Vika Adamonis

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Vika Adamonis

CV

Vika Adamonis

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Project Management Platform from 0 to 1

Peato

/

Eco-Tech

/

Responsive Web

/

2024

Introduction

Understanding the Challenge

Peato is a B2B/B2G startup focused on peatland restoration across Europe.

Peato is a B2B/B2G startup focused on peatland restoration across Europe.

Challenge

Challenge

Various disconnected tools made it difficult for stakeholders to track progress, find required inputs, communicate and coordinate decisions.

Various disconnected tools made it difficult for stakeholders to track progress, find required inputs, communicate and coordinate decisions.

Goal

Goal

Design a scalable platform that would streamline multi-phase project tracking and support real-time collaboration among stakeholders.

Design a scalable platform that would streamline multi-phase project tracking and support real-time collaboration among stakeholders.

Team

Team

Solo designer, with guidance from a Lead designer, 1 Product Manager, 4 engineers.

Client's side: CEO, Head of Operations.

Solo designer, with guidance from a Lead designer, 1 Product Manager, 4 engineers.

Client's side: CEO, Head of Operations.

My role

My role

I conducted UX research and designed UI and interactions, including a UI kit to keep the platform consistent and scalable. Also worked closely with the client and product manager to define scope and priorities and collaborated with engineers to balance usability and technical feasibility.

I conducted UX research and designed UI and interactions, including a UI kit to keep the platform consistent and scalable. Also worked closely with the client and product manager to define scope and priorities and collaborated with engineers to balance usability and technical feasibility.

Research

Research
& Discovery

Untangling the Workflows

The biggest challenge here was to define the project and phases structure, as even the client sometimes lacked a clear understanding of how projects should be organized. We relied on:

The biggest challenge here was to define the project and phases structure, as even the client sometimes lacked a clear understanding of how projects should be organized. We relied on:

-> Client Expertise

-> Client Expertise

The Peato team provided direct insights based on their experience managing projects.

The Peato team provided direct insights based on their experience managing projects.

-> Existing User Feedback

-> Existing User Feedback

The client shared an Excel sheet with feedback from users who had previously used an early version of the platform.

The client shared an Excel sheet with feedback from users who had previously used an early version of the platform.

-> Iterative Refinement

-> Iterative Refinement

Weekly check-ins with the client and asynchronous feedback loops helped find out user roles, their pains, create jobs-to-be-done and iterate on the project journey diagram.

Weekly check-ins with the client and asynchronous feedback loops helped find out user roles, their pains, create jobs-to-be-done and iterate on the project journey diagram.

-> Conversation with a Field Worker

-> Conversation with a Field Worker

This helped to gain insights into their workflow and the challenges they encounter.

This helped to gain insights into their workflow and the challenges they encounter.

By the end of the research phase, we had:

By the end of the research phase, we had:

-> Targeted usability improvements
Navigation, phases' structure, unclear inputs, scattered communication, mobile usability, etc.

-> Targeted usability improvements
Navigation, phases' structure, unclear inputs, scattered communication, mobile usability, etc.

-> Iterative design process
Regular internal and external feedback loops

-> Iterative design process
Regular internal and external feedback loops

Design

1

Project Management

The Problem:

The Problem:

  1. Admins needed a structured way to browse and manage multiple projects at different stages.

  2. Users (project developers, etc.) only needed to see their assigned project(s), making a table layout unnecessary.

Solution:

Solution:

  1. Table view is designed for admins. 

It provides a dense, scannable layout for managing large project lists.

  2. Grid view is primarily for users. It offers a more visual, compact format for quickly accessing one or two assigned projects. Although both views are accessible, users can switch between them based on their preference.

Design

2

Project's Details

The Problem:

The Problem:

  1. Admins found it difficult to track key project details and understand why certain projects were archived or postponed.

  2. Users struggled to understand which phase they were in and what information was required.

Solution:

Solution:

  1. Project header improves clarity. It displays key details upfront, 

including the ID, country, status, point of contact, and partner organization.

    Status subcategories were added to provide more context for admins. 

They help quickly see why a project was archived, postponed, or moved 

to the backlog without searching through records.

    Project summary page provides a high-level overview. It shows only the most critical project inputs, helping admins quickly decide how to proceed.

  2. Phases navigation bar offers a clear overview of 

all project phases, making navigation more intuitive.

Design

3

Input-heavy Phases

The Problem:

The Problem:

  1. No clear way to track form completion within a phase.

  2. Large, input-heavy forms made it difficult for users and admins to navigate and find missing or incomplete fields.

  3. Users lacked help text and guidance for complex input fields.

  4. Phase visibility issue – on the old platform, users lost track of which phase they were viewing when scrolling.

Solution:

Solution:

  1. Phase menu simplifies navigation through large forms. Completion tracker shows progress within a phase.

  2. Structured form layouts group inputs into clear sections for improved readability. Empty fields tracker and dot indicators highlight missing inputs, helping users quickly locate and complete them.

  3. Info text and tooltips clarify complex fields, reducing errors and uncertainty.

  4. Persistent phase header ensures users always know which phase they are viewing.

Design

4

Commenting and Activity Tracking

The Problem:

The Problem:

  1. Scattered communication – comments and discussions were spread across different tools, making it hard to keep track of feedback.

  2. No way to comment on specific fields – users needed to discuss particular inputs, but there was no way to tie comments to relevant fields.

  3. Project updates were unclear – admins struggled to see recent changes or user actions.

Solution:

Solution:

  1. Phase-level comments allow general discussions within each phase. Mentions & threaded replies enable users to tag teammates and structure discussions effectively.

  2. Input-specific comments keep discussions tied to relevant fields.

  3. Activity log records all changes, giving admins and users clear timeline of project updates.

Design

5

Adapted for Different Devices

The Problem:

The Problem:

Users struggled to update project data on-site due to lack of a mobile-friendly interface for on-site data entry.

Solution:

Solution:

  1. Flexible grid system maintained a consistent structure across all screen sizes.

  2. The interface was optimized for mobile screens, prioritizing core actions for fieldwork and minimizing clutter. For example, project import is not available on mobile.

Design

6

UI Kit

Based on the brand’s style guide, I created a complete UI kit that includes a color palette, text styles, spacing grid, breakpoints, layouts for different devices, and over 70 components.

Usability Testing

Refining the Experience

We conducted usability testing with five users through semi-structured interviews to evaluate key aspects of the platform. And received positive feedback from 90% of the test user group.

We conducted usability testing with five users through semi-structured interviews to evaluate key aspects of the platform. And received positive feedback from 90% of the test user group.

📊
📊
📊

Assessing the need for a dashboard

Assessing the need for a dashboard

Initially proposed internally, the dashboard lacked a clear purpose. Testing showed that it mostly repeated project details and notifications without adding meaningful value.

Initially proposed internally, the dashboard lacked a clear purpose. Testing showed that it mostly repeated project details and notifications without adding meaningful value.

Postpone implementation. The plan is to integrate a task management system later, enabling the dashboard to display actionable tasks rather than redundant information.

Postpone implementation. The plan is to integrate a task management system later, enabling the dashboard to display actionable tasks rather than redundant information.

🔍
🔍
🔍

Navigation and search

Navigation and search

Could users intuitively navigate the platform, especially within multi-phase projects?

Could users intuitively navigate the platform, especially within multi-phase projects?

No usability issues identified. Users could easily find and access key information.

No usability issues identified. Users could easily find and access key information.

📄
📄
📄

Project detail page

Project detail page

Did it provide enough context and details for users to understand the project status and take action?

Did it provide enough context and details for users to understand the project status and take action?

To improve usability, we introduced editing on the summary page, allowing users to make quick adjustments without navigating to individual phases.

To improve usability, we introduced editing on the summary page, allowing users to make quick adjustments without navigating to individual phases.

Users needed a  quick way to reference specific inputs. So we introduced input-specific comments to keep discussions tied to relevant fields.

Users needed a  quick way to reference specific inputs. So we introduced input-specific comments to keep discussions tied to relevant fields.

Retro

Final Thoughts

🔑

Key Takeaways

  • Engaging with developers early helped ensure technical feasibility, reduce assumptions, and streamline the handoff process.

  • Gaps in product management meant I had to take on additional responsibilities, highlighting the need for well-defined ownership within the team.

  • The vague initial scope led to adjustments mid-project. Aligning priorities earlier would have helped keep execution more focused.

⚡

What I Would Do Differently
What I Would Do Differently
What I Would Do Differently

  • Allocate dedicated research time before wireframing although it's not always possible due to different constraints.

  • Strengthen collaboration with developers during the planning phase to proactively address feasibility challenges.

  • Push for clearer ownership roles in cross-functional teams to reduce ambiguity in decision-making.

🌱

Positive Outcomes & Growth
Positive Outcomes & Growth
Positive Outcomes & Growth

  • Adaptability
    Prioritizing and refining designs efficiently under tight deadlines.

  • Problem-Solving
    Balancing scope constraints while maintaining usability improved my strategic decision-making.

  • Ownership
    Stepping up in areas beyond design helped me develop a stronger cross-functional mindset.

The client was pleased with the outcome and has continued working with us on the next phases. They noted that the platform greatly enhanced their workflow by reducing time spent on repetitive tasks, increasing productivity, and minimizing errors through streamlined processes. They appreciated my problem-solving approach, willingness to challenge assumptions, and ability to facilitate discussions, which helped them refine workflows rather than just delivering designs. User feedback was also positive, with stakeholders highlighting improved workflow efficiency and overall user experience.

The client was pleased with the outcome and has continued working with us on the next phases. They noted that the platform greatly enhanced their workflow by reducing time spent on repetitive tasks, increasing productivity, and minimizing errors through streamlined processes. They appreciated my problem-solving approach, willingness to challenge assumptions, and ability to facilitate discussions, which helped them refine workflows rather than just delivering designs. User feedback was also positive, with stakeholders highlighting improved workflow efficiency and overall user experience.

Next Project ->

MVP of a Business Account for Bicycle Resellers

© 2025, made by me 🩷

CV

© 2025, made by me 🩷

CV

© 2025, made by me 🩷

CV

© 2025, made by me 🩷

CV