Work

Analyzing to conceptualize

I took all the notes from the discovery phase and mapped the information architecture. I identified four main sections that would structure the entire application:

• Order Placement - The core workflow for taking customer orders, including product search, shopping cart, and checkout
• Relationship Management - (designed for Phase 2)Tools for managing customer information, interaction history, and account details
• Product Promotion - (designed for Phase 3)Tools for managing customer information, interaction history, and account details
• Reporting & Analysis - Sales performance metrics, payout reports, and customer insights

We created detailed user journey maps for several Territory Manager personas, walking through scenarios like "visit to customer," "reorder from an existing customer," and "placing order for customer." These journeys revealed the connections between sections and helped us determine the navigation patterns.

Prototyping

We built an interactive prototype using our refined wire-frames. It wasn't a fully functional app but it demonstrated how the different sections would flow. We brought the Territory Managers back for hands-on usability testing instead of showing them static screens.

Since it wasn't fully functionally, we provided them with tasks to complete. Watching them interact with the prototype revealed additional refinements we needed:

Solution

The M-Sales App delivered measurable business impact immediately after launch:

• More Customer Visits Per Day compared to the paper-and-pencil process.
• 60% Increase in Territory Manager Sales by eliminating time wasted on phone calls to inside sales reps.
• Improved Order Accuracy Real-time inventory data prevented orders for out-of-stock items.
• Increased Professionalism & Confidence Territory Managers could answer questions immediately, show product information on the spot, and process orders efficiently.
• Positive Customer Feedback Relationships with customers strengthened.

Key Takeaways

This project reinforced several principles that continue to guide my design work:

• When possible, involve users as partners, not just test subjects. By involving Territory Managers from day one, participating in feature prioritization, providing feedback on wire-frames and testing prototypes, we created genuine buy-in and ensured we were solving real problems.
• Design based on behavior, not assumptions. Role-playing exercises and hands-on prototype testing revealed needs we never would have discovered through interviews alone. Watching how people actually work, rather than asking them to describe it, uncovered the insights that shaped our design decisions.
• Stay flexible when constraints change. The iOS-to-Android pivot could have derailed the project. Instead, we adapted quickly, and delivered an even better solution. Flexibility is sometimes as important as design skills.

What I'd Do Differently

If I were to approach this project again, I would:

• Conduct field observations. While our role-playing exercises were valuable, I would have shadowed Territory Managers in actual customer visits before beginning design work. Seeing the real environment, the lighting conditions, in store product locations, and customer dynamics would have informed even better decisions.
• Built a true design system. We created components as needed, which worked for Phase 1. A more comprehensive system would have scaled better to the unbuilt phases.

Conclusion

The M-Sales App delivered what mattered most:

• Territory Managers increased their sales
• Visited more customers daily
• Boosted their confidence and professionalism

We focused on solving their real pain points, which included lack of access to pricing data, no inventory visibility, and time wasted on phone calls. We created a tool that generated measurable business value for Europa Sports. When you truly understand user problems and build solutions that address them directly, the impact shows up in the metrics and happier Territory Managers.