Turning Internal Workflow Friction Into Clearer Systems

UX Research & Workflow Design Case Study

problem statement

Equifax needed a clearer way for internal teams to submit, prioritize, track, and manage page design update requests. The existing workflow created friction around intake, status visibility, handoffs, and communication between stakeholders, UX leadership, and delivery teams.

Objectives

  • Understand how internal page design requests were submitted and managed
  • Identify where request intake, prioritization, and handoffs created confusion
  • Improve visibility into request status and ownership
  • Create a clearer workflow for stakeholders and internal teams
  • Support a more consistent process for managing design updates

Goals

  • Make it easier for stakeholders to submit update requests
  • Help teams understand request priority and current status
  • Reduce ambiguity around ownership and next steps
  • Improve communication between UX leadership and internal teams
  • Create a more organized internal workflow for design-related requests

my process

From Workflow Friction to Operational Clarity

Map the Request Flow

I helped examine how page design update requests moved from submission to review, prioritization, handoff, and completion.

Identify Visibility Gaps

I looked at where stakeholders and internal teams lacked clarity around request status, ownership, priority, or next steps.

Shape the Interface Structure

I supported UX and workflow decisions that made intake, tracking, prioritization, and handoff information easier to understand and manage.

Primary Product Users

The primary users were internal stakeholders submitting page design update requests and the UX or operational teams responsible for reviewing, prioritizing, and managing those requests.


Stakeholders needed a simple way to submit requests and understand what was happening next. Internal teams needed enough structure to evaluate priority, track status, manage handoffs, and avoid losing context.



The experience had to work for both sides: the people asking for updates and the people responsible for moving those updates through the system.

Qualitative Research & Ideation

We reviewed internal workflow needs, request patterns, stakeholder communication gaps, and UX leadership requirements to understand how the ticketing system could create more clarity.

Key Observations

  1. Internal request workflows can break down when intake is too loose or inconsistent.
  2. Stakeholders need visibility into request status without constantly asking for updates.
  3. UX and delivery teams need clear priority signals to manage competing requests.
  4. Handoffs become harder when important context is scattered or incomplete.
  5. A ticketing system is only useful if it reflects how teams actually work.

Inferences

  1. The request flow needed more structure at the point of intake.
  2. Status visibility would reduce unnecessary follow-up and confusion.
  3. Priority and ownership needed to be easy to scan.
  4. The interface needed to support both operational tracking and stakeholder clarity.
  5. A better workflow would improve communication, not just task management.

research findings

Defining User Needs

Clear Request Intake

Users needed a structured way to submit page design update requests with the right context included upfront.

Status Visibility

Stakeholders needed to see whether a request was submitted, under review, in progress, blocked, or completed.

Prioritization Clarity

Internal teams needed a way to understand urgency, impact, and sequencing across multiple requests.

Handoff Confidence

Teams needed cleaner handoff details so work could move forward without losing important context.

Recommendations Turned Into Product Decisions

To support the workflow findings, the system was structured around request clarity, prioritization, visibility, and handoff consistency.

Structured Intake

Request submission was organized around the information teams needed to evaluate and act on the request.

Priority Indicators

The workflow included priority signals to help teams understand urgency and manage competing work.

Status Tracking

Requests were given clear status states so stakeholders and teams could understand progress at a glance.

Ownership Visibility

The system made it easier to see who was responsible for the next step.

Handoff Details

Request information was organized to support smoother transitions between UX, internal teams, and implementation.

Operational Consistency

The interface helped standardize how page design updates were submitted, reviewed, and managed.

outcome

The work helped turn a scattered internal request process into a clearer, more manageable workflow.

By improving intake structure, prioritization, status visibility, and handoff clarity, the system made it easier for stakeholders to submit requests and easier for internal teams to manage them.

The project supported better interface clarity, operational consistency, and cross-functional communication inside a large enterprise environment.



The biggest value was not just the screen design. It was creating a workflow that helped people understand what was happening, who owned the next step, and how work moved forward.

Let’s talk about your project

Fill in the form or call to set up a meeting at  (315) 530-5269 or email me at gregorylifanov@gmail.com