Based in Los Angeles

Product Designer

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Webalo Platform Unification

Webalo Platform Unification

Unified Webalo’s previously separate administrative and end-user platforms into a single, scalable experience—reducing legacy complexity while supporting thousands of enterprise users across desktop and mobile.

Unified Webalo’s previously separate administrative and end-user platforms into a single, scalable experience—reducing legacy complexity while supporting thousands of enterprise users across desktop and mobile.

Timeline

Mar 2025 - Sep 2025

Role

UX Designer

Tool

Figma, Lovable, Figma Make

Team

Webalo Product Team

This project delivers a modern, unified Webalo experience across platforms

This project delivers a modern, unified Webalo experience across platforms

Challenge 1

Navigation & Structure

Challenge 1

Navigation & Structure

The system existed across two disconnected sites with different interfaces and navigation patterns, some of which were not responsive. This fragmentation resulted in an inconsistent experience, making it difficult for users to understand where to go and how to complete tasks. Our goal was to bring these experiences together into a single, coherent platform.

The system existed across two disconnected sites with different interfaces and navigation patterns, some of which were not responsive. This fragmentation resulted in an inconsistent experience, making it difficult for users to understand where to go and how to complete tasks. Our goal was to bring these experiences together into a single, coherent platform.

Managing Site (left), Workflow Editor (center), Executing Site (right)

Managing Site (left), Workflow Editor (center), Executing Site (right)

Framework for Unification

Framework for Unification

To unify the experience, I designed a flexible layout framework that could consistently accommodate different components and workflows—providing a clear structure while maintaining visual and interaction coherence.

To unify the experience, I designed a flexible layout framework that could consistently accommodate different components and workflows—providing a clear structure while maintaining visual and interaction coherence.

Layout framework for platform unification

Layout framework for platform unification

Menu Design

Menu Design

Webalo is a complex platform that provides powerful tools for manufacturing users. As the product grew, this complexity led to an increasingly dense navigation system that made it difficult for users to explore features and understand where to go next.


I explored multiple menu design approaches, testing different folding and grouping behaviors to reduce unnecessary page changes and minimize interaction cost. The goal was to preserve the platform’s power while making navigation clearer, simpler, and easier to use.

Webalo is a complex platform that provides powerful tools for manufacturing users. As the product grew, this complexity led to an increasingly dense navigation system that made it difficult for users to explore features and understand where to go next.


I explored multiple menu design approaches, testing different folding and grouping behaviors to reduce unnecessary page changes and minimize interaction cost. The goal was to preserve the platform’s power while making navigation clearer, simpler, and easier to use.

Reorganizing navigation for clarity and efficiency

Reorganizing navigation for clarity and efficiency

Menu Restructure

Menu Restructure

I worked closely with product managers and engineers to reorganize the navigation structure. This included removing unused features, resolving overlaps, renaming menu items, redesigning icons, and restructuring the navigation around user tasks—making it easier for users to find what they need within a single, unified platform.

I worked closely with product managers and engineers to reorganize the navigation structure. This included removing unused features, resolving overlaps, renaming menu items, redesigning icons, and restructuring the navigation around user tasks—making it easier for users to find what they need within a single, unified platform.

Restructured Menu

Role-Based Visibility

Role-Based Visibility

Permissions allow the unified interface to dynamically serve different content to different roles—giving admins full access while keeping the view focused for end-users.

Permissions allow the unified interface to dynamically serve different content to different roles—giving admins full access while keeping the view focused for end-users.

Content varies by user role

Content varies by user role

Challenge 2

Visual Consistency & Design System

Challenge 2

Visual Consistency & Design System

Independent evolution across the platform led to inconsistent styles, patterns, and interactions. Legacy decisions from both products accumulated over time, resulting in a fragmented experience shaped by multiple design languages.

Independent evolution across the platform led to inconsistent styles, patterns, and interactions. Legacy decisions from both products accumulated over time, resulting in a fragmented experience shaped by multiple design languages.

Inconsistent design patterns across platforms

Inconsistent design patterns across platforms

Inconsistent Icon Usage

Inconsistent Icon Usage

Over years of development, Webalo accumulated multiple icon sets created at different times and for different needs. Without a unified icon system, the interface felt inconsistent, making it harder for users to quickly recognize actions and navigate the product.

Over years of development, Webalo accumulated multiple icon sets created at different times and for different needs. Without a unified icon system, the interface felt inconsistent, making it harder for users to quickly recognize actions and navigate the product.

Multiple icon sets throughout the platform

Multiple icon sets throughout the platform

Icon Redesign

Icon Redesign

I defined a new icon set, leveraging Google Material icons where appropriate and designing custom icons when needed to ensure consistency, clarity, and full coverage across the platform.

I defined a new icon set, leveraging Google Material icons where appropriate and designing custom icons when needed to ensure consistency, clarity, and full coverage across the platform.

Redesigned icons to improve clarity and consistency

Redesigned icons to improve clarity and consistency

Form design icons: before and after

Form design icons: before and after

Design System Setup

Design System Setup

One of the key challenges we were facing was that Webalo lacked a well-maintained and up-to-date design system, which led to visual inconsistency, design confusion, and implementation issues.


Building on the new interface and icon redesign, I established a new design system to align the team around consistent patterns. This enabled rapid component reuse, improved design consistency across the team, and supported long-term scalability.


Design tokens and Figma Components were used to ensure visual consistency during design and to make implementation easier for frontend developers.

One of the key challenges we were facing was that Webalo lacked a well-maintained and up-to-date design system, which led to visual inconsistency, design confusion, and implementation issues.


Building on the new interface and icon redesign, I established a new design system to align the team around consistent patterns. This enabled rapid component reuse, improved design consistency across the team, and supported long-term scalability.


Design tokens and Figma Components were used to ensure visual consistency during design and to make implementation easier for frontend developers.

Primary, secondary, and component tokens were defined

Primary, secondary, and component tokens were defined

Reusable components with consistent states and behaviors

Reusable components with consistent states and behaviors

Component Redesign

Component Redesign

I collaborated with the team to redesign all core components, modernizing the visual language and ensuring the new design system was applied accurately across the platform to create a cohesive experience.

I collaborated with the team to redesign all core components, modernizing the visual language and ensuring the new design system was applied accurately across the platform to create a cohesive experience.

Form Designer

Form Designer

Workflow Designer

Workflow Designer

AI Integration

Review & Deploy Page

Review & Deploy Page

Form Management Page Within Technical Constraints

Form Management Page Within Technical Constraints

Explorations for Future Phases

Insights Panel & Mobile Applications

Explorations for Future Phases

Insights Panel & Mobile Applications

In parallel with the unification work, we explored early concepts for future phases, including an insights panel and mobile applications built on the same design foundation.

In parallel with the unification work, we explored early concepts for future phases, including an insights panel and mobile applications built on the same design foundation.

An Insights Studio design exploration (desktop view)

An Insights Studio design exploration (desktop view)

An Insights Studio design exploration (tablet view)

An Insights Studio design exploration (tablet view)

An Insights Studio design exploration (mobile view)

An Insights Studio design exploration (mobile view)

Exploring Generative AI in the Design Process

Feature brainstorming and interactive prototyping

Exploring Generative AI in the Design Process

Feature brainstorming and interactive prototyping

I explored using generative AI tools such as Lovable to rapidly turn ideas into interactive prototypes, making early concepts easy to understand and discuss across the team. These explorations helped communicate feature ideas and potential capabilities to non-designers without requiring significant time spent on mockup creation.

I explored using generative AI tools such as Lovable to rapidly turn ideas into interactive prototypes, making early concepts easy to understand and discuss across the team. These explorations helped communicate feature ideas and potential capabilities to non-designers without requiring significant time spent on mockup creation.

Early feature exploration prototypes generated with Lovable

Early feature exploration prototypes generated with Lovable

Outcome

Outcome

We successfully transformed two fragmented tools into one seamless ecosystem. The new design system empowered the team to work more consistently and efficiently, bridging the gap between design and code through reusable components and shared tokens.


This initial phase focused on unifying the core web experience, while establishing a scalable foundation that can extend to mobile clients as development capacity allows.

We successfully transformed two fragmented tools into one seamless ecosystem. The new design system empowered the team to work more consistently and efficiently, bridging the gap between design and code through reusable components and shared tokens.


This initial phase focused on unifying the core web experience, while establishing a scalable foundation that can extend to mobile clients as development capacity allows.

Reflection

Reflection

This project pushed me from execution into leading design discussions and decisions. Building a design system from the ground up—and working closely with engineering and product—deepened my understanding of design as a platform-level, collaborative practice shaped by real-world constraints.

This project pushed me from execution into leading design discussions and decisions. Building a design system from the ground up—and working closely with engineering and product—deepened my understanding of design as a platform-level, collaborative practice shaped by real-world constraints.

Designed and Built by Dake Cui © 2026

Designed and Built by Dake Cui © 2026