From overwhelmed to onboarded: redesigning FSC’s core dashboard experience
From overwhelmed to onboarded: redesigning FSC’s core dashboard experience
Company:
4strat
Timeline:
4 Months
Tools:
Figma
About the company
About the company
About the company
4strat is an analytics and consulting company that helps organizations make sense of uncertainty and plan for the future with confidence.
Their interdisciplinary team of consultants, designers, and developers creates expert-led, data-driven tools and services for strategic foresight.
4strat is an analytics and consulting company that helps organizations make sense of uncertainty and plan for the future with confidence.
Their interdisciplinary team of consultants, designers, and developers creates expert-led, data-driven tools and services for strategic foresight.
4strat is an analytics and consulting company that helps organizations make sense of uncertainty and plan for the future with confidence.
Their interdisciplinary team of consultants, designers, and developers creates expert-led, data-driven tools and services for strategic foresight.
About the product
About the product
About the product
The Foresight Strategy Cockpit (FSC) is a secure platform for continuously collecting, analyzing, and understanding trends, risks, scenarios, factors, and signals.
It brings AI-driven foresight and human-centered strategy work into one shared cockpit, helping teams turn scattered inputs into clearer strategic decisions.
The Foresight Strategy Cockpit (FSC) is a secure platform for continuously collecting, analyzing, and understanding trends, risks, scenarios, factors, and signals.
It brings AI-driven foresight and human-centered strategy work into one shared cockpit, helping teams turn scattered inputs into clearer strategic decisions.
The Foresight Strategy Cockpit (FSC) is a secure platform for continuously collecting, analyzing, and understanding trends, risks, scenarios, factors, and signals.
It brings AI-driven foresight and human-centered strategy work into one shared cockpit, helping teams turn scattered inputs into clearer strategic decisions.
My role
Audited the existing FSC platform to identify usability pain points
Conducted user interviews with beginner, intermediate, and expert users
Prioritized key features to redesign based on impact
Created designs and interactive prototypes
Iterated on designs based on user testing insights
Challenges
Navigating a complex platform as a new team member
Synthesizing insights from beginner, intermediate, and expert users
Balancing simplicity with advanced functionality
Redesigning features with little existing guidance
Preparing clear, dev-ready designs for smooth handoff
My role
My role
Audited the existing FSC platform to identify usability pain points and onboarding gaps.
Conducted interviews with beginner, intermediate, and expert users to understand different mental models.
Synthesized research insights and prioritized key features based on user impact.
Created redesign concepts and interactive Figma prototypes.
Tested prototypes with users and iterated based on feedback and observed friction.
Prepared dev-ready designs and documentation for handoff.
Audited the existing FSC platform to identify usability pain points and onboarding gaps.
Conducted interviews with beginner, intermediate, and expert users to understand different mental models.
Synthesized research insights and prioritized key features based on user impact.
Created redesign concepts and interactive Figma prototypes.
Tested prototypes with users and iterated based on feedback and observed friction.
Prepared dev-ready designs and documentation for handoff.
Challenges
Challenges
Synthesizing feedback from beginner, intermediate, and expert users with different levels of domain knowledge.
Balancing simplicity for new users with advanced functionality for experienced users.
Redesigning complex workflows with limited existing product guidance.
Making abstract foresight concepts easier to understand and navigate.
Preparing clear, dev-ready designs for a smooth handoff.
Synthesizing feedback from beginner, intermediate, and expert users with different levels of domain knowledge.
Balancing simplicity for new users with advanced functionality for experienced users.
Redesigning complex workflows with limited existing product guidance.
Making abstract foresight concepts easier to understand and navigate.
Preparing clear, dev-ready designs for a smooth handoff.
I redesigned 4strat’s internal dashboard to make complex foresight workflows easier to understand, navigate, and use.
The project focused on improving usability for teams working with trends, signals, scenarios, and strategic planning data.
Note: Due to NDA restrictions, this case study focuses on the in-house dashboard work and only includes the screens I’m allowed to share.
I redesigned 4strat’s internal dashboard to make complex foresight workflows easier to understand, navigate, and use.
The project focused on improving usability for teams working with trends, signals, scenarios, and strategic planning data.
Note: Due to NDA restrictions, this case study focuses on the in-house dashboard work and only includes the screens I’m allowed to share.
First look: a dashboard full of friction
First look: a dashboard full of friction
First look: a dashboard full of friction
I audited the FSC dashboard screen by screen to identify usability friction across the core experience. While the platform had powerful functionality, the interface often felt crowded and difficult to scan, with dense filters, low-contrast visuals, hidden help links, and unclear navigation competing for attention.
I documented these findings in an annotated screenshot deck so the team could clearly see where the experience was breaking down and align on what needed to improve.
I audited the FSC dashboard screen by screen to identify usability friction across the core experience. While the platform had powerful functionality, the interface often felt crowded and difficult to scan, with dense filters, low-contrast visuals, hidden help links, and unclear navigation competing for attention.
I documented these findings in an annotated screenshot deck so the team could clearly see where the experience was breaking down and align on what needed to improve.
A senior UX designer set me up with an FSC account and told me to “click around and see what you find.” After I try clicking everything around I could see the trouble:
Cluttered screens packed with filters and tags
An older-looking visual style that makes everything blur together
The “Help” icon is tiny and buried among six other top-bar icons; clicking it only opens a generic help center, so I have to hunt through a long topic list to find the answer I need.
I wrote down every feature, noted the rough edges, and shared a quick summary with the team.
Turning broad feedback into a sharper focus
Turning broad feedback into a sharper focus
Turning broad feedback into a sharper focus
The PM appreciated the thorough audit, but asked me to narrow the focus so the team could move from broad feedback into clear next steps.
He asked me to:
Pinpoint which screens felt most cluttered and explain why.
Replay the most challenging user task and compare what I expected with what actually happened.
Support the findings with usage data or customer support insights.
Choose two or three high-impact fixes that could help new users succeed within the first few minutes.
This feedback helped me reframe the next step: move from a broad UX critique to a focused, user-centered shortlist of improvements backed by evidence.
The PM appreciated the thorough audit, but asked me to narrow the focus so the team could move from broad feedback into clear next steps.
He asked me to:
Pinpoint which screens felt most cluttered and explain why.
Replay the most challenging user task and compare what I expected with what actually happened.
Support the findings with usage data or customer support insights.
Choose two or three high-impact fixes that could help new users succeed within the first few minutes.
This feedback helped me reframe the next step: move from a broad UX critique to a focused, user-centered shortlist of improvements backed by evidence.
The PM appreciated the thorough audit, but asked me to narrow the focus so the team could move from broad feedback into clear next steps.
He asked me to:
Pinpoint which screens felt most cluttered and explain why.
Replay the most challenging user task and compare what I expected with what actually happened.
Support the findings with usage data or customer support insights.
Choose two or three high-impact fixes that could help new users succeed within the first few minutes.
This feedback helped me reframe the next step: move from a broad UX critique to a focused, user-centered shortlist of improvements backed by evidence.
Validating the friction with real users
Validating the friction with real users
Validating the friction with real users
To validate the shortlist and better understand how different users experienced the platform, I interviewed beginner, intermediate, and expert users as they walked through their daily FSC tasks.
To validate the shortlist and better understand how different users experienced the platform, I interviewed beginner, intermediate, and expert users as they walked through their daily FSC tasks.
Prioritizing the highest-impact friction
Prioritizing the highest-impact friction
Prioritizing the highest-impact friction
To decide what to redesign first, I combined three signals from the audit, user interviews, and available usage data:
Three areas consistently rose to the top:
Scan Dashboard: The main entry point for most users, but dense filters, tags, charts, and results competed for attention, making it hard to know where to start.
Create Risks: A key workflow for turning insights into action, but users often needed help understanding what to do next.
Scenario Creation Board: A core workspace for strategic planning, but the empty state and layout made it difficult for even experienced users to orient themselves.
Because these screens appeared frequently in user sessions, generated support questions, and created friction early in the workflow, they became the top priorities for the next sprint.
Scan Dashboard: The main entry point for most users, but dense filters, tags, charts, and results competed for attention, making it hard to know where to start.
Create Risks: A key workflow for turning insights into action, but users often needed help understanding what to do next.
Scenario Creation Board: A core workspace for strategic planning, but the empty state and layout made it difficult for even experienced users to orient themselves.
Because these screens appeared frequently in user sessions, generated support questions, and created friction early in the workflow, they became the top priorities for the next sprint.
Turning validated insights into prototypes
Turning validated insights into prototypes
Turning validated insights into prototypes
After validating the main pain points with users, I translated the findings into updated Figma prototypes and walked the team through the changes.
The following examples show how the original screens were redesigned to reduce friction, improve clarity, and make key workflows easier to complete.
After validating the main pain points with users, I translated the findings into updated Figma prototypes and walked the team through the changes.
The following examples show how the original screens were redesigned to reduce friction, improve clarity, and make key workflows easier to complete.
After validating the main pain points with users, I translated the findings into updated Figma prototypes and walked the team through the changes.
The following examples show how the original screens were redesigned to reduce friction, improve clarity, and make key workflows easier to complete.
Scan dashboard
Scan dashboard
Scan dashboard
Before, the Scan Dashboard overwhelmed users with dense filters, charts, tags, and results competing for attention.
I redesigned the layout to create clearer hierarchy, reduce visual noise, and help users understand what to focus on first.
Before, the Scan Dashboard overwhelmed users with dense filters, charts, tags, and results competing for attention.
I redesigned the layout to create clearer hierarchy, reduce visual noise, and help users understand what to focus on first.
Before, the Scan Dashboard overwhelmed users with dense filters, charts, tags, and results competing for attention.
I redesigned the layout to create clearer hierarchy, reduce visual noise, and help users understand what to focus on first.
Scan dashboard prototype
Scan dashboard prototype
Scan dashboard prototype
The prototype shows how users can explore signals through a clearer layout, simplified filters, and stronger content hierarchy.
The goal was to make the main workflow easier to scan, understand, and use.
The prototype shows how users can explore signals through a clearer layout, simplified filters, and stronger content hierarchy.
The goal was to make the main workflow easier to scan, understand, and use.
The prototype shows how users can explore signals through a clearer layout, simplified filters, and stronger content hierarchy.
The goal was to make the main workflow easier to scan, understand, and use.
Create risks
Create risks
Create risks
Before, the Create Risks flow was hard to follow. Users had to understand the risk map, review related information, and decide what to do next without enough guidance.
I redesigned the flow into a clearer step-by-step process, added contextual help beside the main action, and used color-coded topics to make key risks easier to scan and understand.
Before, the Create Risks flow was hard to follow. Users had to understand the risk map, review related information, and decide what to do next without enough guidance.
I redesigned the flow into a clearer step-by-step process, added contextual help beside the main action, and used color-coded topics to make key risks easier to scan and understand.
Create risks prototype
Create risks prototype
Create risks prototype
The prototype shows how users can create a risk through a guided five-step flow, from reviewing selected information to defining attributes, adding collaboration, categorizing, and confirming the final risk.
The goal was to reduce uncertainty, help users move through the task with more confidence, and make the workflow easier to complete without relying on trial and error.
The prototype shows how users can create a risk through a guided five-step flow, from reviewing selected information to defining attributes, adding collaboration, categorizing, and confirming the final risk.
The goal was to reduce uncertainty, help users move through the task with more confidence, and make the workflow easier to complete without relying on trial and error.
Scenario creation board
Scenario creation board
Scenario creation board
Before, the Scenario Creation Board opened into a mostly empty workspace, which made users unsure how to start, what structure to use, or what the expected output should look like.
I redesigned it into a guided starting point with clearer onboarding, a “Need guidance?” entry point, and ready-made scenario templates. This helped users move from a blank canvas into structured scenario-building more confidently.
Before, the Scenario Creation Board opened into a mostly empty workspace, which made users unsure how to start, what structure to use, or what the expected output should look like.
I redesigned it into a guided starting point with clearer onboarding, a “Need guidance?” entry point, and ready-made scenario templates. This helped users move from a blank canvas into structured scenario-building more confidently.
Scenario creation board prototype
Scenario creation board prototype
Scenario creation board prototype
The prototype shows how users can create a scenario workspace through a guided setup flow, invite collaborators, define the timeframe, and start from a structured template instead of an empty board.
The goal was to reduce the first-step confusion and help teams begin scenario work faster while keeping the workspace flexible for collaboration.
I have being intern at 4strat for 6 months, in 6 months I had redesign the dashboard for 4strat to improve user experience and user satisfaction I have contributed to do this project for 4 months and the last two month I had a chance to collaborate with client project
In this case study I’m going to show you only the project which I did with 4strat due to the confidential about client and also the screen which I choose to show are the design that I only allow to show
Results & Impact
Results & Impact
Results & Impact
Simplified onboarding by giving new users clearer entry points and guidance.
Improved dashboard usability through clearer hierarchy, filtering, search, and content structure.
Made key workflows easier to complete by reducing visual clutter and clarifying next steps.
Created more intuitive prototype flows for Scan Dashboard, Create Risks, and Scenario Creation Board.
Prepared cleaner, dev-ready designs to support implementation and future product improvements.
Simplified onboarding by giving new users clearer entry points and guidance.
Improved dashboard usability through clearer hierarchy, filtering, search, and content structure.
Made key workflows easier to complete by reducing visual clutter and clarifying next steps.
Created more intuitive prototype flows for Scan Dashboard, Create Risks, and Scenario Creation Board.
Prepared cleaner, dev-ready designs to support implementation and future product improvements.
Simplified onboarding by giving new users clearer entry points and guidance.
Improved dashboard usability through clearer hierarchy, filtering, search, and content structure.
Made key workflows easier to complete by reducing visual clutter and clarifying next steps.
Created more intuitive prototype flows for Scan Dashboard, Create Risks, and Scenario Creation Board.
Prepared cleaner, dev-ready designs to support implementation and future product improvements.
What I learned
What I learned
What I learned
I learned that simplifying a complex product does not mean making it less powerful. It means helping users understand where to start, what matters most, and what to do next.
This project strengthened my ability to audit complex workflows, prioritize high-impact friction, validate decisions with users, and translate research into practical product improvements.
From Overwhelmed to Onboarded: My Journey Redesigning FSC's Core Experience
Client:
ARTANI
Timeline:
3 Months
Tool:
Figma