Aligned by design

sample of handbook content

2 Sprint - Across a business quarter

Tools

Confluence, Miro, Xd

Goal

Company Name

The primary goal was to create a single source of truth for the team, encompassing design principles, workflows, accessibility standards, and tools. It would ensure consistency, improve collaboration, and support the delivery of user-centred, high-quality designs.

I created the UX/UI Handbook to streamline design processes and foster better collaboration within design team as well as the whole the product team.

This comprehensive resource aligns teams by providing clear methodologies, best practices, and shared standards, ensuring consistency and efficiency across projects.

By reducing ambiguity and promoting high-quality outcomes, the handbook supports seamless teamwork and enables the delivery of user-focused solutions with confidence and precision.

Expertise

UX, Creative PB solving,
Business Strategy

Stakeholders

Product Team,Business

Problem Statement

End user

Product Team
New team member

The absence of standardised processes and resources led to inefficiencies, especially for new team members, and hindered consistency across projects. This also affected our ability to deliver designs that met user needs and business goals seamlessly.

Development Process

I began by conducting interviews with team members to identify pain points and inefficiencies in our workflow.
Drawing on industry best practices and my own expertise, I structured the handbook around key themes: design systems, accessibility, prototyping, and feedback cycles.
I collaborated closely with stakeholders ( PM, engineers, data scientist…) to ensure the content was comprehensive and actionable

At various stages, I conducted feedback sessions with engineers and delivered presentations to the business team to maintain their engagement throughout the development process.

The handbook encompasses key sections designed to optimise workflows and enhance design practices. These include:

— Design System: Ensuring consistency across projects by standardising components and styles.

— Accessibility Checklist: Aligning with industry standards to create inclusive and user-friendly designs.

— Project Workflows: Supporting prototyping and user testing with clear, structured processes.

— Onboarding Resources: Simplifying the integration of new team members into the workflow.

Each section is carefully crafted to streamline processes, address specific team needs, and promote consistency and scalability—all while fostering creativity and innovation.

Impact and Results

Next Steps

To further illustrate the impact of these processes, I showcased one of our products as an example during our annual company meeting, highlighting how these methodologies had significantly improved product delivery.

Since implementing the handbook, our team has achieved a 30% reduction in onboarding time, improved consistency across projects, and strengthened collaboration between designers, engineers and managerial team.

It has become an invaluable resource for driving alignment and supporting design excellence, fostering a more collaborative and efficient design environment.

Additionally, we incorporated the handbook into our training programs to further support new team members.

It also support better understanding of UX/UI role within the company.

Reflections

One key lesson was the importance of continuous feedback.

— By involving the team throughout the development process, we created a resource that truly meets their needs.

A notable challenge was designing the handbook to remain adaptable to future changes while being accessible across the entire company.

— I chose to document it in Confluence, as it is widely used within the organisation for collaboration and sharing project and product documentation. This platform allowed me to create a dynamic, living document and gather feedback in real time.

Time

Key Features

Trilateral Research

Moving forward, I plan to delegate the handbook updates to the incoming UX/UI designer. As the newest team member, they will likely bring fresh perspectives and be more attuned to current industry standards. A bi-annual review cycle will ensure the handbook remains aligned with evolving trends and incorporates internal feedback effectively.