Case study
Overview
Context
My brother's financial advisory team relied on Google Sheets for their workspace. While functional, it lacked branding and felt cluttered. He wanted a custom solution as polished as the client-facing website, without Notion's cost or learning curve.
Goal
Create a minimal, intuitive workspace that requires zero onboarding — teammates should understand navigation immediately.
My roles
Product designer
Frontend developer
Backend developer
Tools
Frontend
Backend
Timeline
July 2025 - August 2025 (2 weeks)
Research insights
Understanding the existing workflow
I analyzed their Google Sheets workspace and identified what worked. The structure was effective, so I focused on translating it into a cleaner, purpose-built interface.
Requirements
The team needed just two core tools:
Tables with three basic cell types (text, checkbox, and dropdown)
File organization system grouped by theme for quick access during client meetings
One of the team's Google Sheets table
Process
Tables
I followed patterns that work well in tools like Google Sheets and Notion, while keeping it simple with only the three cell types the team needed: text, checkboxes, and dropdowns.
Features
File management system
During client meetings, teammates need to find files instantly. I designed a compact list-view with automatic sorting and simple filtering to eliminate search friction.
Features
Overview page
To increase task completion rates and reduce manager dependency, I designed a personal dashboard that surfaces each teammate's priorities in one view.
What users can see
Final design
Explore key features below.
Results & impact
While we haven't tracked formal metrics, the team of 15+ members reports high satisfaction and continues using the workspace daily.
Observable improvements:
Faster onboarding — new teammates adopt the app immediately without training
Reduced manager dependency — the overview page eliminates constant check-ins
Rapid iteration — bugs and feature requests are implemented within days based on direct user feedback
The app successfully replaced Google Sheets as the team's primary workspace while maintaining all the functionality they relied on.
Reflection
This project reinforced that good design often means refining familiar patterns, not reinventing them. By removing unnecessary complexity while preserving what worked, I created a tool that felt intuitive from day one.
Building and maintaining this app taught me the value of direct user feedback. Implementing changes based on daily use created iteration speed that traditional product cycles can't match.
