Communication Leadership Consulting, University of Washington
Beyond Interface Design: How Information Architecture Transformed an Entire Business Workflow
Communication Leadership Consulting, a University of Washington program, was drowning in a 100+ sheet internal platform where staff couldn't answer basic questions like "Has this client worked with us before?" As Lead UX Designer, I transformed the user experience from disconnected spreadsheets into an intuitive, relationship-driven system that reduced administrative tasks by 80%.
Role
Lead System Designer & UX Researcher
year
2024
team
Project Managers: Alex Stonehill, Susan Maclaren
Client
Communication Leadership Consulting connects small organizations (clients) with motivated graduate students (consultants) to solve customer engagement challenges.
Challenge
“Has this client worked with us before?”
A successful consultancy was drowning in its own data. Staff couldn't answer basic questions like "Has this client worked with us before?" or "What's this consultant's success rate?" - not because the information didn't exist, but because it was scattered across multiple disconnected files.
This forced staff to:
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Manually search across files (Ctrl+F ) to find information
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Copy-paste data between systems creating inconsistencies and duplicates
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Spend 10+ hours/week on administrative tasks
The core problem:
Data lived in silos across multiple disconnected sheets, forcing staff to manually hunt for context across systems.
All information was being stored across multiple files and sheets according to specific tasks. Sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information) has been blurred for privacy.
Key insight
This wasn't a project management problem—it was a relationship visibility challenge.
The Solution
A new relationship-based information architecture
Instead of fixing the existing sheets, I redesigned how information connects to itself.
The breakthrough insight: every project is a relationship between a client and a consultant - the data should reflect this natural connection.
Mockup of the redesigned system interface, used to illustrate structure without revealing sensitive details.
Final Product Screenshots. Sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information) has been blurred for privacy.
Core Architecture Changes:
Relational system connects all project elements and automates workflows
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Automatically connects clients, consultants, and projects in a relational system
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Shows full context with one click - complete client/consultant history instantly accessible
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Automates workflows from job posting to archiving, eliminating manual processes
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Real-time insights through automated reporting (replaces manual quarterly compilations)
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Reduces weekly admin time by 10+ hours
The command center provides real-time visibility across all active engagements
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Monitor all projects and their relationships simultaneously from one centralized view
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Track project status, timelines, and resource allocation across the entire portfolio
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Receive automated alerts when projects exceed timelines
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Maintain oversight without losing the detailed project-level context
The system provides a comprehensive project management overview through a centralized command center, allowing users to monitor all active projects and their relationships simultaneously.
“This solution didn't just connect our sheets - it revolutionized our entire workflow. We went from spending hours on admin to focusing on what actually matters: our clients.”
-- Outreach Manager, Communication Leadership Consulting
results & Impact
Performance Gains:
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80% reduction in administrative task time
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10+ hours saved per week across the team
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100% automation of quarterly reporting
Human Impact:
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Staff shifted from administrative work to strategic client relationship building
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Instant access to client/consultant history enables better matching
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Automated job board eliminates manual posting and maintenance
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Real-time insights support data-driven business decisions
“Beyond solving our spreadsheet problem, this unlocked capabilities we never had before. We went from basic project tracking to sophisticated relationship management and strategic decision-making.”
-- Community Manager, Communication Leadership Consulting
design process behind the transformation
Research & Insights
step 1
Understanding the human story behind the data chaos:
I conducted interviews and workflow observations to uncover how staff actually used the system. Identified that the real pain wasn’t managing tasks—it was the inability to see relationships and access context.
Key findings:
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Fragmented workflow: The project lifecycle (client onboarding → job posting → consultant tracking → archiving → project management) was split across separate Google Sheets, creating data silos and duplication.
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No relationship visibility across roles: Different staff members worked from different documents based on their needs—the Community Manager focused on consultant data, the Outreach Manager on client information, and both needed project details—but none could see how these relationships connected. Staff couldn't determine if clients or consultants were returning users, making it difficult to track patterns or leverage historical context.
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Manual, error-prone processes: Every stage required copy-paste operations and Ctrl+F searches across multiple files, creating inefficient and mistake-prone workflows.
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Hidden operational costs: Staff spent 10+ hours weekly on administrative tasks, while quarterly reporting required hours of manual data filtering and compilation.
SYSTEM THINKING APPROACH & Design Process
step 2
Designing the Information Architecture
Instead of fixing the existing sheets, I mapped out how information was actually connected and designed a system that served each staff member's specific needs while creating unified relationships.
The solution involved three interconnected core datasets with an automated public interface:
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Clients (history, preferences, collaboration patterns) - Primary focus for Outreach Manager
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Consultants (skills, past projects, success metrics) - Primary focus for Community Manager
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Projects (automatically linked to clients and consultants) - Shared access for all internal staff
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Public Job Board (automated view of active projects) - The only public-facing component viewed by external consultants.
Information Mapping: Three interconnected core datasets with an automated public interface
Key insight: The new architecture automatically surfaces role-specific information while maintaining underlying relationships. No more hunting across files—each staff member gets instant access to complete context.
Automation impact: The system eliminates manual copy-paste operations between spreadsheets through auto-populated data relationships. The job board updates automatically based on project status changes, removing all manual posting work.
step 3
Implementing Progressive Disclosure to Reduce Overwhelm
To prevent user overwhelm in the connected data system, the interface prioritizes cognitive load management through layered information design.
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Primary view: Key project info (client name, consultant, status)
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One click deeper: Full client/consultant history
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Automated reporting: Real-time metrics (no manual filtering)
Essential project details are surfaced upfront, while secondary data (like project progress or relationship history) remains accessible but contextually hidden. This progressive disclosure approach ensures users can dive deeper only when needed, maintaining focus and reducing unnecessary complexity.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES used
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Mental Model Alignment: Structure around user relationships, not admin tasks.
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Progressive Disclosure: Surface key information first, details available on demand.
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Contextual Access: Related information is always one click away.
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Scalable Architecture: Information relationships that grow with the business.
Key Takeaways for UX Practitioners
Reframe the Problem Statement
What appeared to be a "project management" problem was actually a "relationship visibility" challenge. Always dig deeper than the surface request.
Start with Data Architecture
Before designing interfaces, establish how information relates to itself. Good UX is built on good information architecture.
Design for Relationships, Not Just Tasks
The breakthrough came from modeling the connections between entities, not just optimizing individual workflows.
Automation Should Feel Invisible
The best automated systems don't announce themselves - they just make the right thing happen at the right time.