Overview

Zenda is a B2B enterprise platform that helps organizations understand how work actually gets done inside complex operations — not just how it is documented. The platform breaks work down into events, activities, and resources (people, tools, data, policies), making it possible to compare what a process is supposed to look like with how it is really executed on the ground. In this project, I designed a signal-based system that helps process owners quickly spot hidden cost issues and misalignments, turning complex operational data into clear, trustworthy signals while keeping decision-making firmly in human hands.

Design Process

1. Gather Requirements
2. Help Define Scope
3. Desk Research
4. Define Look & Feel
5. High Fidelity Mockups
6. Review & Iterate

Problem Statement

Process owners and operational leaders were responsible for managing complex, evolving processes, but lacked timely and reliable ways to understand how those processes were behaving day to day.

Users

Two primary roles used the platform with distinct goals and pain points.

Scope

Researching Existing Systems

I conducted extensive research to understand different signalling systems in the real world. I decoded what information they were trying to communicate through each pattern, color, or shape selected. Exploration included various systems like Heraldry, Nautical Flags, Japanese Mon, and more.

Design Decisions

Through desk research, I identified several recurring design principles used across different signalling systems. Based on these common patterns and similarities, I derived the core role signals should play within the product experience.

• Noticeable, not noisy — Signals appeared only when meaningful thresholds or anomalies were detected, ensuring attention was drawn to exceptions rather than normal behavior.
• Simple by default — Signals used minimal visual attributes (single color and simple iconography) so they could be understood at a glance.
• One signal, one meaning — Each signal mapped to a single underlying condition, avoiding overloaded or compound indicators.
• Human-in-the-loop — Signals surfaced insights without prescribing actions, allowing users to explore context and make informed decisions.
• Scalable by design — Signals were implemented as a consistent overlay on the process map, enabling new signals to scale without altering the core layout.

Various Zoom Heights

After deciding on different types of signals and how should they look and feel, I decided on making different versions of how would they look in different zoom heights and in different modes.

Corresponding Side Panel

Each signal node opens a side panel with contextual detail. Color plays a key role in distinguishing signal types at a glance.

Final Design Assets

Here is a snippet of certain new components that were designed, keeping in mind different modes and the internal design library at Zenda.

Final Design

The final signal system was built as a consistent overlay on the process map, with two distinct signal types — smart signals and operational drift — each with their own visual language and side panel experience.

Impact

• Shipped a net-new signaling system from concept to production in approximately 6 sprints.
• The feature was later highlighted on the Zenda website, reflecting its strategic importance to the product offering.
• Became a key differentiator in sales demos, helping simplify complex process insights.
• The signaling framework established a reusable pattern that enabled future insights to be added without redesigning the core experience.
• Achieved 62% adoption across enterprise teams within the first quarter of release.