Enterprise Design
Designing order management and shipment tracking tools for one of North America's largest rail freight companies
Role
UX Designer
🏆 2× Client Recognition for Top Performance
Duration
3 Years
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Tools
Sketch, Abstract, Figma
Over three years, I worked as a UX designer on a suite of digital tools for a major North American rail freight company. The client's eBusiness portal and mobile apps serve thousands of shippers who manage carload and intermodal shipments across an extensive rail network spanning Canada and the United States.
I contributed to two major product verticals - Order Creation & Management and Shipment Tracking - while also doing minor work on a Vehicle Telematics Dashboard for fleet operations.
Major Vertical
Designed flows for creating, editing, and managing carload and intermodal shipping orders across web and mobile platforms.
Major Vertical
Real-time tracking with map views, search and filter capabilities, and the ability to share shipment information across teams.
Minor Contribution
Dashboard for fleet operations showing vehicle locations, status, and performance metrics.
The order management system allows shippers to create and manage shipping orders for both carload (full railcar) and intermodal (container) shipments. Users can order equipment, input required documentation, and manage their shipments through a unified interface.
Complex form flows: Order creation required filling out extensive forms with equipment details, routing information, commodity codes, and regulatory documentation - often spanning multiple steps.
Multiple user types: Both experienced logistics professionals and occasional shippers needed to use the same system, requiring a balance of efficiency and guidance.
Progressive Form Design
Broke complex forms into logical sections with collapsible accordions. First section opens by default; completed sections show a summary in the collapsed state for quick reference.
Smart Defaults & Templates
Enabled users to save frequently-used configurations as templates, reducing repetitive data entry for regular shipments.
Inline Validation
Real-time field validation with clear error messaging, preventing form submission failures and reducing back-and-forth corrections.
Responsive Tables
For managing multiple containers or references, designed tabular interfaces that work across desktop and mobile with appropriate progressive disclosure.
Simplified representation of the order creation flow
The shipment tracking tool provides real-time visibility into the movement of shipments across the rail network. Available on both the eBusiness web portal and mobile apps (iOS & Android) , it lets shippers follow their cargo anytime, anywhere.
Visual representation of shipment locations on an interactive map, showing current position, route, and estimated arrival times.
Powerful search capabilities to locate shipments by reference number, origin, destination, status, or date range.
Easy sharing of shipment details with team members or external parties, with export options for reporting.
Configurable alerts for shipment milestones, delays, or exceptions to keep stakeholders informed proactively.
A significant part of my work was designing the mobile experience. The app puts real-time tracking information in the palm of shippers' hands, allowing them to monitor shipments on the go. Key considerations included:
Touch-Optimized
Large tap targets and swipe gestures
Quick Access
Recent shipments and favorites
Push Notifications
Real-time status updates
Minor Contribution
I provided design support for a telematics dashboard used by fleet operations teams to monitor vehicle locations, status, and performance metrics. My contribution was limited compared to the order and tracking verticals, primarily focusing on data visualization patterns and dashboard layout consistency.
Rail logistics systems have accumulated decades of business logic. Understanding existing workflows before proposing changes was critical - what looks like a quirk often exists for a regulatory or operational reason.
Designing for web, iOS, and Android simultaneously required establishing a coherent design language while respecting platform conventions. Sketch and Figma libraries helped maintain consistency across the team.
With multiple designers, developers, and product managers, Abstract became essential for version control and design reviews. Clear handoff documentation prevented implementation discrepancies.
Enterprise projects involve many stakeholders with different priorities. Learning to navigate organizational dynamics and advocate for user needs within business constraints was a valuable skill.