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Scaling Enterprise Operations with a Unified Design System for Barrel Fuel
A component-first design system built to unify dashboards, data tables, and complex forms across a growing product suite.
My Role
Product Designer
Domains
Dashboard + Forms
Industry
Enterprise · B2B SaaS
Date
Jan 2020 - Feb 2021
Problem
Enterprise products accumulate UX debt in two places simultaneously: the dashboards that managers use to monitor operations, and the long forms that users fill in to power those dashboards. Neither problem can be solved in isolation.
Measured Impact
34%
Form Completion Rate
68%
Form Submission Errors
3x faster
New Screen Development
WCAG AA Standards
Accessibility Compliance
01
Understanding User
I conducted in-depth interviews with my manager to understand organizational needs, and where the system is failing.
Mapped component usage across the product, saw how many duplicates existed, where people were making local variants, and what caused the pain for designers and developers.
02
My Contribution
Auditing
Conducted a comprehensive review of dashboards, forms, navigation structures, and interface elements to uncover duplication and standardization opportunities.
User Research & Flow Mapping
Conducted contextual inquiry with 8 operational users and 4 form-submitting end-users. Mapped the complete journey from form submission to dashboard monitoring.
Component Design & Documentation
Built 20+ core components covering both domains: 14 form components (field, select, date picker, file upload, validation states) & 12 dashboard components.
Organising Library
Created a structured and maintainable component library that improved discoverability, collaboration, and implementation efficiency.
Feedback Loop
Worked closely with stakeholders and developers to validate decisions, refine patterns, and ensure practical adoption of the system.
03
What did I learn?
Strong hold on working with variables and tokens
Comprehensive documentation for unfunded work creates significant long-term value by serving as a strategic blueprint and roadmap for future digital initiatives.
2. Importance of Source of Truth
The most valuable outcome was creating a shared framework that enabled teams to move faster while delivering more consistent user experiences.
04
Conclusion
Thank you for reading! The design system brought consistency and speed to a previously fragmented product, making it easier to scale new features without reinventing UI patterns each time. It stood as a strong example of systems-level thinking balancing structure with visual craft. Drop me an email to read full case study.
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