As the designer on this project, I reimagined a core assessment flow to reduce confusion, support dynamic logic, and create a more scalable experience.
Overview
Highwire is a construction SaaS platform used by large clients like Google, Intel, and Harvard to manage risk on multimillion-dollar projects.
One of Highwire’s core services is helping clients vet contractors through detailed “assessments.” Clients may invite hundreds of contractors at a time, and each must submit key safety and compliance information through our system.
This Dynamic Assessment experience is the primary interface those contractors interact with.
Role
UX Designer
Team
PM, Design, and Stakeholders
Timeline
3 months
The Problem
- The UI used tabbed navigation, which scattered questions across multiple sections.
- Fields were buried deep within subtabs, making them easy to miss.
- Support received frequent calls asking, “What am I missing?”
This led to incomplete submissions, contractor frustration, and client dissatisfaction with the quality of the data.
Each tab might have 20+ questions and missing fields were easily overlooked
Research & Discovery
To understand where contractors struggled we:
- Reviewed the existing UX flow.
- Discussed contractor feedback.
- Evaluated how to not overwhelm contractors with too many questions.
Our key insight: the existing tab UI simply didn’t scale to support long, complex assessments without confusion.
Goals
Complex → Simple
One question at a time with a linear flow
Static → Dynamic
Questions can be injected based on answers
Confusing → Clear
Contractors should know what is required
Design
Entry Point
A single “Complete Assessments” button on the contractor homepage. Visual indicators of completion and awards.
Step-by-Step Flow
One question per panel
Dynamic Question Injection
Questions can be injected based on answers
Encouraging Completion & Chunking Information
Progress bars and visual indicators of completion
Upsell Opportunities
Prompts to connect with clients and increase revenue
Admin UX for logic configuration
From Prototype to Launch
- Built interactive Figma flows to validate structure and logic
- Collaborated closely with PMs and engineers to scope and ship MVP
- Participated in design QA during dev implementation:
- Ensured grouping and hierarchy matched design.
- Communicated regularly with executives for buy-in.
Outcomes
- Launched a new, simpler contractor assessment experience
- Cut down support calls about “missing” fields
- Increased overall completion rates
Takeaways
- Simplification pays off: Flattening the flow drastically improved usability.
- Clear entry points matter: The single “Complete My Assessments” button reduced confusion.
- Design for scale: Planning for dynamic questions up front avoided technical debt.
- Collaboration is key: Close PM alignment was essential to manage scope and priorities.
- User empathy: We had to constantly think about the contractor experience—they were often not tech-savvy and under time pressure.