Workflow Builder
The workflow builder is designed to help Accredify scale its products across various industries by offering flexible, customisable workflow configurations that enhance efficiency and minimise the need for manual intervention.
Company
Accredify
Duration
5 months
My role
User research
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability testing
Driving product scalability with configurable workflows
Context
Accredify enables educational institutions to create, issue, and manage verifiable digital documents. As the company expanded, it encountered challenges in adapting the platform to meet the diverse needs of different industries, leading to increased manual intervention and complexity.
Challenge
The current document issuance process was manual and lacked flexibility. Originally designed for educational institutions, the platform struggled to scale for clients in other industries needing to issue various document types. Developers had to manually configure custom settings for each client, including workflows, user management, and document templates.
Interviewing stakeholders
Due to some complexities, we couldn't directly interview the actual users. However, we were determined to gain insights before starting the design process and reached out to account managers, customer support, and developers to better understand the problems we were tackling.
Insights from the interviews
Too much customisation
Many features were built one-off and customised for each individual client.
Key features are missing
Multiple clients requested the same features that were missing on the platform.
Issuance process is highly manual
The issuance process relies heavily on manual steps, requiring significant human intervention.
Interface lacks clarity and structure
Users often struggled to locate what they needed and found the interface cluttered and disorganised.
Scoping the work
As the lead designer for this project, I was responsible for the design of several key features:
Authentication management (including SSO)
Workflow creation and editing
Document template creation and editing
Viewing and managing API keys and logs
How it works
The solution is built around five key components: workflows, document templates, email templates, SMS templates, and design templates.
Given that each client has unique processes and template needs, the platform offers flexibility, allowing clients to customise their workflows. Within these workflows, clients can choose the templates they wish to use and determine the actions they can perform.
Mapping the process flows & system rules
With multiple processes involved, we mapped out detailed process flows to visualise them clearly. This ensured alignment across the team—including designers, product managers, and developers—so everyone had a shared understanding.
Creating wire flows & validating solution
Given the tight timeline and the upcoming development sprint, we quickly created wireflows and tested our solution to ensure it was on track. During this process, we also consulted with our developers to confirm the solution's technical feasibility.
The usability tests were conducted with five participants from Accredify, including team members from account management, customer support, and development.
Insights from the usability testing sessions
Updates should be applied across documents
When updating a document template, the changes should be applied to all linked documents.
Adding of attributes was not intuitive
Many users were unsure how to add attributes and felt the process should be more visual.
Terms used are confusing
Certain terms like 'value', 'custom', 'assigned' and 'default' were too vague.
Auto-save for multi-step forms
When filling out multi-step forms, responses should be saved, since the forms can be lengthy.
Crafting high fidelity designs
After gathering insights from the usability testing sessions, I revised the designs and held discussions with developers to find solutions within the technical constraints. The next step was to create the high-fidelity mockups.
Outcomes and learnings
Improved user experience
The new design was gradually rolled out to both existing and new clients. Compared to the previous version, users found the interface more modern, intuitive, and easier to navigate.
Increased flexibility & efficiency
Clients appreciated the ability to create their own workflows and document templates without relying on manual intervention. Account managers could also configure settings effortlessly, streamlining operations and reducing dependency on developers.
Scalability across industries
The improved platform allowed new clients from various industries to onboard seamlessly, with minimal customisation required. This expanded the platform’s reach beyond education, supporting a wider range of use cases.
This project came with its fair share of challenges. Early on, we had to adjust the workflow builder due to technical constraints, which meant that document template changes weren’t automatically propagated to linked documents. Users had to manually update each one—a tedious process that was later flagged as a major pain point during usability testing. Gathering that data gave us the leverage to push for a better solution despite the limitations. This experience reinforced the importance of testing, collaboration, and advocating for user needs while balancing technical feasibility.