Currently, I work as a Product Manager and UI/UX Designer at the R&D Center of Zhejiang Communications Services Co., Ltd. The department's primary responsibility is delivering internal digital transformation projects for the company. As both a Product Manager and the owner of several key projects, I have successfully led the design, development, and launch of critical applications, including Tongfu eHome (an internal instant messaging solution), the corporate portal reconstruction, Tongfu-er Community (an internal employee forum), and a facial recognition meeting system.
In addition to managing product lifecycles, I made significant contributions to UI/UX design as the sole designer on the team. I established visual and interaction guidelines and created high-fidelity prototypes. Working closely with the development team, I resolved technical challenges, conducted functionality testing, and ensured a seamless product launch.
Below, I will showcase one of these projects to demonstrate my ability to solve complex problems, translate business goals into actionable solutions, and craft intuitive user experiences.
Project Overview
The product, Tongfu eHome, is designed for internal employees and is built on the core principles of business-driven innovation, digital empowerment, and ecosystem collaboration. It provides a comprehensive multi-platform solution by integrating unified access, data aggregation, application integration, and instant messaging functionalities. Supporting both desktop platforms (Windows/Mac) and mobile platforms (iOS/Android), the system ensures seamless multi-device connectivity and enhances workplace efficiency.
Initial Planning
One of the significant challenges of this project was the lack of a clearly defined target audience for user research and requirements gathering. Moreover, leadership provided limited input regarding specific features or directions. Under these constraints, I began by identifying the overarching objectives and systematically analyzing existing pain points along with potential solutions. Based on these findings, I designed an initial information architecture that categorized the system into primary modules, including Instant Messaging, Workplace, Contacts, and My Profile. During subsequent functional iterations, additional modules such as Company Information, Cloud Drive, and AI Assistant were systematically integrated to enhance the platform's capabilities.
Following this, I designed the interaction architecture and data flow diagrams for system integration. For instance:
Employee Master Data required the establishment of a User Center.
Application and Message Integration necessitated the creation of an Open Platform.
To align with the project's goals, I quickly created low-fidelity prototypes for the mobile app. Using these prototypes and interaction animations, I presented the proposed solution to leadership, fostering alignment and further refining the design.
Identified Pain Points and Proposed Solutions
1、Low Communication Efficiency
Pain Point: Traditional methods such as email and phone calls are inefficient, often resulting in delayed or missed messages.
Solution：
Introduce instant messaging (text, voice, video) for real-time communication.
Integrate a unified contact directory to enable quick search and seamless conversation initiation.
2、Challenges in Team Collaboration
Pain Point: Cross-department and remote collaboration face difficulties in information sharing, and there’s a lack of tools for task allocation and tracking.
Solution：
Provide group functionalities to facilitate communication and management for projects or departments.
Integrate a unified contact directory to enable quick search and seamless conversation initiation.
3、Fragmented Information and Data Silos
Pain Point:Redundant message modules across various business systems lead to inefficient message delivery and processing.
Solution：
Enable message integration for seamless data transfer and real-time synchronization across applications to ensure information consistency.
Integrate approval workflows with real-time message card notifications.
Establish a centralized user center to consolidate data across platforms, standardize user identification, and ensure data uniformity.
4、Information Security Risks
Pain Point:File transmission through third-party tools poses risks of data leakage.
Solution：
Implement end-to-end encryption for document transmission to enhance data security.
Centralize file management to ensure the proper use and control of sensitive information.
Design Process
1) Established UI Guidelines:
Developed a consistent design system, including typography, color palette, iconography, and component library, ensuring a cohesive user interface across the application.
2) Defined UX Standards:
Created UX principles and patterns to enhance usability, including interaction flows, accessibility considerations, and responsive design strategies.
3) Logo Conceptualization and High-Fidelity Prototyping:
Conceptualized and designed the application logo to align with the brand's identity and core values. Delivered high-fidelity prototypes for desktop and mobile platforms, offering precise representations of the final product to facilitate stakeholder collaboration and user testing
Challenges
1) High Workload for Multi-Platform High-Fidelity Prototypes:
Designing high-fidelity prototypes for multiple platforms presented a significant workload, especially given the absence of additional design resources to support the process. The complexity of ensuring consistency across desktop and mobile versions, while addressing platform-specific nuances, required extensive effort and iterative refinement.
2) Technical Constraints:
The development team utilized the Open-IM framework as the foundation for the application's backend, which presented certain limitations when introducing new design elements. Some design concepts could not be fully realized due to the lack of available backend APIs or the high implementation cost. As a result, some initial design ideas had to be revised or abandoned to align with technical feasibility and resource constraints.
Additional Responsibilities
1) Collaboration with Development Team:
Actively supported the development team by addressing design-related queries during the implementation phase, ensuring alignment between design intent and technical execution.
2) UI/UX Review and Functional Testing:
Conducted thorough UI/UX walkthroughs to identify and resolve inconsistencies or usability issues. Performed detailed functional testing and acceptance to ensure the delivered product met design specifications and user expectations.
3) Documentation and Deliverables:
Produced comprehensive documentation to support various stages of the project, including version planning, product feature lists, requirement specifications, and user operation guides. These deliverables provided clarity and streamlined collaboration across cross-functional teams.