Allegion Internal Application Optimization

Project Overview

As the leader for a 6-person team, I directed a 4-month enterprise UX redesign project for Allegion, a global security products company. The project focused on optimizing an internal request process that was taking 2-3 months, with the goal of reducing it to 2-3 weeks.

My responsibilities included defining research strategy, coordinating team workflows, leading the prototyping track from low to high-fidelity, and serving as the primary liaison to industry sponsors throughout the project lifecycle.

The Challenge

The existing internal application process was creating significant bottlenecks for employees. What should have been a straightforward request workflow was taking 2-3 months from submission to completion, causing frustration and reduced productivity across the organization.

"Our goal was to reduce processing time by 90% while maintaining necessary approval workflows and security protocols."

My Role & Responsibilities

Design Process

Phase 1: Understanding the System (Weeks 1-6)

• Conducted literature review on enterprise application workflows and form optimization
• Performed heuristic evaluation of the existing system to identify usability issues
• Led user interviews with employees across different departments and roles
• Created journey maps to visualize pain points from multiple stakeholder perspectives
• Developed personas for both requesters and approvers to guide design decisions

Phase 2: Ideation & Design (Weeks 7-11)

• Facilitated ideation workshops with the team to generate solution concepts
• Coordinated iterative sketching sessions to explore layout and interaction patterns
• Led wireframing efforts to establish information architecture and flow
• Developed low-fidelity prototypes for early validation testing
• Conducted usability testing and synthesized findings for iteration

Phase 3: Refinement & Delivery (Weeks 12-16)

• Directed creation of mid and high-fidelity interactive prototypes
• Coordinated final rounds of usability testing with stakeholders
• Compiled comprehensive design documentation explaining rationale and decisions
• Prepared and delivered final presentation to client sponsors
• Created handoff documentation for implementation team

Key Contributions

Leadership & Team Collaboration

As design lead, I focused on leveraging each team member's strengths while maintaining design consistency and project momentum:

• Organized weekly design critiques to review work and align on direction
• Assigned prototyping tasks based on individual skillsets and interests
• Established design systems and component libraries for consistency
• Facilitated collaborative decision-making while maintaining project timeline
• Mentored team members on enterprise UX best practices and stakeholder communication

Key Learnings

"Leading a team project taught me that clear communication and strategic delegation are just as important as design skills."

Team Leadership & Collaboration

I took the initiative to create and maintain the project timeline, which helped us monitor progress and stay on pace with deliverables. Before transitioning between design phases, I made it a priority to confirm all team members were on the same page, which minimized miscommunication and promoted cohesive decision-making.

• Proactive conflict resolution - Addressed team disagreements promptly to ensure problems were resolved before the next class, maintaining progress and team cohesion
• Strategic delegation - Assigned prototyping tasks based on individual skillsets, offering assistance with tools and interactive components to help teammates complete work on time
• Supportive environment - Fostered a team culture where support and accountability were shared values, ensuring everyone felt empowered to contribute

Technical Specialization & Mentorship

I served as the main refiner of the high-fidelity prototype, taking full responsibility for transforming our collective design work into a fully interactive, polished final product. This involved adjusting layouts, building components, and ensuring interaction consistency within Figma.

• Deep prototyping expertise - Became the go-to resource for design modifications and technical issues, demonstrating depth in UX production skills
• Knowledge sharing - Taught teammates about tools, methods, and broader UX design practice expectations through hands-on collaboration
• Quality control - Maintained design consistency and interaction fidelity across all deliverables

Stakeholder Management & Communication

As primary liaison between the team and industry sponsor, I managed all external correspondence and ensured information flowed clearly between stakeholders. I also set up all user interviews process, from scheduling, securing rooms, to setting up virtual links in order to support a smooth research process.

• Professional communication - Sent emails, managed sponsor relationships, and presented UX methods to diverse audiences
• Research facilitation - Actively participated in interviews by guiding discussions, asking clarifying questions, and maintaining a professional atmosphere
• Project coordination - Balanced client needs with team capabilities while meeting academic and professional standards

Integrated Learning

This project reinforced that effective UX leadership requires balancing hands-on technical work with team coordination. Leading prototyping while also managing stakeholder communication taught me to context-switch between detailed design work and high-level strategic thinking. Most importantly, I learned that supporting teammates' growth and maintaining team cohesion are just as critical to project success as delivering polished designs.