Operative

OperativeStreamlining Complex Workflows with Intuitive Political Compliance Software

UX Director

2 years

Saas Software

Operative.vote

Hand-off

Learnings

Results

Intro

Operative was designed to transform the political compliance and reporting industry by providing intuitive, precise, and efficient tools, empowering compliance professionals to manage complex data seamlessly.

Team

As Director of Design, I led the end-to-end design strategy and execution, collaborating closely with product management, engineering, and research teams to deliver user-centric solutions informed by deep user insights from some of the most experienced compliance professionals. My role involved managing stakeholder feedback, guiding a team of designers, and setting a high standard for design quality and execution throughout the project.

Goals

Streamline Data Workflows

Design intuitive upload flows and integrated advanced tools—like search, filtering, and tagging—to simplify data management and boost user productivity.

Design Proactive Reporting

Create reporting interfaces that help users identify and resolve compliance issues early, improving accuracy and reducing time spent on preparation.

Unify Financial Reconciliation

Integrate compliance, reporting, and reconciliation into a cohesive experience, minimizing platform switching and improving overall operational efficiency.

Insights

Compliance professionals are passionate and hard working but routinely handle intricate, repetitive tasks, facing challenges due to fragmented solutions or overly complex processes.

Large firms often rely on cumbersome identity-resolution methods, while smaller campaigns struggle without dedicated compliance support. Recognizing this, Operative was designed to simplify complexity, streamline workflows, and enhance accuracy, allowing teams to focus more on their core mission.

deliverables

Comprehensive Wireframes

Developed high-fidelity wireframes for three core MVP modules: Transactions, Reports, and Budgeting.

Design strategy documentation

Created and presented detailed design strategy docs to align stakeholders on visual direction ahead of high-fidelity design.

Scalable Design System

Built a flexible, reusable design system to support rapid iteration and consistent screen development.

Dynamic Flow Documentation

Produced linked flow documentation for all MVP flows, including use cases and clear UX requirements.

High-Fidelity Screens

Delivered 150+ polished, system-connected screens, ensuring consistency and scalability across the platform.

Marketing Landing Page

As a bonus, we partnered with the client on brand strategy and extended their visual identity to design the MVP’s marketing site.

LEarnings

Throughout this project, countless conversations and ideas emerged, highlighting how easily scope could expand without focused communications—if budgets were limitless, our MVP might have grown fivefold.

A key insight I gained over the years is that the most complex systems demand focused, intentional discussions. Equally important is consistently following up with stakeholders, clearly documenting decisions, and setting realistic expectations for deliverables. While I previously hesitated to frequently reiterate timelines and decisions, I've learned that complex projects thrive on clear, proactive communication.

handoff

Our product design handoff documentation bridges the gap between designers and developers, ensuring designs are implemented accurately and efficiently and includes the following key componets:

A Dynamic Design System

Our comprehensive design system is integrated across every screen, providing clearly defined and reusable components along with precise usage guidelines. It includes cohesive color palettes and styles designed with detailed accessibility considerations. Additionally, interactive states—default, hover, active, disabled, and error—are meticulously documented to ensure consistency and clarity throughout the user experience.

Organized, Modular Structure

Create reporting interfaces that help users identify and resolve compliance issues early, improving accuracy and reducing time spent on preparation.

Functional Annotations & Flow Documentation

We provide comprehensive documentation for all MVP user flows, dynamically linked to detailed UX requirements. Each flow includes clear functional annotations, along with insights into user intent ensuring all design decisions are transparent and aligned with project objectives.

Results

By intentionally avoiding extraneous features and focusing on essential workflows, Operative emphasized clarity and efficiency, achieving significant time and resource savings, enabling users to focus more effectively on their primary goals.

NurseGrid

Enhancing User Engagement Through Thoughtful Design

Made for and by Alex Severino™