Designing a bespoke CRM for a user research agency
Challenge
Designing a bespoke CRM to replace inefficient spreadsheets while meeting unclear and evolving client needs.
Action
Led research, UX, and visual design end-to-end, delivering user flows, prototypes, and a scalable design system.
Outcome
Delivered a validated CRM solution with full developer handoff, enabling the client to modernise participant management.
Client | On Road Agency
Role | Product Designer
Team | Myself
Duration | January 2020 - February 2022
All images are either royalty free stock or examples images. No imagery is from project work to protect privacy
01__Context & Challenge
A user research company managing a large network of research participants relied on spreadsheets to manage their database. They required a bespoke CRM to:
Allow participants to self-register and manage profiles.
Enable internal teams to create and manage shortlists for research projects.
The project began with no clear product vision and resistance to using an off-the-shelf CRM like Salesforce. As a one-person UX and design team, I led the entire process—from discovery to design system creation and developer handoff.
The challenges were:
Unclear user requirements from client
Churn of project managers with different ideas
Motivation of end-users to maintain profiles
02__Process Highlights
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Planned and executed stakeholder interviews to uncover operational needs and pain points across internal teams.
Designed and ran user research sessions with participants to understand:
Why they were motivated to join research panels.
What personal data they were comfortable sharing and their expectations around data usage.
Synthesised findings into actionable insights to drive the product’s UX strategy.
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Mapped out participant and admin workflows, designing self-service registration, profile management, and project shortlisting features.
Created low and high-fidelity prototypes that balanced efficiency and usability for both audiences.
Facilitated internal reviews to gather feedback and iterated designs based on findings.
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Developed a new visual identity specific to this internal-facing CRM, focusing on a professional, functional, and accessible UI.
Built a lightweight design system including:
Colour palette and typography hierarchy.
Modular components (tables, forms, filters, buttons) tailored to admin-heavy tasks.
Delivered a comprehensive design handoff package including developer-ready assets, annotations, and interaction guidelines.
03__ Major Contributions & Artefacts
User Research Plan & Insight Report
Purpose | Capture user needs and data sharing sensitivities to shape both UX and compliance messaging.
Impact | Led to the creation of a sign-up flow that balanced user trust with operational data capture needs.
JBTD analysis of stakeholder interviews
Core journey wireframes
Purpose | Designed key participant and admin journeys—including onboarding, profile creation, project setup, and shortlisting—based on user research and operational needs.
Impact | Provided a clear foundation for usability testing and stakeholder feedback, enabling confident iteration and alignment across teams before development began.
Working through ideas for screen structure
Visual Design
Purpose | Created a clean, largely monochrome visual language tailored for internal CRM use—balancing clarity, accessibility, and ease of use across complex workflows.
Impact | Provided a clear foundation for usability testing and stakeholder feedback, enabling confident iteration and alignment across teams before development began.
UI structure of a database search page
Design System & Handoff Documentation
Purpose | Redesign high-priority tasks (rent payment, repair reporting) with a focus on reducing friction points and aligning with user mental models
Impact | Usability testing confirmed that users found the new designs clearer, easier to navigate, and more trustworthy
Card component across major breakpoints
04__Pre-launch outcomes
Delivered a fully scoped CRM UX solution with tested workflows and a foundational design system.
Achieved internal buy-in by leading all research, design, and handoff activities solo.
Provided the development team with everything needed for build-out, reducing project ambiguity.
05__Reflection & next steps
What worked:
Running both internal and external user research ensured the system aligned with participant privacy expectations and internal operational goals.
Designing and delivering a full-stack design system as a solo contributor enabled faster implementation and cross-team clarity.
What could improve:
Earlier alignment on product strategy (e.g., build vs. buy) could have accelerated delivery and reduced initial uncertainty.
Going for a less technical approach and iterating forwards based on demand
Next steps:
Recommend monitoring CRM adoption post-launch, with follow-up testing focused on streamlining admin workflows and enhancing participant engagement.
07__Post launch outcomes
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Admin task time reduced by 60% (from an average of 40 mins to 15 mins) when creating shortlists compared to previous spreadsheet process.
90% of admin users reported faster project set-up in follow-up interviews.
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Reduction in incomplete profiles, due to improved onboarding flow and better field validation.
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Admin teams successfully managed 20% more active projects without hiring additional staff within 6 months.
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After 6 months profile creation reduced by 50%
In year 1 10% of profiles were updated after registration
Due to GDPR constraints this part of the product has been withdrawn
07__Key takeaway
As a product design lead, I successfully planned and executed the end-to-end process—from user research to a developer-ready design system—transforming a spreadsheet-based workflow into a purpose-built CRM for research participant management.