I led the design for a multi-functional Project Planner application, addressing the fragmented project and labor tracking system across Engineering Departments at EMCOR Services Mesa Energy.
It radically improved project management with standardized logging methods, increased communication, timeline organization, and more!
This case study encompasses my general workflow as a designer at this company.
Problem Statement
"How might we standardize project and labor tracking for EMCOR Engineering departments to improve efficiency?"
Disparate project tracking methods led to mismanaged data, as each department struggled with logging 100+ projects.
Irvine's Engineering Department was our primary test group.
Research & Users
I did a material review of their provided artifacts to understand the context.
87/158 (55%) projects had missing details.
Familiar, I kicked off a contextual, semi-structured group interview.
They demonstrated the step-by-step process of their current system.
Our users included 1 manager and 2 engineers, a small but intentional pool.
Their average satisfaction with their current system was only 52%.
"There's too much human input & error"
- Engineering Manager
"It's not automated & takes too much time to communicate what's left to do!" - Engineers
Synthesis
I used an affinity map to synthesize data into central themes.
Data fragmentation, clunky workflows, manual errors, and a lack of security controls signaled a need for improvement.
Despite the small pool, I saw clear user differences and created "mini profiles" to visualize the distinct needs and goals of managers versus engineers.
By understanding these different needs, I could define clear goals for the product.
GOALS
Eliminate Data Fragmentation
Improve Workflow Efficiency
Increase User Satisfaction
Ensure Accurate Tracking
Provide Role-Based Controls
And these goals led to a list of core features for the app.
FEATURES
Search & Filter
Secure Role-Based Access
Log & Track Labor Hours
Task Interactions/Reminders
Communication Tools
Project Creation & Editing
Subtask Creation & Management
Gantt Chart (Data Specialist delegation)
Ideation & Clarification - IA
I drafted a user flow and sitemap, but found it challenging to visualize how the hour logging system would impact the project budget.
Representing complex financial data and separating the goals for each user type was hard!
NOTE: My confusion!
I conducted a another user interview with targeted topics on data logging, which helped me finalize my mapping flows.
My team helped me visualize the flow on whiteboard <3
I didn't just observe; I went through their existing data with them, asking why certain edge cases happened—like why a project appeared to be over budget.
Sketches & Design System
I used sketches for content blocking.
Since I had already created the company's design system, I knew the exact look and behavior for many of the app's components.
My work laid the foundation to standardize all applications through comprehensive guides for layout, typography, components, and more!
Low-Fidelity Prototype & Testing Transition
I designed an interactive low-fidelity prototype in Figma. But why does it look so hi-fi?
My department used to develop apps directly from sketches, which led to a lot of time-consuming and wasted code. I introduced a fidelity testing phase to get early feedback and meet user expectations before development.
Instead of, "Why can't I press this? This looks different!", it's "I don't like this navigation!"
In other projects, this helped less tech-savvy users understand functionality by reducing their cognitive load, enabling them to focus solely on core features and workflows.
Lo-Fi Testing & Findings
I conducted a structured group test to get direct user feedback.
Due to time limits, I could only do 1 group test instead of multiple 1:1s. Network limitations also prevented Figma access, so I simulated the app's responses in real-time.
I divided the tasks by user type—for all users, managers, or engineers—to get role-specific feedback in a group setting.
For each screen, users verbalized their actions and then we discussed their experience.
Testing refined existing features, noted fixes, and introduced new processes.
This helped me refine existing features, like information display and form fields, while also revealing new issues I hadn't considered.
High-Fidelity Prototype
The phases above directly informed a playable, high-fidelity application
Using a rapid prototyping method, I built the app's front-end in Power Apps while iterating.
I could immediately integrate feedback from our low-fidelity tests into a playable high-fidelity that could be tested again.
UI Iteration Example
On the Engineer's Hours Log page, I learned that my initial date drop-down filtering was too broad.
I assumed users would search by project titles first; instead, they went straight for the dates and struggled with the lack of customization!
"This selection seems arbitrary — why a broad time? I know the dates I want.”- Engineer
I swapped the static dropdown filter for a "To-From" calendar picker, which matched their mental model more.
Hi-Fi Testing & Findings
I led another structured testing session with the Engineering team for final feedback.
I administered 1:1 playtests in a group setting. Tasks were divided by user type and participants navigated the app on their own computer with a UX member observing.
Results addressed UI (e.g. display issues) or back-end bugs (e.g. data inconsistencies).
Launch & Continuous Improvement
After iteration, the Project Planner deployed with Irvine Engineering's live data.
After launch, I transitioned to a phase of continuous iteration, using app performance data and user feedback to guide ongoing feature improvements.
Quantitatively, I used PowerApps Analytics to track performance indicators.
If user engagement fell off, I would engage with Engineering to discover the "why".
I also used live monitoring to debug performance issues and measure task-completion times.
If an operation failed or took too long to load, I would address the root with my developer.
Qualitatively, I established a continuous feedback loop with an in-app error report form and follow-up interviews.
This laid the foundation for rapid prototyping, allowing us to implement new features in 1-2 week cycles.
These measures built a strong relationship with our users and kept the product evolving!
Impact & Future
Post-launch surveys revealed user satisfaction rose from 52% to 85%!
72/158 (46%) previous projects had missing labor hours — now 100% of new, active projects have labor breakdowns!
Users are ~5x faster with data logging due to automated processes.
Irvine's project tracking systems were reduced from 8 methods to just 1.
The Project Planner fundamentally transformed project management for EMCOR Engineering. It successfully met its core goals of standardizing project tracking and eliminating data fragmentation, delivering a centralized solution that empowered users with unique role-based controls. We've proven its value and established a clear path to scale the product to other branches in the future!