Designing Through Ambiguity

Example Project:
Classification Mapping Tool

Project Overview

Starting Point

Implementation teams were struggling with a critical bottleneck: configuring service lines and classifications for new clients required engineering resources for each setup. As one engineer noted, "There are a lot of configurations for service lines and it is difficult to manage without an admin UI." I was asked to step in when the design team hit a roadblock while creating this essential administrative tool.

The Complexity

Progress had stalled because the classifications had no inherent structure or hierarchy, and there was no clear mental model for how the data was related. This lack of structure made it unclear how to visualize or interact with the data, preventing the design team from moving forward with a solution that would allow non-technical staff to configure client experiences.

The Reframe

I reframed the problem: instead of designing a UI for known data structures, we would design a tool that would enable users to create structure where none existed. By asking key questions about how implementation managers conceptualized these relationships, I introduced a new mental model, guiding the team toward a tree-based UI. I proposed a flexible system where users could build parent/child relationships, define attributes, and map classifications in a way that reflected the unique needs of each client.

Outcomes

The new approach unblocked the team and aligned stakeholders on a clear path forward. We delivered a scalable, intuitive tool that:

  • Shifted configuration responsibilities from engineering to implementation managers, reducing client setup time from weeks to days

  • Enabled non-technical staff to create, edit, and disable classifications, establish display order, and link classifications to service lines

  • Supported complex configurations required for migrating additional workflows to the Converge platform

  • Improved client satisfaction through faster implementation times and increased configurability

  • Created a foundation for more personalized client experiences without requiring custom development

This solution not only empowered admins with a flexible tool that adapted to each client's unique needs but eliminated a significant operational bottleneck that had previously required engineering intervention for every client implementation.