Digitising SaaS form and document management software to streamline paperwork and processes in the construction sector.

Type
Product Design
Role
Research  
UX/UI Design
Timeline
Aug 2023 - Feb 2024
Website
www.projectdeck.com
Background
ProjectDeck is a cloud-based enterprise construction project management software company specialising in designing forms and document management systems. It helps construction project managers streamline their paperwork and processes, significantly reducing daily paperwork.
Challenges
Our customers face several challenges while using our product. Form improvements, especially better table integration, are needed.
The approval process requires a more efficient system. Customers want us to refine core features, such as approvals, scope and packages, timeline management, and logs. The registers feature needs better data management and accessibility. The stages and activities feature lacks functionality and usability.  The stage designer and activity builder are confusing and need clearer distinctions.
Impact and Results
  • Removed non-usable features to streamline the product.
  • Enhanced core product features to assist project managers in completing tasks seamlessly.
  • Launched V2 of the software with significant improvements.
  • Received excellent customer feedback post-launch.
  • Increased new customer onboarding.
  • Achieved over 250 new free user registrations.
01 Research
As part of our research for ProjectDeck, we conducted 11 interviews with construction project managers and site engineers who use the product. Our aim was to identify their needs, pain points, and preferences regarding the management of routine tasks, especially those involving paperwork. We also reviewed user feedback and gain deeper insights into common challenges and feature requirements.
What our users said
Approval Improvements:
- Lacks efficiency and user-friendliness.
- Need for a more streamlined and efficient approval system.
Scope & Packages: Needs enhancement to better meet customer requirements.
Timeline: Inadequate for managing project schedules and Date headings on timeline gantt chart are confusing.
Scope & Packages: Needs enhancement to better meet customer requirements.
Logs: Requires improvements for better tracking and monitoring.
Registers: Needs enhancement for improved data management and accessibility.
Stages and Activities: Lacking in functionality and usability.
Project Details: Needs to be more detailed and user-friendly.
Stage Designer and Activity Builder: Confusing design, needing clearer distinction.
Using Stages to Filter Projects: Confusing and inefficient system.
Lack of Onboarding support: I found the lack of onboarding support in the product to be a major drawback. Without any guidance or tutorials, it was extremely difficult to complete tasks, and I ended up wasting a lot of time trying to figure out how to use the various features. A proper onboarding process would significantly improve the user experience and efficiency.
Okay, what was the business saying?
Remove non-usable features to streamline the product.
Enhance core product features to help project managers complete tasks seamlessly.
Increase market presence in the construction SaaS industry.
Improve user experience by addressing pain points.
How might we...
1
How might we redesign ProjectDeck to address streamline non-usable features, ensuring a more efficient and reliable user experience?
2
How might we improve the form functionality, including better table integration, to meet user needs and enhance overall product usability?
3
How might we refine the approval process and other core features (approvals, scope & packages, timeline, logs, registers, stages & activities, project details) to better align with user expectations and improve task completion?
4
How might we design ProjectDeck to better assist project managers by focusing on core functionalities and improving tools such as the Stage Designer and Activity Builder?
5
How might we enhance our software’s alignment with industry standards and increase our market presence, while improving user experience and addressing the key pain points identified?
Market Research and Competitor Analysis
Objectives of Market Research: To gain insights into the construction management SaaS market and identify best practices from key competitors to inform our product redesign strategy. Research Methodology: I conducted a thorough analysis using the following methods: Website Analysis (Detailed review of competitor websites), User Reviews: (Examination of user feedback and reviews from various platforms such as Capterra, Sourceforge, GetApp and Software Advise), Case Studies: (Analysis of case studies published by competitors), Web Analytics (Use of Similarweb web analytic tool to assess traffic patterns and user engagement on competitor sites).
I also conducted a detailed analysis of the competitors, which included ranking, traffic and engagement analysis, geography and country targeting, audience distribution, market strategies and channels, social network distribution, technologies/integration, pricing strategies, localisation, and key customer data.
Key Findings
Analytics: Dashboard Analytics: Competitors like Sitemate, Novade Lite, and Monday.com offer robust analytics dashboards that help users track performance across individuals, teams, and entire companies. These dashboards enable monitoring of trends, productivity improvements, reporting enhancements, and streamlined workflows.

Insights: Provide comprehensive insights across all projects, enhancing visibility and strategic decision-making.
Template Library view Options: Includes grid view and register (list) view, allowing flexibility in how information is presented and accessed.

Construction Categories: Extensive template library covering various construction categories such as Commercial, Finance, Safety (General, Method Statements, Toolbox Talks), Quality, Production, Environmental, Plant & Equipment, and Survey & Spatial.
Table Component versatility: Tables integrate multiple field types, including text, numbers, signatures, photos, attachments, formulas, and lists, offering a highly customisable and functional data management solution.
Dedidcated Workflow Pages: Features like Review, Approval, Signature, and Link are centralized on dedicated pages, helping users manage and track all workflows efficiently.
Onboarding Self-Learning Resources: Onboarding videos and resources are available to help users learn and adapt to the product independently.
User Experience: Emphasis on a clean, modern design with minimal colour schemes, contributing to a user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing interface.

Features & Capabilities: Includes robust roles and permissions management and auto-save functionalities, enhancing overall usability and operational efficiency.
02 Define
Meet the Project Manager!
As part of our research, we conducted interviews with project manager in construction industry. Our goal was to understand their needs, pain points, and preferences when it comes to digitising their project and lifecycle management process through the application.
“We're excited about ProjectDeck's custom templates. They allow us to adapt workflows to match our project requirements perfectly."
— Chris, Project Manager who handles multiple ongoing projects in UK's leading construction company.
Goals
  • Wanted to streamline project management processes to save time.
  • Wanted to streamline project management processes to save time.
  • Forms to create the template and deploy seamlessly.
Pain Points
  • Frustrated with manual paperwork and outdated process and error prone.
  • Struggles with communication breakdowns between team members.
  • Time consuming and delay in project timelines.
Needs
  • Provide a software to mitigate the manual process.
  • Provide a life cycle management to manage multiple projects at once.
  • Seamless creation and integration of forms and templates.
So what features were needed?
The MoSCoW model was used to identify and determine priorities, ensuring that essential user needs and business goals are met, and that features are delivered on time and within scope.
MUST HAVE
  • Improve Navigation
  • Analytics (Dashboard)
  • Template Library
  • Table Component
  • Workflows
  • Onboarding Videos
SHOULD HAVE
  • Improve PDF Function
  • Help Guide
  • File Sharing (Documents)
  • Chat
COULD HAVE
  • Component Workflow/Logic
  • Lists Library
  • Header and Footer Component Capability
  • Template Setting
  • Task Setting
  • Automatic Doc Importing
03 Design
System map
The System Map helps by removing unnecessary features and pages such as "Scope & Packages," "Logs," "Registers," "Timeline," "Activity Builder," and "Project Detail Page" from the product. This provides users with a streamlined experience and seamless navigation through essential pages: Homepage (Dashboard), Project Page, Template Library Page, Form Page, Collection Page, Template Designer, and Workflow Page.
04 Testing
Usability testing
ProjectDeck software underwent numerous iterations and incorporated design feedback from various business stakeholders. To achieve the primary goal of understanding user perceptions of the product, several usability tasks were conducted. These tasks aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype developed in Figma, focusing on helping new users understand the software's features and services, ultimately supporting their construction project management needs.
User feedback and Design iteration
Task 1: Evaluate how easily users can access and interpret the Dashboard Analytics.
Feedback
4/5: Navigating to the dashboard was straightforward, and the key performance metrics were displayed clearly.
3/5: It took some time to locate the activity feed and recently created forms option, which could be made more prominent.
Task 2: Assess the usability of the Template Library for finding and using relevant templates.
Feedback
5/5: The Template Library was easy to access, and the search functionality worked well. I found the "Safety - Toolbox Talks" template quickly and was able to customize it for my project needs without any issues
Task 3: Test the functionality and flexibility of the Table Component.
Feedback
4/5: Creating and customising the table was relatively simple, and I appreciated the flexibility of incorporating various field types, charts, filters and column filters.
Task 4: Evaluate the ease of managing workflows within the software.
Feedback
4/5: Setting up an approval workflow was intuitive, and the dedicated Workflow Page made it easy to manage and track progress. Assigning team members and setting deadlines were straightforward tasks.
Task 5: Assess the effectiveness of the onboarding videos and resources.
Feedback
5/5: The onboarding videos were extremely helpful, providing clear and concise instructions on navigating the software.
05 Final Design
Impacts and Results

Next Project

Redesigning the ProjectDeck website – a SaaS solution platform for construction project management

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Full Case Study

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