Empowering Panel Ops with a Unified Admin Tool

Overview

The client's Panel Operations teams needed a better way to review and manage panelists across test sessions.

I led the design of a unified admin platform that streamlined workflows, reduced operational friction, and created a scalable foundation for future growth.

Problem

Panel Ops relied on multiple legacy & disconnected tools, each supporting only parts of the workflow.

This resulted in:

Fragmented workflows across session types
Manual workarounds and heavy context switching
Limited visibility into panelist status and decisions
Inefficiencies that slowed down operations

Existing systems couldn’t scale with evolving client's needs.

Solution

I designed a centralized, desktop-first admin tool that:

Unifies review flows across multiple test sessions
Enables efficient panelist review and decision-making
Reduces manual effort through streamlined workflows
Improves visibility with consolidated data and statuses
Establishes a scalable, accessible design system

The experience is more seamless, reliable, and efficient for high-volume operational work.

My Role

Lead Product Designer across two teams
Owned end-to-end design from discovery to delivery
Defined core workflows, interaction models, and system structure
Drove alignment across Product, Engineering, and Panel Ops
Led adoption of a scalable design system (shadcn/ui)
Ensured accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) and consistency across the platform

Design Approach

I focused on evolving—not replacing—existing workflows:

Preserve familiar patterns where useful
Eliminate friction and redundant steps
Design for scalability across multiple session types
Prioritize clarity, speed, and reliability

All decisions were grounded in real user pain points and continuous feedback.

Design Process

Discover — Audited legacy tools, mapped workflows, identified friction
Define — Prioritized key features, aligned on constraints and accessibility
Ideate — Built on hackathon POC, explored concepts and interaction models
Test — Validated with Panel Ops, iterated on complex flows
Deliver — Finalized scalable designs, documented patterns, supported rollout