Lucas Paraizo

Event Workflow

A new way of processing corporate actions events

As the sole designer, I overhauled the Event Workflow, addressing inefficiencies through Smartstream's first user testing with six clients. I delivered high-fidelity prototypes, iterated on feedback, and saved £50,000 in development costs by refining the design early.

Problem Statement

Smartstream's Corporate Actions event workflow suffered from inefficiencies, including cumbersome side-scrolling grids, unclear statuses, and repetitive filtering. This frustrated operators and managers and increased operational costs. As the sole designer, my goal was to streamline usability and workflow efficiency while minimising disruption to established processes.

Challenge Identified: Navigating Complex Data

Users struggled with overwhelming grid navigation and poor event visibility, leading to slower productivity. These issues emerged as critical barriers that required a user-centred redesign.

Approach: Research-Driven Solutions

I led Smartstream's first structured user research, interviewing and testing with six clients to validate assumptions and identify real pain points.

Key Insights: What Users Needed

Insights that shaped the design direction:

• Users prioritised fast access to event status over advanced search.
• Hierarchical navigation was preferred over flat grids.
• Pre-filtered workflows reduced friction more than complex customisation.
• Manual comments for tracking status were rarely used due to time friction.

My Pivot: Enhancing Navigation and Clarity

Based on research, I made several key shifts:

• Replaced side-scrolling with a hierarchical waterfall grid.
• Unified navigation and status into a single sidebar.
• Simplified the event banner to reduce cognitive load.
• Introduced AI-driven comment suggestions to support collaboration.

Solution Implemented: Intuitive Redesign

Using insights from client interviews, I created the first version of the redesigned workflow and tested it with six clients. Iterating on their feedback early resulted in £50,000 in development cost savings.

Final Design

After testing, I implemented the following improvements:

• Unified navigation and status by combining top tabs with the sidebar.
• Standardised grid rows with consistent sizing and colour usage.
• Simplified banners and added key widgets for managers.
• Added row-level summaries to surface accounts and balances early.
• Displayed active filter tags to reflect sidebar selections.

Outcomes

The redesign replaced fragmented patterns with a clear, scalable workflow:

• Event banner delivers immediate visibility of deadlines and statuses.
• Lifecycle tabs enable effortless progress tracking.
• Sidebar navigation centralises filtering with active state clarity.
• Waterfall grid presents complex data in a structured, expandable hierarchy.

The final solution reduced workflow friction, improved operator efficiency, enhanced manager oversight, and was validated through user testing. It saved £50,000 and established a stronger foundation for future workflow improvements.