Leading a Product Redesign

Core Competencies

Executive Influence

Roadmapping

Product Strategy

The Challenge

It was evident from watching users struggle that the product needed to change. Our flagship AI OSINT Analysis product had grown without the information architecture to support the way analysts actually worked — and I could see it in every session. I took a low-fidelity mockup of a different approach straight to leadership to make the case: this product needed a full IA overhaul, not a patch.

My Role

I was serving as co-Acting Product Manager for the first few months of project alongside an engineering colleague, until a full time product manager joined 3 months into the project. All three of us partnered closely to turn that early concept into a shared vision the whole organization could rally behind. I took a player-coach approach with my UXR/UXD team — staying hands-on in Figma to shape a product that better reflected OSINT analysts' real tasks and goals.

The bulk of my background is in UX Research, but this project asked me to move fluidly between all three of my strengths at once: designing the research plan, using AI tools to build out concept designs, and advocating for the user in front of executive leadership. Turning ambiguity into a shared vision — and a plan the team could actually execute against — is where I do my best work.

Before: Information Architecture

Features did not work together

Information difficult to track

Product Redesign Concept

Traceable source material

Flexible information management

The Process

Over 9 months, my team and I took the redesign from concept to delivery: personas, user flows, site maps, high-fidelity prototypes, and a phased rollout plan, built through deep collaboration between UXR, UXD, and engineering. Although I assigned the projects taken on by the UX Team, none of it would have worked without that collaboration. Every deliverable was shaped by input across the team, not handed down from one function to another.

Redesign Process Timeline — March to December 2025
Orbis Operations · Product Redesign

Nine months, six phases: from concept to launch

How a low-fidelity IA concept became a shipped product redesign — what the team delivered at each stage, and where I led.

March 2025 — Project Begins
My role
Took the low-fidelity concept to leadership, socialized it, and won approval for a full redesign. Created the project plan and gathered requirements from stakeholders and users.
March – April 2025 — Deepen the Research
Team
Conducted additional qualitative interviews, building on prior research. Developed more robust personas and began early user flows. Prepared onboarding materials for an incoming product manager.
My role
Supported interviews and data analysis, prepared background and updates for the new product manager, and socialized progress with stakeholders.
May – July 2025 — Flows, Site Maps & Onboarding
Team
Finalized user flows and site maps, started high-fidelity mockups, and onboarded the new product manager. Socialized site maps with engineering, who began backend work.
My role
Brought the new product manager up to speed, ran design reviews, gave feedback directly in Figma, and socialized backend requirements with engineering.
August – September 2025 — High-Fidelity & Rollout Planning
Team
Finalized high-fidelity mockups of the new software. Engineering brought on contractors to support development.
My role
Ran design reviews, gave design feedback, created a phased rollout plan prioritizing core features by user need, and began planning the Beta Test.
October – November 2025 — Build & Beta Test
Team
Product Engineering built the product. UX planned and ran a 2-day Beta Test research event, bringing together internal and external users. Result: a bug list for engineering and feedback shaping future product direction.
My role
Organized the event; wrote research plans for 2 feedback surveys and 2 qualitative interviews; created research materials; directed teammates and ran the event; presented the results to the entire company.
December 2025 — Fix, Report & Launch Prep
Team
UX and Product Engineering worked together to fix bugs ahead of the January launch.
My role
Wrote up the Beta Test results, shared successes with leadership, and worked with the product manager to schedule future research and design work.

THE OUTCOME

Our Beta Test brought overwhelmingly positive user feedback, validating the IA direction we'd fought for. More importantly, the redesign helped lay the foundation for the business: Orbis Operations went from having no products to deriving 40% of its revenue from the redesigned product and the rest of the portfolio within 1.5 years.

STRATEGIC LESSON

I'm a magnetic collaborator. I know how to build a shared vision out of ambiguity, bring the right people into that vision, and lead a team through the work of making it real — without losing sight of the user or the business case the whole