Scaling systems in real time
This case explores the early efforts on the RenoAssistance design system and how the Contractor application (RCA) a B2B hub for entrepreneurs facilitated buy-in into the process for our Business Unit.
As a team of product designers, we were initially tasked with unifying the ecosystem’s brands. Navigating constraints and unexpected challenges, we turned this project into a key opportunity to refine processes and secure time allocation.
My role: Product Design lead, hands-on UI
Context
RCA, a platform connecting RA with entrepreneurs, was created to help small businesses in the construction sector and emerged from user interviews, call center data, and internal feedback, revealing contractors needed a solution to use on the go.
While our Design team (five people, including me) was securing stakeholder buy-in and establishing structural guidelines for a Design System, the RCA team, POs, and PM faced external pressure to accelerate progress, even as the Brand and UX specifics were still undefined.
In this challenging landscape, I joined the team and led the Interface efforts with an additional UI designer as support, ensuring progress despite ongoing uncertainties.
Process
The existing CRM and website had slow performance and legacy issues that were impacting contractors, triggering delays in UX design and putting pressure on the team to demonstrate progress to stakeholders.
Because of that, the focus shifted to immediate UI, so we started by identifying basic components from our other apps that could be reused and scaled across. We prioritized stable structures and patterns, such as button logic, typography, and essential functional elements. To keep the project moving forward, at the same time we set aside uncertainties like color and used temporary placeholders.
In parallel, we created a set of slides to communicate progress to stakeholders, clarifying why some elements were tangible while others weren’t, helping cover ground, giving colleagues more time, and educating the team on processes.
Results
The UI efforts provided a scalable, flexible foundation for the RCA app while our Slides Deck also served as a tool to facilitate alignment and educate stakeholders about the ongoing process.
By showing strategic progress, we gained trust and bought time for the other teams to advance. This approach allowed the developers to start building as well, which helped the project move forward despite the challenges.
Additionally, the creation of the slides helped alleviate pressure, lifted morale, and ensured leadership felt involved and understood the need to unblock the team on other fronts. Ultimately, this too, helped us create allies for the design system’s broader vision.
What the initiative covered
As the lead User Interface efforts, my role was to guide the team, and identify/design components based on user feedback, our ecosystem apps, and industry benchmark, in order to move towards prototypes while UX and Branding were undefined.
Other tasks included:
To apply a foundational Design System incrementally, balancing temporary elements with stable, core components under pressure.
Identify reusable UI components (buttons, inputs, navigation) for consistent use across the apps, building on initial Design System discussions
Create tools to align stakeholders, demonstrating progress amidst uncertainties.
Guide and onboard a UI designer that would support execution and asset creation.
Drive a process forward under pressure to show results, buying time for essential tasks like UX work and Dev.
Here’s an example of a graphic that helped convey how decisions within the system are interconnected and come together to produce a panel.
By visually breaking down the process, we helped stakeholders understand the interconnectedness of design choices and their impact on the final product. This clarified the design logic and sparked curiosity, fostering dialogue and indirectly prompting adjustments in our processes, aligning everyone toward a common goal
By using tools and formats commonly employed by leadership, like deck slides, we simplified complex ideas to make them more digestible for decision-makers.
While this approach may have sacrificed some precision, it was a strategic move to gain broader understanding.
This simplification helped leadership grasp the constraints we were facing, which facilitated collaboration and support down the line.
The clarity it provided also fostered empathy, allowing us to address challenges more effectively as a team.
The impact
By focusing on scalable UI components we made meaningful progress despite initial challenges, and unknowns, because we focused on the underlying structures, reducing pressure and providing the team leaders with visible updates.
Through collaboration and targeted presentations, we effectively communicated design constraints, secured support for key initiatives, and aligned the team.
This approach not only improved morale but also fostered a deeper understanding of the project, setting the stage for a more adaptable and comprehensive approach. While the full multi-brand Design System is still evolving, we made these conversations more accessible, building support for the broader vision.
Final thoughts
In the end, the key to the success of this project was finding the right balance between structure and flexibility, meeting people where they were in their understanding and needs.
By embracing clear communication and empathy, we turned challenges into opportunities.
While the instinct is often to prioritize speed over planning, advocating for structure laid the foundation for more deliberate and effective progress.
Thanks for reading! and I’m happy to share the next project with you 🌟