Legacy App Redesign
I led the redesign of Estée Lauder’s Clinical Research Database (CRD) from discovery to designing for implementation.
Role
Lead UI/UX Designer
Timeline
August 2020 - October 2020
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) is a global leader in prestige beauty. They build consumer-beloved brands that manufacture, market, and sell exemplary skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and serve as a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally.
20+ Brands Worldwide
$15.91B Sales 2023
Context
Estēe Lauder’s products are tested on people at their Clinical Research Lab in Melville, New York, to prove product efficacy claims.
The CRD is a critical tool used by their Research & Development team to manage that clinical research data.
Managing and preserving integrity of this clinical research data is crucial for developing and testing new products, ensuring they meet safety and efficacy standards.
The Problem
Estēe Lauder's Clinical Research Database (CRD) was an outdated, unstable desktop application with poor UI and a frustrating user experience, making it challenging for the Research & Development team to carry out their efficacy claim studies and manage critical data efficiently.
Goal
Migrate the CRD to a cloud-based platform, leveraging the Cornerstone Design System to enhance user experience and streamline workflows.
Key Success Metrics
Task Efficiency Improvement
Reduction in time spent on high-frequency tasks (e.g., searching for panelists, scheduling studies).
Data Integrity and Reliability
Accuracy of data handling and reporting
User Satisfaction and Usability
Percentage of users reporting an improved experience.
The CRD Legacy Application
CRD Legacy Landing Screen
CRD Legacy Panelist Screen
CRD Legacy Calendar Screen
Project Constraints
Scope
Functionality
No room for any added functionality.
Timeline
Originally 6 months cut to 3 months
Due to the pandemic, the project completion time was shortened from 6 to 3 months.
Project Challenges
Challenge #1
Unstable Legacy Application
The CRD application would constantly crash due to database and or VPN.
Worked around the best I could with support from Business Analysts and power users.
Challenge #2
No Single Source of Truth
The design system wasn’t being updated correctly so this led to component mismatches. Reached out directly to Solution Architects to confirm component state before handing it off to Engineers.
Challenge #3
Had No Access
No access to the legacy application for almost a month into the project. Worked with BA and other users via Teams to access the application.
Challenge #4
No Project Manager
The BA & I worked together to schedule Sprints and deliverables to ensure we met the project deadline.
Solution
As Lead UX/UI Designer, I drove the end-to-end redesign process, including user research, task analysis, prototyping, usability testing, and design QA.
Collaborating with Business Analysts, Solution Architects, and Engineers, I delivered a user-centered solution that resolved key pain points and significantly improved workflow efficiency.
New CRD Landing Screen
New Panelist Search
New Panelist Search/Profile Detail Screen
Panelists Prototype
Projects Prototype
Contributing to the Design System
The existing Cornerstone Design System had no calendar component built.
I was tasked to design a new calendar component utilizing the Ant Design calendar component that could be utilized in the CRD application and across all future Estēe Lauder R&D applications.
CRD Legacy Calendar
Ant Design Calendar Component
Calendar Prototype
Design Decisions: Dashboard
Advocating for the user under constraints.
Within a "lift and shift" project scope, I identified an opportunity to enhance the dashboard experience. The legacy app dashboard presented a blank screen, while the Cornerstone dashboard screen included only a video. I championed and implemented a role-based dashboard that provided users with relevant, actionable information. This improvement streamlined workflows, resolved key user pain points, and demonstrated the impact of user-centered design within project constraints.
CRD Legacy Dashboard
Cornerstone System Landing Page
Final CRD Dashboard
Design Decisions: Panelists Search Optimization
Enhancing efficiency for users.
During discovery sessions, a recurring frustration was the inability to quickly identify active panelists for studies. The existing panelist search feature lacked functionality to indicate user status, forcing users to manually contact panelists to confirm availability—a highly inefficient process.
Upon discovering that status data was available but unused in the legacy app, I collaborated with developers and solution architects to implement an auto-suggest feature with a stylized status-indicating panel and added a status icon to panelist profiles. This solution drastically reduced search time, improved workflow efficiency, and resolved a critical user pain point.
CRD Legacy Panelist Profile
Final CRD Panelist Profile with Status Indicator
Final CRD Panelist Search with Auto-suggest & Status Indicator
Impact
The redesigned enterprise application empowers the Research & Development team to efficiently manage key workflows, including project creation, study tracking, scheduling, and panelist compensation.
Most critically, it ensures scientists can maintain the integrity of clinical research data, supporting accurate and reliable product efficacy claims.
Productivity Boost
100%
of users report an improved user experience post-redesign.
Data Integrity
95%
accuracy in data handling
and reporting.
Learnings
This project reinforced the importance of adaptability and practical innovation.
Adaptability
With the timeline cut from 6 months to 3 and limited access to the legacy system, I quickly had to adjust my approach. Close collaboration with the Business Analyst and key Power Users became essential to gather insights and move the design forward despite these constraints.
Working across diverse teams, including engineers, architects, and business analysts, I learned to coordinate effectively without a formal project manager. Managing expectations, aligning everyone on tight deadlines, and maintaining clear communication were key to keeping the project on track.
Practical Innovation
The scope left little room for adding new features, so I focused on improving the existing system—balancing innovation with practicality. This meant creating meaningful improvements within a defined set of limitations, finding smart, scalable solutions that addressed the immediate needs while setting the stage for future enhancements.
“Thank you for all the hard work you put in. Having you as part of the team made this project possible.”
—Sandy Pipczynski
Director, Global R&D
Data Integrity, ELC
“Thank you Amanda for all the work you have done. Your hard work and attention to detail is commendable. It was a pleasure working with you.”
—Swati Chatterjee
Business Anaylst, ELC