Redesigning a legacy platform to reduce friction

Company name: Rota Soluções

B2B fleet management platform

context

Rota Soluções is a B2B platform used by companies to manage their vehicle fleets. The primary users were fleet administrators, responsible for monitoring vehicles, accessing operational data, and supporting decision-making for logistics and management teams.

When I joined the project, the platform already existed and was considered a legacy system. Despite offering a wide range of features, it suffered from poor usability, slow performance, and an interface that made everyday tasks unnecessarily difficult.

I worked as the sole Product Designer, responsible for restructuring the system with a strong focus on usability, clarity, and cleaner design, while collaborating closely with product leadership and stakeholders.

the problem

Although the platform was functionally complete, its complexity was poorly communicated through the interface.

As a result:

• users spent excessive time completing routine tasks

• critical information was hard to find or interpret

• frustration affected both users and internal teams

The core issue was not the lack of features, but the way complex information and business rules were presented, making decision-making harder instead of easier.

discovery and listening

To better understand the problem, I worked closely with:

• fleet administrators (end users)

• the product director

• internal stakeholders

The discovery process included:

• user interviews

• analysis of usage data through Google Analytics

• ongoing conversations with stakeholders

One key insight emerged early:

despite initial assumptions, the system already had the necessary functionality. The main source of frustration was how information was structured and exposed, not what the system could do.

This insight shifted the focus from adding features to simplifying flows and improving clarity.

structuring the complexity

The platform involved:

• dense operational information

• complex business rules

• bureaucratic processes

• multiple stakeholder perspectives

To organize this complexity, I:

• created personas to support both design decisions and internal alignment

• mapped usage flows to understand how users navigated the system

• used wireframes as discussion tools with stakeholders

• conducted usability testing to validate assumptions and iterations

This process made it clear that the main challenge was presenting a high volume of critical information in a way that felt manageable and intuitive, despite technical and business constraints.

decisions and trade-offs

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was driving alignment around the need for change.

Stakeholders were initially resistant, given the system’s legacy nature and existing workflows. To support decision-making, I relied on:

• user interview insights

• market benchmarking

• mediation through data-driven conversations

Balancing business expectations with user needs required prioritizing simplification, even when it meant revisiting long-standing patterns.

outcomes and impact

After the redesign:

• usability improved significantly

• platform usage increased noticeably

• users reported that the new interface supported clearer and more confident decision-making

Feedback from research indicated that simplifying flows and information directly reduced friction and improved the overall experience.

learnings

This project reinforced the importance of simplifying complex information without oversimplifying the problem.

I learned that, especially in legacy systems, design impact often comes from clarity, structure, and the courage to challenge existing assumptions — supported by user evidence and careful stakeholder alignment.