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TaskFlow: Reducing Cognitive Load in Enterprise Project Management

The Challenge

TaskFlow is a powerful project management tool used by enterprise teams. However, power users were reporting "dashboard fatigue." The interface was cluttered with data, making it difficult to answer the simple question: "What do I need to do today?"

My Role: Lead Product Designer (End-to-End)

[Before & After: Dashboard UI Comparison]

Discovery & User Thinking

I started by conducting "over-the-shoulder" observation sessions with 8 project managers. I noticed a pattern: users were opening 5+ tabs just to cross-reference task statuses.

"I spend more time managing the tool than managing my project." — Senior PM, FinTech Client

Key Insight: The problem wasn't a lack of features, but a lack of context. Data was siloed in different views (Gantt, Kanban, List).

UX Strategy: Contextual Density

My design strategy focused on Progressive Disclosure. I redesigned the Information Architecture to surface critical data first, allowing users to drill down only when necessary.

Unified View: Created a "Master Table" that combined status, assignee, and timeline in one view.
Smart Filters: Introduced natural language filtering (e.g., "Show me high priority tasks due this week").
Focus Mode: A toggle that hides navigation and sidebars for deep work sessions.

[Wireframes: Information Architecture & Navigation]

UI Execution & Data Visualization

Designing for data density is tricky. I used a strict 4px grid system and subtle color coding to create hierarchy without overwhelming the eye.

The "Health" Indicator

Instead of just showing dates, I introduced a computed "Health" metric (On Track, At Risk, Delayed) visualized by a simple traffic light system. This reduced the cognitive load of calculating delays manually.

[High Fidelity: Data Table & Health Indicators]

Accessibility (A11y)

Enterprise tools must be accessible. I ensured the new design was WCAG 2.1 AA compliant:

Keyboard Navigation: Implemented `J` and `K` shortcuts for traversing rows, similar to Gmail.
Screen Readers: Ensured all data tables had proper `scope` attributes and ARIA labels.
Color Independence: Statuses rely on both color AND icons (e.g., a warning triangle for "At Risk") so colorblind users aren't left out.

Impact

Post-launch analytics (Mixpanel) revealed:

25% Increase in Daily Active Users (DAU) for the new Dashboard.
15% Reduction in time-to-task completion.
NPS Score rose from 32 to 48 within 3 months.