Designed a centralized dashboard that seamlessly integrates Microsoft’s productivity tools, offering users a clear, comprehensive view of everything they need in one place.
Role
Industry
Duration
Outcome
A centralized, intuitive platform that empower users to do more than just work — to achieve beyond.
Impact
01 Streamline Workflow -> Users spend less time searching for information and more time taking action.
02 Enhanced Productivity → A single, unified space reduces friction and improves focus.
03 Better Work-Life Balance → Organizing everything in one place allows users to manage both work and personal tasks effortlessly.
A sneak peak of the final outcome….
Background
I started this project out of pure curiosity—I love spotting inefficiencies and finding smarter solutions. While navigating different productivity tools in the workplace, yet I kept seeing the same problem: too much friction, too little flow. Instead of accepting it, I asked—what if there was a better way?
About Microsoft
From my experience, I deeply felt Microsoft deep core on powering productivity. But as its ecosystem grows, so does its complexity. This project reimagines the Microsoft experience—simplifying workflows, reducing friction, and empowering users to achieve more, beyond just work.
Realization #1
Every morning, work felt like a heavy weight. Even before opening my laptop, I already felt drained just thinking about everything I had to catch up on.
Realization #2
Emails, messages, tasks—I’d spend that time just figuring out where to start, instead of actually getting things done.
Realization #3
By the time I was “ready,” my screen was a mess. Tabs everywhere, apps all over the place—it felt like I was working harder just to stay organized.
Understanding
The Problem: I keep switching tabs.
Constant app-switching just to get simple tasks done: Meetings in Teams, files in OneDrive, tasks in Planner—everything felt disjointed, slowing down productivity instead of enhancing it.
I saw an opportunity. What if there was a centralized dashboard that brought everything together seamlessly? A space where users could stay organized, focused, and in control—without the friction?
Research
What's working? What's broken?
Starting this project, I broke things down through a SWOT analysis to pinpoint the gaps—where integration could be tighter, workflows smoother, and user control stronger. Seeing both the big picture and the details helped shape a solution that works with users, not against them.
Research
Competitive analysis
To further understand and frame the problem, I explored two other productivity platforms, analyzing the overlaps and differences in the experiences they offered. Using nine key metrics identified through our SWOT analysis, I worked with three design peers to evaluate each platform—breaking down what worked, what didn’t, and the rationale behind every metric.
Interview
Discussion with Microsoft Teams Users
Microsoft users often face an overwhelming number of features and tools, making it difficult to find what’s most relevant to their needs. This disconnect can lead to confusion and underutilization of Microsoft’s capabilities, limiting the user experience.
Understanding Users
Microsoft's users are often driven by productivity, efficiency, and seamless integration in their work.
Microsoft’s core audience—tech-savvy professionals and corporate employees—rely on its tools to achieve reliable, innovative, and integrated solutions that streamline both work and personal tasks.
2025 Trends: redefining how we collaborate, stay productive, and maintain a healthy workplace culture.
As we move towards 2025, workplace dynamics continue to evolve. Microsoft Teams supports this transformation by enabling flexible remote work environments, promoting employee well-being through work-life balance features, and driving efficiency with AI, automation, and data analytics.
Testing & Insights
Efficiency audit: 1 week
Conducted a usability test where users performed their morning tasks while sharing their screens with me. Tasks included but were not limited to:
Navigating through emails and notifications
Organizing their to-do list
The goal is to:
Identify pain points that slow users down in their morning workflow
Understand how users prioritize and manage tasks across multiple Microsoft tools
Find opportunities to streamline and reduce cognitive load
Metrics:
Time spent on organizing tasks before starting actual work
Number of context switches between apps/tools
User frustration level based on qualitative feedback
Task completion rate within a set timeframe
User 1
User 2
Felicia Sugiarta / Moderator
User 3
User 4
Illustrative purposes only, protecting the faces and identities of the interviewees
A typical user journey during their morning workflow
Every morning, users open their laptops to a flood of notifications, emails, and updates across multiple tools. Instead of getting to work, they waste time catching up—draining both productivity and mental energy.
Insights
Bottlenecks in the current user experience
Every morning, users open their laptops to a flood of notifications, emails, and updates across multiple tools. Instead of getting to work, they waste time catching up—draining both productivity and mental energy.
"By the time I get through emails, chat updates, and my calendar, I already feel behind. It’s like I need a system just to manage the system." — Sam, Software Engineer
Areas of Improvement:
Ideation
Prioritizing
Microsoft users often face an overwhelming number of features and tools, making it difficult to find what’s most relevant to their needs. This disconnect can lead to confusion and underutilization of Microsoft’s capabilities, limiting the user experience.
Wireframe
Unlocking the benefit of Bento layout design
Inspired by Japanese bento boxes, the bento grid provides a structured and elegant way to organize content. This layout trend, often seen in SaaS dashboards and websites, simplifies navigation, showcases product features clearly, and enhances user experience by making information easy to digest.
Wireframing: Experimental
Testing & Validation
Usability testing: Moderated think-aloud protocol
Methodology:
Recruited users who participated in the initial audit.
Introduced refinements such as reduced notifications, a consolidated task view, and fewer app switches.
Measured time savings, ease of task management, and user satisfaction.
Key Metrics:
Time Reduction → How much faster users completed their morning setup.
Context Switching → Fewer app changes = better focus.
User Satisfaction → Qualitative feedback on stress and efficiency.
Final Design Decision
No more clutter, no more friction — just seamless productivity and intuitive collaboration.
Design Decisions #1
Stay Informed at a Glance
We created widgets that show real-time updates, like news, notifications, or calendar events, so users can quickly see what’s important without jumping between apps.
Design Decisions #2
Start Your Day Stress-Free with Microsoft Widgethub
Widgets are designed to prioritize key updates, helping users avoid feeling overwhelmed first thing in the morning and start their day with confidence.
Design Decisions #3
Effortless Company-Wide Announcements
We created an easy-to-use feature for sharing company-wide updates, making it effortless for admins to manage and exciting for users to stay informed.
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