Decoding Enterprise Data Workflows
Problem
Fragmented, error-prone data quality management process across disconnected tools requiring transformation into scalable enterprise workflow.
Goal
Design a comprehensive SaaS platform enabling 100+ users to collaborate efficiently on complex data governance workflows.
Team
Solo designer working directly with Enterprise Data Governance director and key developer users who would use the technical workflow tools.
Background
CBRE manages vast amounts of real estate data for clients through a complex data quality rule development process. I was hired to design SuperZoom Rules, a comprehensive platform that would replace their fragmented workflow spanning Excel, NocoDB, SQL editors, and Tableau.
The existing process presented several critical challenges:
Rule development was scattered across multiple disconnected systems creating silos, developers manually copied code between tools leading to frequent errors, team members communicated changes verbally with no centralized record-keeping, and the system could only support 9 users but needed to scale to 100+. The solution needed to accommodate 7+ distinct user roles—from requestors and developers to validators and remediators—each with different workflow requirements and technical expertise levels.
Additionally, the technical complexity was significant: developers needed to manage complex data relationships across “universes” and “galaxies” (filtered datasets), different developers created varying queries for the same data resulting in conflicting outputs, and approximately 20% of rules required data from multiple sources.
My Process: Autonomous Design in Ambiguous Settings
User Research: Mapping Complex Stakeholder Needs
Working with minimal formal process, I took initiative to conduct comprehensive interviews with stakeholders representing each user persona. My focus was understanding their specific role in the rule development lifecycle, current pain points and workarounds, needs for visibility and collaboration, and technical requirements.
This research enabled me to map the entire rule development process from request to remediation, identifying critical bottlenecks and communication gaps that weren’t immediately apparent to leadership.
Information Architecture: Bridging Business and Technical Workflows
The challenge was to design a system that serves both technical developers managing complex data relationships and business users who need oversight and collaboration capabilities.
I created an information architecture that balanced role-based access (ensuring each persona accessed exactly what they needed), shared context for visibility into the rule lifecycle, permission controls based on role and rule status, and clear status transitions mapping complex state changes from submission through deployment.
Workflow Design: From Fragmentation to Integration
For the collaborative project management design, I created a centralized interface that provided unified rule management across the entire lifecycle, implemented in-context communication to replace verbal exchanges, created historical records of all changes and decisions, and enabled notifications for pending actions and status changes.
To optimize the developer workflow for technical users, I designed specialized interfaces that simplified creation and management of data “universes” and “galaxies,” created visualization tools for understanding complex data relationships, reduced error-prone manual code copying, and supported both simple and complex rule creation scenarios.
Validation Through Iterative Prototyping
Working directly with the data team president, I created and refined interactive prototypes in Figma, tested workflows with users from each persona group, incorporated feedback on technical feasibility, and validated that the design would scale to the required 100+ users.
Key Solutions: Transforming Enterprise Data Workflows
Rule Management Dashboard
I designed a centralized interface providing role-specific views tailored to each persona’s needs, clear visibility into rule status and history, filtering and searching based on multiple attributes, and actionable notifications based on rule status changes—creating a cohesive experience that replaced five disconnected tools.
Collaborative Workflow System
I created step-by-step guided workflows for rule requestors, collaborative review interfaces for business and technical validation, status tracking with clear accountability at each stage, in-context communication preserving decision history, and field-level validation preventing common errors.
Developer Technical Tools
I designed sophisticated interfaces for managing complex data relationships, including visual tools for universe creation and galaxy filtering, request workflows for adding fields to existing universes, code integration minimizing manual copying, and preview functionality to validate data before rule creation.
Key Learnings: Designing in Ambiguous Environments
- Autonomous Problem-Solving: Working with minimal supervision taught me to take initiative in defining the research approach and design strategy. The lack of formal process became a strength, allowing me to focus purely on user needs and design integrity without navigating bureaucratic constraints.
- Technical-Business Bridge: This project reinforced my ability to design for both highly technical developers and business stakeholders within the same platform. The key was understanding that the same workflow needed to serve different mental models and expertise levels.
- Flexibility Within Structure: The most valuable insight was finding the balance between standardization and flexibility. Developers needed structured processes to avoid inconsistencies but also required escape hatches for complex edge cases.