2024
REDESIGNING A LEGACY APPLICATION INTO A MODERN WORKFLOW
Systems Thinking, User Research, Information Architecture, Legacy Systems, Stakeholder Alignment
PROJECT SUMMARY
I designed the integration of a 20 year old legacy application used by over 7500 legal professionals into a modern SaaS application for real estate lawyers and clerks called Realti.
PROJECT RESULT
After initiating client conversations about the design, I uncovered a key insight that would affect the project’s programming and adoption rate. Using these insights, I led product discussions with stakeholders, where ultimately, the company chose to place the project in the backlog for future consideration.
MY ROLE
User Qualitative Research
Conceptualization
Design
UX Strategy
THE TEAM
1 UX Designer (Me!)
1 Design Manager
1 Developer
1 Project Manager
1 Business Development Manager
BACKGROUND & PROBLEM
Realti supports loan applications across some provinces in Canada. To ensure consistency across all provinces, a business decision was made to integrate a 3rd party software into Realti for a province missing this functionality.
However, the interface of this 3rd party software was extremely outdated and clashed with Realti’s goal of delivering a modern, cohesive user experience.
There were several key issues that made the application difficult to use which made it clear a full UI redesign was the best solution.
OBJECTIVE
Although a redesign of the original software’s UI was necessary, I also knew we could not alter the original workflow of the software as users have been using this application for over 30 years.
I was also challenged to re-design the 3rd party software using Realti’s design system to ensure the integration felt seamless with the existing platform.
PROCESS
To maintain consistency across the Realti platform, I had to ensure the redesigned experience was consistent with the workflows already established in other provinces.
I took a deep dive into how loan applications were conducted in other provinces, making note of similar processes and how the design informed the workflow.
01 Maintain Cross-Platform Consistency
Looking at the workflow of three different provinces, the first is the most straight forward process. However, the third gets you to purchasing the application the quickest.
By combining these two concepts into the redesign, it would make the existing workflow more efficient while maintaining consistency across the Realti software.
I then utilized our existing design library to inform the design. Essential elements like form fields, table rows, badges, and buttons were combined to reimagine the new, simplified workflow.
I utilized Jakob’s Law, and the understanding that users are more familiar and confident with patterns of what they know.
By incorporating modern e-commerce design elements and common icons that matched other applications, helping users feel more comfortable and confident with their actions while using the application.
Taking these initial designs, I started speaking to users and understanding the workflow and key non-negotiable touchpoints of the software. I decided to restructure the new UI around these touchpoints, to preserve the software’s functionality.
I re-organized the interface to center around the main workflow of adding an application, and saving information to a file. I used modals and progressive disclosure to keep users focused on the task, reduce clutter, and guide them through the process.
02 Improve Information Architecture
Preserving key functionality and legal standards built into the original legacy application. Using modals and progressive disclosure to help reduce cognitive load.
When speaking with the users to validate whether the initial integrated redesign made their workflow more efficient, it uncovered a critical insight:
How can I ensure the new workflow is adopted broadly, while ensuring it can scale downwards to accommodate diverse user preferences?
Some users I spoke to were hesitant about adopting this new integration.
As a result, I decided to implement a simple 'upload' feature that maintained legacy functionality. I strategically placed it beside the new workflow's entry point so that users would see both options simultaneously. This feature served as a transitional tool, enabling immediate usability while gradually guiding users toward the more scalable, integrated solution.
03 Support Long-Term Scalability
CHALLENGES & FINAL RESULT
My conversations with clients revealed a significant finding: a deep-rooted hesitancy toward change.
Understanding user reluctance allowed me to lead product discussions with a balanced approach, ensuring the integration aligned with both business goals and user expectations. Without these insights, the risks of adoption may not have been as clearly recognized by the company stakeholders.
As a result of these findings as well as the initiation of other projects that would position the company for further long-term growth, this project ended up being placed in our product backlogs - to be re-discovered again when the time is right.