Multi-Level Approval System

Summary

End-to-end UX design for a proposed enterprise-wide Project Management System, unifying task management and resource requests (assets, training, manpower) across a large organization. The core design challenge was architecting an intuitive, multi-level (4-tier) approval workflow for both mobile and web platforms. The project involved extensive stakeholder alignment to create a scalable solution, resulting in a successful proposal that is now in active development.

Role

UX Designer

Project base

NDA Project

Project duration

4 Weeks

Problem

The company’s complicated approval processes lack visibility and cause slow decisions. This leads to significant operational delays and wasted productivity across all branches in Malaysia.

Target User

Employees

Need a simple, clear way to submit requests and track their status through the complex approval chain.

Approval Levels 1-3

Require an efficient interface to review, approve, or reject requests with context, often from a mobile device.

Final Approval, Level 4

Need high-level oversight, budget control, and reporting capabilities to sanction large-scale requests.

Solution & Contribution

Stakeholder Synthesis

Facilitated collaborative sessions with key stakeholders to map existing pain points and define unified system requirements.

Complex Workflow Architecture

Designed a clear and logical information architecture to guide a request through four distinct approval stages, ensuring status visibility at every step.

Cross-Platform Design

Created a responsive design system that provided a consistent user experience for both desktop power-users and mobile-focused managers, focusing on critical tasks like approval actions.

Outcome & Impact

Approved Proposal

The detailed wireframes, workflow diagrams, and a high-fidelity prototype successfully secured stakeholder sign-off, and the project has proceeded to the development phase.

De-risked Development

The design deliverables provided the engineering team with a clear, user-validated blueprint, reducing ambiguity and potential rework.

Reflection & Learnings

Designing for Complexity

Translating a 4-level approval process into a simple user experience was the primary challenge. This required meticulous information design to avoid overwhelming users while maintaining necessary detail for approvers.

The Criticality of Stakeholder Alignment

Managing conflicting needs from different organizational levels was crucial. Early and continuous stakeholder engagement was the key to creating a solution that balanced efficiency with control.

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