A tablet displaying a business analytics dashboard with a mountain landscape background, charts, and data panels.

Challenge

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) relies on its Data Pipeline software to collect, validate, and manage student, staff, and district data from across the state. However, the original web application was built for compliance, not usability. Users—ranging from district data managers to school administrators—struggled with a fragmented, technical interface that lacked visual clarity and guidance. Data submission errors were common, and navigating validation reports was both time-consuming and frustrating.

CDE needed a redesigned interface that improved user experience without compromising the system’s complexity or regulatory rigor.

Approach

As the lead UI/UX designer on the project, I worked with cross-functional teams including state stakeholders, developers, data specialists, and project managers to deliver a modern, intuitive experience that served both technical and non-technical users.

Discovery & Research

I started by interviewing a diverse group of users from various school districts—urban and rural—to understand how they interacted with the system. Research activities included:

  • User interviews with district and school data managers

  • Journey mapping of the data upload, validation, and submission processes

  • Heuristic evaluations of the existing system’s UI and architecture

Recurring themes emerged:

  • Users felt overwhelmed by technical language and inconsistent navigation

  • Critical actions (like resolving data errors) were buried or non-obvious

  • Users had to rely on external documentation and help desks for even routine tasks

Design & Prototyping

Our goal was to simplify the workflow while improving clarity and accessibility.

I led the design of wireframes and interactive prototypes that addressed the top pain points. Key features included:

  • Streamlined upload and validation workflows that guided users step-by-step

  • Contextual error resolution tools that explained issues in plain language and provided direct links to fix them

  • Role-specific dashboards tailored for different user types, surfacing relevant deadlines, alerts, and next steps

  • WCAG-compliant color palettes and type scaling to ensure accessibility across all devices and user needs

I facilitated usability testing sessions with end users from multiple districts. Based on feedback, I iterated quickly—simplifying terminology, improving iconography, and clarifying the order of actions in the workflow.

Collaboration & Handoff

Throughout the project, I maintained close alignment with the development team, providing annotated design specs, component libraries, and responsive UI guidance to ensure consistent implementation across environments.

Results

The redesigned Data Pipeline interface resulted in measurable improvements:

  • Reduced data submission time by 35% due to improved workflow clarity

  • Error resolution rate improved by 50%, as users could now identify and resolve issues directly within the app

  • Positive user feedback from district staff who described the new interface as “more approachable,” “much easier to navigate,” and “a huge step forward in helping us do our jobs faster”

The redesign not only enhanced the day-to-day usability of the system but also improved the perception of the CDE’s digital tools among school districts statewide.