Khang Hy
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Design & system workAgriTech · Aquaculture

A 16-step farm workflow, restructured into 5 guided phases.

The redesign wasn't in the brief. Auditing the UI, I found the flow mirrored the database, not the task. I proposed a task-based sequence, kept every business rule intact, and the team backed it.

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Illustration: 16 steps collapsing into 5 phases
Role
UX/UI designer
Team
2 mobile, 2 web, 2 QC
Timeline
2023, ~3 months
Platform
Mobile-first, field use
Status
Launched
Before: 16 stepsFollowed the database schema, one small piece per step.
After: 5 phasesFollows how the task gets done in one sitting. Business rules unchanged.
5 guided phases · 68% fewer steps
The problem

The workflow broke operations, not the visuals.

Field workers entered data on phones, outdoors, through a flow built around the system instead of the job.

  • 0116 disconnected stepsOne routine farming task, split into pieces, caused delays in data entry.
  • 02High load in the fieldOutdoor glare and one-handed use on mobile made every extra step cost more.
  • 03Business rules could not changeEvery backend validation rule had to be kept exactly as it was.
  • 04Validated through the teamDiscovery ran on a full system audit and walkthroughs with PM, QC and engineering.
Approach

It wasn't in the brief. I proposed it.

I was handed the existing UI to polish. The audit showed the real problem was structure, so I made the case for restructuring.

  1. 01System auditMapped all 16 legacy steps to find where the structure, not the styling, was costing time.
  2. 02Made the case internallyBrought the proposal to the PM and the team, with business rules kept intact as a hard constraint.
  3. 03Pressure-tested with engineeringChecked low-fidelity flows with the mobile and web devs for feasibility before handoff.
Considered and rejectedKeep all 16 steps and tidy the labels and layout. Faster, but the fragmentation itself was the problem. No amount of polish per screen fixes 16 disconnected steps for one task.
Key decisions

Four calls for the field.

The 5 phases
01 / 04

Task-based architecture

16 fragmented inputs caused confusion and skipped steps.

What I'd do differently

Put the 5-phase model in front of real operators earlier.

The model held up in internal walkthroughs with PM, QC and engineering. Next time I would validate it with the people doing the work in the field, before handoff rather than after.

Lessons
  • Flow dictates formPolish is irrelevant if the underlying workflow is flawed.
  • Constraints drive clarityStrict backend rules forced a leaner experience.
  • Systems scaleReusable patterns outlast isolated screen fixes.
Does your workflow follow the database?

Restructure the flow, keep the rules.

For products where people push through too many steps. I audit the flow and regroup it around the real task, without touching business logic.

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