The Web - Utility services platform
This project focused on improving usability, accessibility, and scalability while preserving familiar workflows in a regulated, high-trust domain.
Client
Hansen Technologies
Role
UX Designer
Duration
9 Months
Year
2022
Overview
The Web is a customer-facing utility services platform used to manage essential tasks. The existing experience was functionally complete but difficult to navigate, visually outdated, and not fully accessible, leading to higher cognitive load and reduced engagement.
This project focused on improving usability, accessibility, and scalability while preserving familiar workflows in a regulated, high-trust domain.
Problem statement
Users needed to complete critical tasks quickly and confidently, but dense information architecture, inconsistent patterns, accessibility gaps, and performance friction made the experience harder than necessary. The key challenge was simplifying the experience without disrupting existing user behavior or violating compliance and security requirements.
Goals and UX strategy
- 1. Simplify high-frequency tasks without breaking core workflows
- 2. Reduce cognitive load through clearer hierarchy and prioritisation
- 3. Preserve user trust with predictable, transparent interactions
- 4. Embed WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility as a system-level requirement
- 5. Modernise the UI using Material Design while minimising relearning
- 6. Improve perceived performance through progressive disclosure
- 7. Create scalable patterns aligned with product and engineering needs
Key Challenges
- 1. Limited user data, requiring insights from stakeholders, support data, and competitive analysis.
- 2. GDPR and data-security constraints shaping flows and content visibility.
- 3. High domain complexity requiring clarity without oversimplification.
Design Decisions
- 1. Re-structured information architecture based on task frequency and user intent
- 2. Simplified layouts and standardised interaction patterns to reduce friction
- 3. Applied accessibility-first decisions across typography, contrast, and focus states
- 4. Introduced responsive, reusable UI patterns aligned with Material Design
- 5. Prioritised critical content and feedback to improve perceived performance
- 6. Collaborated closely with Product, Engineering, and Leadership to balance usability, feasibility, and compliance.
Homepage
Homepage
Service page
Service page
Impact
The redesigned experience improved navigation clarity, accessibility, and overall usability while preserving familiar workflows.
Users found the platform easier to use and more intuitive, resulting in higher engagement and a modern, scalable foundation for future development.