UI Design Enhancements

Project Overview

This project focused on improving the user experience within Power Direct (our mobile app) and IMC Power (our web app) based on feedback from drivers and internal compliance teams. Both platforms suffered from outdated designs that made critical features hard to navigate, especially for drivers who needed fast, intuitive access during day and night operations. Power Direct's Light Mode-only interface created glare and safety concerns for night driving, while IMC Power’s web interface lacked the modern usability and performance that the vendor team needed.

Additionally, technical frustrations — like unreliable invoice processing and inefficient search features — highlighted the need for broader usability, accessibility, and platform stability improvements.

The project involved partnering with compliance and development teams to define MVPs, designing UI prototypes and user flows in Figma, and refining visual and interaction elements in Photoshop, with a focus on creating a more efficient, safe, and intuitive experience for all users.

INVOLVEMENT

PROCESS

I collaborated with dispatch leaders, vendor compliance representatives, and drivers to identify the highest-impact pain points: platform stability, night-time safety, ease of invoicing, and search speed. Together with stakeholders and developers, I helped define MVP goals that prioritized usability, accessibility, platform reliability, and driver safety.

Using Figma, I created UI prototypes and detailed flow diagrams to modernize navigation and improve task efficiency. I also used Photoshop to enhance visual quality, creating a consistent design language that would be easy for both tech-savvy and less tech-savvy users to adopt.

In this project, I led the UX improvement initiative for Power Direct and IMC Power. I worked directly with vendor compliance reps, and development teams to deeply understand real-world workflows and frustrations. By incorporating user feedback from frontline operations, I prioritized improvements that would have the greatest impact on daily use — such as implementing Dark Mode, improving search functionality in shipment management, and addressing invoice submission issues.

My focus was on delivering a solution that not only looked better, but also made drivers safer and vendors more confident in using our technology.

User interviews

Jesse C.

Interview Date: 11/08/22
User Type: Owner Operator (Power / Power Direct User)

Company Overview:

Fleet Size: 5 trucks
Team Setup:
- Owner/operator drives and manages operations.
- Billing handled by a small team ("a couple of friends doing the billing").

Goals:

Streamline load management and billing processes.
Reduce time spent manually updating orders and correcting rates.

Pain Points:

Dry Runs:
- Struggles with rates being inconsistent after dry runs. Needs better handling of rate changes.
Manual Processes:
- Frustrated with needing manual updates to destinations and work orders.Wants automated updates to ensure billing and rate corrections are accurate.
Billing Workflow:
- Current billing is informal; friends help, but they encounter issues due to lack of streamlined tools.
Mobile Usage:
- Drivers primarily use Apple (iOS) devices, with a smaller group using Android. Wants apps that work seamlessly across both.

Key Quotes:

"We have a couple of friends doing the billing — it’s not perfect, but it works for now."

"If the destination changes, the system should automatically correct my rate. I shouldn’t have to chase it down."

Berlyn h.

Interview Date: 11/17/22
User Type: Internal Power User
Role: Operations Director (Greenify & IMC)

Background:

Previous Role:
- Started with direct operations on Los Angeles Shuttles, building and replicating successful operational models across regions including Los Angeles, Memphis, Savannah, and Atlanta.
Mission:
- Facilitate structured communication and processes between dispatch teams and IMC to maximize efficiency and daily performance.

Pain Points:

Communication:
- Delays in getting timely responses from IMC can create operational slowdowns and impact driver satisfaction.
SmartStacks Search:
- Searching by origin location is inefficient. Would prefer search results match the first word typed to reduce time spent (especially with 50–60 entries per day).
Driver Confusion:
- Confusion between BOL and POD processes; the current separation needs to be clearer and more intuitive.
Load Status Management:
- If a driver incorrectly marks a load as delivered and doesn’t fix it, dispatch has limited ability to correct without recontacting the driver — adding unnecessary steps.

Feedback on IMC Power:

Likes:

Ease of Onboarding:
- New team members have been able to pick up the system quickly with minimal issues.
New Features:
- Loves the SmartStacks shipment management tool and the search feature enhancements.
Overall Platform:
- Finds the platform generally user-friendly and supportive of dispatch needs.

Dislikes:

SmartStacks Search:
- Wants more intuitive search functionality (e.g., search by first word).
Load Correction:
- Load rejections and correction processes are still too manual when drivers make mistakes.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Video Tutorials:
- Create video walkthroughs explaining how drivers can find and manage loads after entering them in Power Direct.

Support Resources:
- Dedicated website with video resources, plus a dedicated support phone number or email specifically for driver issues
BOL/POD Clarifications:
- Clearer distinction between BOL and POD uploads to prevent driver and dispatch confusion.
Admin Dashboard:
- Allow vendors, dispatchers, and drivers to connect via a shared dashboard.
- Admins should be able to correct statuses (like delivery rejections) without needing to recontact drivers.
Contactless POD Integration:
- Implement geostamped POD functionality that requires a signature but reduces manual uploads.

Key Quotes:

"Timely communication can cut down on a lot of delays — not just for us, but for the drivers too."

"Power is easy to train on, but SmartStacks could be faster if the search worked like a true first-word match."

"A dashboard would let us correct issues without creating a telephone game between dispatch, drivers, and IMC."

Hunter p.

Interview Date: 12/01/22
User Type: Internal Power User
Role: Vendor Compliance Representative (IMCNA Employee)

Background:

Experience:
- Worked extensively with brokers and freight operations.
- Focused on vendor training and compliance management.
Primary Mission:
- Ensure vendors are compliant, trained, and equipped to operate within IMC’s systems efficiently.

Current Responsibilities:

Manages daily priorities based on urgent needs and direction from the Director of Vendor Compliance.
Handles RMIS compliance issues and ensures vendors stay in good standing.
Provides training and support for vendors across different levels of tech ability.
Assists vendors with work order management and troubleshooting.
Works on implementing and improving tech platform adoption among vendors.

Pain Points:

Vendor Technology Challenges:
- Many vendors are not tech-savvy, making it difficult to get them fully comfortable using systems like Power Direct.
Power Direct Adoption:
- Vendors are not optimizing Power Direct usage yet, making Hunter's training role more demanding.
Platform Stability:
- Frequent website outages or breakdowns impact vendor confidence.
Invoice Process Issues:
- Invoices often get stuck in the system; vendors think they have completed the process, but actually haven’t — leading to missed payouts and additional manual intervention from the compliance team.

Feedback on IMC Power

Likes:

(No specific positive feedback provided yet — user currently more focused on issues and improvements needed.)

Dislikes:

Platform Stability:
- The website breaks down weekly, frustrating vendors and internal users.
- Login and invoice submission issues are common.
IT Support Gap:
- Limited support resources.
- Jeff currently handles all escalated IT issues, but the team needs more robust IT support.
Operational Impact:
- Time spent fixing platform problems could be better spent optimizing operations and supporting vendors more strategically.

Suggestions for Improvement:

Expand IT Support:
- Dedicated IT team or faster escalation path to resolve vendor platform issues quickly.
Stabilize Platform Performance:
- Focus on minimizing website outages and fixing invoice submission bugs.
Enhance Vendor Communication:
- Clearer, real-time feedback for vendors when submitting invoices (to confirm success/failure).