ActiveCollab App Redesign — UX Overhaul & Design System

01 Overview

ActiveCollab, a project management tool trusted by over 50,000 teams, was at a turning point: the company was rebranding, and the product’s aging interface was becoming a liability. As the lead product designer, I took charge of redesigning the app — not just to make it look better, but to solve usability issues, reduce user friction, and build a scalable design foundation for the future.

02 The Problem

Beyond aesthetics, the outdated UI was causing real problems: users reported frustration navigating cluttered layouts, internal teams struggled to roll out new features efficiently, and the app risked losing appeal in a competitive market.

03 My Role

While the broader team worked on the brand and marketing, I led the charge on the app redesign, focusing on:

  • Conducting a UX audit to uncover structural issues
  • Mapping all undocumented templates and flows
  • Designing a modern, clutter-free interface
  • Establishing a scalable system of reusable components
  • Partnering closely with developers to ensure solutions fit technical constraints

04 My Process

Discovery & Audit: I gathered insights from users, stakeholders, and internal teams, identifying the pain points, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.

Template Mapping: With no existing documentation, I built a detailed template checklist to understand how the app was structured.

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Design Exploration:

I created multiple UI prototypes, tested concepts internally, and worked through iterations to balance innovation with user familiarity.

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Design System Development:

I formalized reusable components and patterns into a foundational design system, enabling the team to move faster, maintain consistency, and scale future design efforts.

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05 Challenges & Solutions

Technical constraints?
I partnered early with developers to co-design solutions that didn’t break or overload the underlying systems, ensuring feasibility while still pushing for meaningful UX improvements.
Power user habits?
I involved key users in feedback loops and prototype reviews to ensure the redesign respected the workflows they depended on, balancing innovation with familiarity.
Stakeholder alignment?
Aligning product, marketing, and leadership stakeholders was challenging because each group had different priorities (brand polish, feature delivery, user retention). I facilitated design reviews, communicated design rationale clearly, and negotiated trade-offs to ensure all voices were heard while keeping the product vision cohesive.
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06 Impact

Reduced user-reported friction across core workflows
Support tickets related to navigation and usability dropped by ~25% in the first three months post-launch.
Faster design-to-development handoff thanks to a defined design system
Component reuse sped up design and development cycles by an estimated 30%, reducing time spent on redundant work.The design system provided a shared language across teams, improving cross-functional collaboration.
Stronger product alignment with the company’s refreshed brand and strategic goals.
Achieved ~90% visual alignment between product and marketing assets (up from ~20%), as confirmed in internal brand audits. Stakeholders reported increased confidence that the product reflected the company’s evolved brand position.
Enhanced visual cohesion between product and brand presence.
In qualitative feedback sessions, ~60% of surveyed users described the updated interface as ‘more polished,’ ‘modern,’ and ‘consistent. User sentiment tracking showed improved perception of product professionalism and trustworthiness.
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Reflection

This project taught me the importance of deep discovery, stakeholder alignment, and the power of building scalable design systems — not just one-off screens

Want to see more of my work? Check out my Dribbble or Behance or just ask. I'm happy to share my screen. ✌️