Role
Design Lead – Led the design direction + collaborated cross-functionally to define the end-to-end experience as a sole UX/UI designer.
Client
Confidential – A leading construction and infrastructure company in Japan, specializing in large-scale projects, innovative technology and sustainable practices.
Team
Avanade – 1 Designer (+ SV)
Accenture – 7 Consultants (Product managers, Business architects, etc.), 5-6 Developers
Our project aimed to digitize the cost management workflow and create a unified source of truth for site-level budget and progress tracking for construction site managers. My role focused on improving UX flows for budget management, progress tracking, and cost review while designing scalable UI patterns that could be extended to other internal tools.
Within a cross-functional team of Avanade and Accenture members, I led the design from user research to high-fidelity UI, simplifying complex workflows for a major Japanese construction company.
CHALLENGE
Fragmented Excel-based workflows
Each site manager manages Excel in different ways, increasing the risk of errors with inconsistent/unreliable data.
Lack of real-time visibility
Difficult to maintain real-time visibility into cost and forecast data with the current workflow; there’s been a case of ¥12.7 billion discrepancy over two years between initial and final forecasts.
Manual data entry prone to errors
Plan changes and underestimated costs often lead to discrepancies in expected vs. actual profit – it was challenging to manually manage these accurately.
OBJECTIVE
Streamline the end-to-end reporting process
Unify how site managers report progress and cost data to HQ by integrating manually-entered data with internal systems and standardizing practices across all sites.
Seamless flow of large, complex data sets
Enable site managers to manage plan changes while syncing with existing systems for a smooth, real-time data flow between platforms.
Reduce manual data entry errors
Reduce manual entry errors through automation, UI, and system feedback, to enable accurate and reliable data reports.
INTERVIEWS + WORKSHOPS
In addition to user interviews, the design team facilitated an offline stakeholder workshop with business leads, system analysts, and engineers from Accenture to align on user needs and current pain points. We had each member storyboard and map out the current workflow vs. the idealistic state, which got the team to think more openly on what problems we should be tackling.
PERSONA
We consolidated our findings into one simple persona that represented our focused target – Mr. Sato, a construction site manager responsible for overseeing the project site, managing budget, and reporting monthly to HQ.
KEY FINDINGS AND NEEDS
Responsible for monthly cost forecasts and reporting
Wants to spot issues as soon as they happen
Often juggles multiple spreadsheets under tight deadlines
Needs clarity, speed, and confidence when entering data
TO-BE USER SCENARIO
To translate our findings to opportunities, we developed to-be user scenarios for each phase of the user journey which helped align the team and our client on what our ideal experience should look like. We visualized Mr. Sato’s current and ideal budget management workflows across four key phases:
A. Plan working budget
B. Track performance
C. Respond to design changes
D. Create monthly reports
GUIDING UX PRINCIPLES
Clarity over complexity
Simple, readable, and clear interactions, even if it means limiting advanced features or custom options.
Efficiency over flexibility
Prioritize speed and accuracy of user tasks by using standardized input fields and structured modals instead of open-ended fields or providing optional variations.
Reliable system feedback
Provide immediate visual feedback—with alerts, validation, and status indicators—to trust the data they’re working with and act decisively, especially in time-sensitive environments.
Since organizing work flows were central to this project, our user flow diagram became a shared foundation for defining and visualizing how our key UX principles could translate into real interactions. As new screens or features were introduced, we frequently returned to this flow and refined it together to ensure they fit into the bigger picture. It helped us stay aligned, focusing in on the details while never losing sight of the holistic flow.
MAIN TABLE VIEW
Quick access to overview data, enabling site managers to easily track the status of their project at a glance without having to sift through numerous Excel sheets. Designed to surface key alerts and track expected vs. actual budget by work types.
DATA ENTRY + FEEDBACK
Used a two-column form layout in the Details page for simple data entry, with consideration to validation patterns, input guidelines, and auto-complete functions where necessary to prevent errors in input fields.
Indicating different patterns for table data was crucial: editable vs. fixed text, hover items by cell and row, placeholder text for editable and empty cells, etc. I aligned with the team to make sure all possible data input patterns were covered, and adapted interactions of in-line editing for a user-friendly data table interface.
For any data entry done manually, validation errors are indicated instantly to ensure site managers are entering the correct data, avoiding careless mistakes on the spot.
Sticky action bars appear at the bottom of the screen whenever users edit data, emphasizing primary CTAs and clearly providing guidance as to when they need to take action.
ONBOARDING: IMPORTING OLD DATA
The app provides access to a downloadable Excel template and import feature—aimed to reduce friction and prevent errors during the data transfer process. This helped bridge legacy habits with the new system while ensuring a smooth first-time experience.
ALERTS
Consolidated multiple alert types into an icon + tooltip, using color-coding and hover actions to indicate what the alerts were for. In addition, we received feedback from users that it was difficult to identify where the alerts were when they’re nested under the layers – iterations with our client led to integrating a filter to sort the alert types + using a separate icon (of lower visual hierarchy) to indicate if there are alerts nested within that layer.
Designed and documented scalable components as a Figma library and developed a guideline for all team members. This opened opportunities for me to lead the design for other apps under the same client, expanding and applying the same design principles and library.
Components and icon sets are sourced from
IMPACT ON BUSINESS
Earlier detection of risks
Site managers can now detect cost deviations up to 4–5 months earlier than before—resulting in projected savings of ¥7.8B annually.
Improved on-site communication
Received client feedback that this app enabled teams to engage in more concrete, data-backed discussions rather than relying on anecdotal reports.
Scalable rollout across Japan
With this successful PoC, the app was approved for a nationwide release. By working closely with various stakeholders, we laid the groundwork across other project sites.
IMPACT ON TEAM
Design system reused across other projects
By setting guidelines, component libraries, and design tokens, this project established a UI foundation that could be scaled to other internal tools.
Faster, iterative delivery
Scalable components and reusable layouts enabled us to respond flexibly to tight Agile timelines. We had great feedback from designers who utilized our assets on another project.
Better cross-team communication
Advocated for the team to keep the design team included, not just for development but early in the requirement discussions, which helped reduce unnecessary iterations and align faster on what needed to be built.
TAKEAWAY
By analyzing how site managers work with cost management data, I was able to see firsthand how even small UX decisions—like the placement of an alert—can directly impact speed and accuracy of on-site judgements. As the design lead, it also taught me the importance of being a loud advocate for early design involvement and close collaboration across business and dev teams. Skill-wise, I was able to build a strong foundation on designing complex, data-heavy enterprise tools, using scalable systems that balance usability with business logic—something I hope to continue building on throughout my career.
