Grant Kennedy
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UX ResearchUI DesignPrototypingUsability Testing

Deposco Automations

Turning a consultant-only rules engine into a tool customers can use themselves.

Role

Lead Product Designer

Timeline

Deposco · Enterprise SaaS

Platform

Web Application

Tools

Figma, Maze, Miro

The Problem

Deposco's “Business Rules” automation engine was so complex that only internal consultants with deep technical knowledge could create or manage rules.

The Solution

A user-friendly front-end — drag-and-drop, dropdowns, and clear rule presentation — that lets customers build and edit their own automation logic.

The Impact

Enthusiastic user approval in research and post-release, with widespread adoption within months.

Context & The Business Problem

From consultant-only to self-serve

This project transformed Deposco's complex “Business Rules” feature into an intuitive automation tool. Previously the system was so complex it required internal consultants with deep technical knowledge to create and manage rules. The goal was to empower customers to harness this critical feature on their own — improving order fulfillment efficiency and accuracy.

Business Goal

Reduce reliance on internal consultants and support, letting customers operate a critical feature themselves — improving fulfillment efficiency and accuracy.

User Goal

Create and edit automation rules on my own, without deep technical knowledge or waiting on support.

Objectives

  • Create a usable front-end for customers to use the “Business Rules” feature.
  • Simplify complex configurations into UI components users understand without technical knowledge.
  • Let users quickly scan and comprehend automation processes.
  • Enable efficient rule creation and editing without support intervention.

Discovery & Definition

Research, interviews, and a competitive teardown

We began by thoroughly researching the existing “Business Rules” feature to understand its capabilities and limitations — critical, since we were upgrading an existing, mission-critical feature. We interviewed users to understand the target persona and their pain points, and studied how tools like Zapier, Airtable, Notion, JIRA, and Make approach rules and automation interfaces.

Synthesizing research, patterns, and early concepts.

Ideation

Cross-functional UX workshops

I facilitated workshops with Design, Product Management, and Development. Using brainstorming, assumption worksheets, scenario mapping, collaborative sketching, and storyboarding, we built a shared understanding of the problem and generated ideas together — getting engineering perspective on feasibility early.

Workshop artifacts and early rule-builder concepts.

Prototyping & Testing

Wireframes, prototypes, and rounds of testing

From research and workshops, I built wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes that followed established software patterns and Deposco's Design System for familiarity. Multiple rounds of user testing — synchronous Zoom sessions and asynchronous Maze studies — informed the high-fidelity prototypes and the refinements that followed.

The rule builder — conditions and actions expressed as readable UI.

Engineering Collaboration

Building it with developers

Throughout development I worked closely with engineers to bring the vision to life, adjusting for technical limitations and changing business needs. We kept research going in parallel — both virtually and on-site with customers — to make sure the product kept meeting real user needs.

Results & Reflection

Outcome

We condensed deeply complex functionality into an intuitive UI — drag-and-drop, dropdowns, and radio buttons — that lets customers create and edit business logic independently. The response was enthusiastic in research and after release, and the feature saw widespread adoption within months.

Achievements

  • Delivered a front-end that enables independent rule creation and editing.
  • Condensed complex functionality into an intuitive UI with drag-and-drop, dropdowns, and radio buttons.
  • Earned enthusiastic approval from end-users during research and post-release.
  • Achieved widespread adoption within the customer base within months of release.