Project Name

Data.UNOPS Portal

Cross-functional Collaboration Stakeholder Management Product Strategy
Link to Project data.unops.org
Year 2024
Role UX Designer

Context & Challenge

Data.UNOPS serves as UNOPS' central data transparency platform, providing stakeholders with access to organizational data through interactive visualizations and filtering capabilities. The project required establishing a consistent design system and creating intuitive navigation for complex datasets.

Early in the project, gaps emerged in design execution and alignment with best practices. The project needed someone to step in and drive the design process forward to meet its complexity and requirements while maintaining tight collaboration with developers and managing evolving stakeholder expectations.

My Approach

Initially assigned to ensure brand compliance at a high level, I recognized the need for more comprehensive design leadership and proactively expanded my role. I restructured the approach by leveraging Figma for prototyping and design collaboration, ensuring an efficient and iterative workflow while working in close alignment with developers.

I collaborated with the Design and Digital Visibility Architect and Product Manager to create a consistent visual and structural language. This involved participating in daily data configuration sessions with technical teams, ensuring information quality and accuracy control in how data was presented within filters and navigation, always considering user needs.

Strategic Decision-Making

During a pivotal project shift near the end of development, stakeholders proposed changes that could impact usability. I initiated a prototyping session to incorporate feedback while addressing potential challenges from late-stage modifications. By reframing discussions around "what problem are we trying to solve" rather than jumping to solutions, I successfully clarified and deferred requests that would have compromised product usability, protecting both user experience and delivery timeline.

This approach—grounded in design and UX theory—helped redirect subjective opinions back to user needs and project objectives, ensuring decisions were made with clear rationale rather than preference.

Strengthening Cross-Functional Collaboration

I strengthened the design-development workflow by leveraging HTML and CSS vocabulary to communicate UI adjustments, ensuring seamless implementation and fidelity between design and development. I used Figma variables throughout the project and delivered style instructions in developer-friendly language, enabling efficient integration.

To enhance ongoing collaboration, I facilitated a cross-team interactive session for developers, showcasing Figma's developer mode with real UNOPS project examples and relevant plugins. This strengthened the bridge between designers and developers, resulting in faster delivery and improved handoff processes.

Key Deliverables

  • Custom design system with reusable components that streamlined navigation and maintained visual coherence
  • Navigation structures, filters, and interactive elements including styled globe and color-coded charts
  • Design system documentation using variables for consistent application across the platform
  • Developer-friendly style guides and component specifications in technical language
  • Figma developer mode training materials and workflow documentation

Impact & Outcomes

The project successfully delivered a visually coherent platform that maintained UNOPS brand standards while prioritizing usability. Enhanced design-to-development handoff processes resulted in smoother transitions and improved final product quality. The cross-functional collaboration patterns established during this project strengthened team workflows beyond this single initiative.

By stepping into an expanded role when needed, I ensured the project met its complexity requirements and delivered accurate data presentation through active participation in technical configuration sessions.