Users don't resist analytical sophistication, they resist opacity in high-stakes contexts where professional credibility depends on understanding methodology. The most efficacious solutions tessellate complexity with transparency rather than trading sophistication for simplicity.
05