PROJECT:
FIGMA HACKATHON
ROLE:
PRODUCT DESIGNER
DATE:
NOV. 2024
LOCATION:
ANN ARBOR, MI
Figma Hackathon
overview.
This project was part of a one-day, Figma-sponsored design jam where my team of four was tasked with addressing a warehouse operations prompt.
The warehouse processed hundreds of e-commerce orders each hour, with demand spiking midday and in the evening. Communication was often fragmented, order priorities were difficult to manage, and overlapping roles created recurring bottlenecks. The challenge was to design a flexible, real-time system that could connect these roles, improve demand planning, and keep operations running smoothly.
challenges.
Three primary pain points were identified.
1) Staff struggled to quickly distinguish expedited, normal, and canceled orders.
2) Fragmented updates between pickers, packers, and shippers frequently caused misalignment.
3) Peak hours generated up to 50% more orders, overwhelming existing workflows.
results.
3 developed screens.
1) Overview Page - Optimized for warehouse tablets with a sidebar for quick navigation. Workers could view their own dashboard while also tracking the progress of other orders. A built-in direct messaging feature streamlined communication, and a calendar view highlighted upcoming events and deadlines.
2) My Tasks Page - Tasks were grouped by status and color coded for instant prioritization. Order cards displayed key details upfront, reducing communication gaps, while real-time updates helped manage peak demand and flag overdue orders. Expedited and critical tasks stood out through clear visual hierarchy.
3) Picker/Packer/Shipper Dashboard - A real-time dashboard gave workers shared visibility into order progress. Color coding made bottlenecks easy to spot, user-specific assignments improved accountability, and centralized tracking replaced fragmented updates.
prototype.
takeaways.
I led my team in the Figma hackathon by shaping the overall design vision, building the component library, and guiding quick brainstorming and iteration. Through this experience, I learned how to lead under pressure and gained valuable practice pitching to a panel of judges in a high-stress setting.
