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CONTENTS

Introduction

Overview

Results & Metrics

Highlights

Context

Challenges

Research / Methods

Designs

Improvements

Improvements

Improvements

Takeaways

Planera

Planera

Construction Management Tool for Global Markets, simplifying complex scheduling tasks with innovative interfaces.

Consumer-focused payment app for the UK market, offering features like peer-to-peer payments, bill-splitting, and in-app rewards. 

Construction Management Tool for Global Markets, simplifying complex scheduling tasks with innovative interfaces.

Marketing Website

Agency Website

Project Overview

Planera is a US-based construction management platform created to bring modern solutions to a traditionally complex industry. Designed as a direct competitor to outdated software like Oracle Primavera P6, Planera enables construction project managers to manage schedules, cost estimates, and resources with ease. With features like critical path analysis, resource loading, and risk simulation, it optimizes project planning for improved accuracy and timely delivery.

Role

Role

UX Designer — Research, Wire-framing, Prototyping, Interaction Design.

UX Designer — Research, Wire-framing, Prototyping, Interaction Design.

Timeline and Status

Timeline and Status

10 months, Live since June 2022

10 months, Live since June 2022

Domain

Domain

Construction Project Management

Construction Project Management

Location

Location

United States

United States

Team

Team

Keith Pereira (UX Lead)

Keith Pereira (UX Lead)

Sarath (Visual Design)

Sarath (Visual Design)

Nitin Bhandari (Client / Project manager)

Nitin Bhandari (Client / Project manager)

Results and Metrics

Results and Metrics

Enabled Funding Rounds

$5.4 million

Raised in seed funding

$13.5 million

Raised in Series A funding

Savings for clients

Millions of dollars

Saved by clients through enhanced accuracy in project estimates and reduced risks.

Highlights

Highlights

Introduction

Glimpse

Context

Context

An industry stuck with outdated UX practices and software.

The construction industry has long relied on outdated project management tools, particularly Oracle Primavera P6, which demands extensive training to use effectively. Most construction project managers face challenges like scheduling delays, high potential for miscommunication, and manual project bid submissions. This often results in costly project errors and frequent in-person meetings, adding to the complexity.

Planera sought to disrupt this approach with a collaborative platform that makes construction scheduling easier for all stakeholders—project managers, team members, and owners—eliminating the need for extensive technical expertise. This shift aimed to save both time and resources while reducing errors across projects.

The construction industry has long relied on outdated project management tools, particularly Oracle Primavera P6, which demands extensive training to use effectively. Most construction project managers face challenges like scheduling delays, high potential for miscommunication, and manual project bid submissions. This often results in costly project errors and frequent in-person meetings, adding to the complexity.

Planera sought to disrupt this approach with a collaborative platform that makes construction scheduling easier for all stakeholders—project managers, team members, and owners—eliminating the need for extensive technical expertise. This shift aimed to save both time and resources while reducing errors across projects.

- Old & Outdated - Difficult to use - Users require training - Less features - No collaboration

- Old & Outdated - Difficult to use - Users require training - Less features - No collaboration

Challenges

Challenges

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Current construction management tools are outdated and limit project efficiency. Planera aims to fill this gap by providing a modern, intuitive platform that supports:
• Seamless Collaboration: Enabling remote, real-time teamwork.
• Simplified Scheduling: Making complex tools accessible to all users.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: Reducing resource bottlenecks and conflicts.

The UK market was still adjusting to digital and QR-based payments, with consumers unfamiliar with open banking as a tool for seamless transactions. Atoa Pay aimed to bring digital payments to a wider audience by leveraging open banking technology for direct, instant transfers. The app’s purpose was to increase the Atoa ecosystem’s appeal by providing customers with a straightforward way to pay at Atoa-supported businesses, while competing with established options like Revolut. Additionally, Atoa Pay sought to address security and trust issues, helping users feel comfortable with a new payment platform in a market accustomed to traditional card and cash payments.

Current construction management tools are outdated and limit project efficiency. Planera aims to fill this gap by providing a modern, intuitive platform that supports:
• Seamless Collaboration: Enabling remote, real-time teamwork.
• Simplified Scheduling: Making complex tools accessible to all users.
• Efficient Resource Allocation: Reducing resource bottlenecks and conflicts.

CHALLENGES AND GOALS

Simplify Scheduling

Make tools like critical path analysis accessible to all users. Make use of modern interfaces to make scheduling more interactive.

Boost Team Collaboration

Integrate real-time tools like white-boarding to support remote teams.

Improve Resource Management

Enable dynamic resource loading and updates.

Modernize UI Practices

Incorporate best practices from leading products for a familiar, seamless experience.

Reduce Project Delays and Risks

Implement risk simulations to proactively address scheduling and budget challenges.

Research / Methods

Research / Methods

Primary research: Interviews and Surveys

Qualitative research by Interviews and surveys with selective industry professionals to understand current software limitations and pain points.

Qualitative research by Interviews and surveys with selective industry professionals to understand current software limitations and pain points.

Secondary Research: Competitive Analysis

Studied interfaces and UX patterns from products like Airtable (for data tables), ClickUp (for Gantt charts), and FigJam (for whiteboarding).

Studied interfaces and UX patterns from products like Airtable (for data tables), ClickUp (for Gantt charts), and FigJam (for whiteboarding).

Figjam

  • Nesting of layers and components

  • Mindmapping & whiteboarding

  • Real-time Collaboration

  • Canvas Interface and Navigation

  • Connectors and their behvaiour

  • Interactive Elements

Clickup

  • Project Management

  • Grouping tasks and linking them to other elements

  • Timeline view

  • Interactive Gantt chart

  • Navigation for project management

  • Nested tasks

Airtable

  • Complex Interactive Table Interface for Data management

  • Multi-conditional filtering

  • Advanced features for columns and cells in spreadsheets like multi-select, single select etc.

  • Hyper customization

Jira

  • Comprehensive task management

  • Task details

  • Reporters and assignees

  • Activity planning and allocations

  • Cross functional team collaborations

  • Attachments and Status

Miro

  • Mind-mapping & white-boarding

  • Real-time Collaboration

  • Canvas Interface and Navigation

  • Connectors and their behavior

  • Interactive Elements

User Flows & Information Architecture

We focused on building a solid foundation for the user experience by developing detailed user flows and information architecture prior to wire-framing. This approach enabled us to align all stakeholders early on and incorporate their feedback through an iterative process.

We focused on building a solid foundation for the user experience by developing detailed user flows and information architecture prior to wire-framing. This approach enabled us to align all stakeholders early on and incorporate their feedback through an iterative process.

Low Fidelity Wireframes

We focused on building a solid foundation for the user experience by developing detailed user flows and information architecture prior to wire-framing. This approach enabled us to align all stakeholders early on and incorporate their feedback through an iterative process.

We focused on building a solid foundation for the user experience by developing detailed user flows and information architecture prior to wire-framing. This approach enabled us to align all stakeholders early on and incorporate their feedback through an iterative process.

Designs

Simplify Scheduling

Make tools like critical path analysis accessible to all users. Make use of modern interfaces to make scheduling more interactive.

Revolutionizing Task Planning and Scheduling

We streamlined the scheduling process by introducing an integrated canvas interface. This new tool allows users to directly visualize and schedule tasks, eliminating the need to switch between multiple tools like Miro and P6.

Task Planning from Mind Map to Schedule

  • Mind Map to Schedule: Mind maps can be directly transformed into detailed schedules.

  • Visual and Tabular Views: Users can visualize tasks in a mind map and then refine them in a tabular format.

  • Detailed Task Information: The tabular view allows for inputting additional details like resource allocation.

  • Accurate Nested Structures: Even complex nested groups of activities are accurately represented in both views.

Interactive Timeline View

  • Timeline View: Provides a traditional Gantt chart view for easy project visualization.

  • Data-Rich Display: Shows relevant data snippets directly on the chart.

  • Split-Screen Editing: Allows for simultaneous editing in both spreadsheet and Gantt chart views.

Critical Path Method

The Critical Path Method helps identify the most critical tasks that directly impact the project timeline. By focusing on the duration of these tasks, users can accelerate project completion. 

Boost Team Collaboration

Integrate real-time tools like white-boarding to support remote teams.

Streamlining project collaboration by providing a centralized platform for:


Real-time collaboration: Multiple users can work on the same project simultaneously.
Asynchronous communication: Comments, replies, and question resolution can happen without real-time meetings.
Efficient task management: Tasks can be assigned, tracked, and updated in real-time.

Inspired by tools like Figjam and Miro, Planera offers a modern approach to project scheduling and collaboration. 

Improve Resource Management

Enable dynamic resource loading and updates.

Integrated Resource Management

Centralized Resource Management: Create and manage resources in a single location, making them accessible across multiple projects.
Real-time Resource Allocation: Add and modify resources directly within the canvas, table, or timeline views, instantly visualizing the impact on the project schedule.
Critical Path Analysis: Understand how resource adjustments affect the critical path and overall project timeline. 

Tailored Work Calendars for Optimal Resource Planning

We simplified resource management by allowing users to define custom working days, non-working days, overtime rules, and holidays. This ensured accurate scheduling and resource allocation, even for complex construction projects.

Modernize UI Practices

Incorporate best practices from leading products for a familiar, seamless experience.

We adopted a modern, intuitive navigation system, inspired by industry leaders like Figma. This streamlined the process of creating teams and inviting collaborators, making project management and collaboration more efficient. 

Design System

Comprehensive Design system and Component Library

Coach marks were instrumental in introducing unfamiliar interfaces to the UK market. They were also helpful during periods of frequent UI changes, especially in the early stages of product launch.

Extensive Guidelines for Canvas Interaction

Coach marks were instrumental in introducing unfamiliar interfaces to the UK market. They were also helpful during periods of frequent UI changes, especially in the early stages of product launch.

Improvements

Improvements

We collaborated with a small, dedicated group of beta testers who provided valuable feedback to iterate quicker.  

We collaborated with a small, dedicated group of beta testers who provided valuable feedback to iterate quicker.  

Reducing Clutter

We've made several UI enhancements based on user feedback from our closed beta to improve navigation and clarity. Unfortunately, due to a lack of proper documentation, I cannot provide only limited examples at this time. 

Takeaways

Takeaways

Adaptability in a Startup Environment

It emphasized the importance of flexibility and quick pivots to adapt to rapidly changing requirements in a startup setting.

Contextual Sensitivity in Design

Designing for an industry requires understanding its unique challenges, workflows, and preferences. The importance of adapting solutions for specific user groups, such as construction managers, was key.

Balancing Complexity and Usability

Simplifying intricate processes like critical path analysis and resource loading taught me how to balance functionality with user-friendly interfaces.

Iterative Design for Innovation

Researching diverse tools and integrating the best practices from multiple products demonstrated how innovation comes from iterative learning and implementation.

Remote Collaboration Challenges

Collaborating across time zones and cultures (U.S. stakeholders with an India-based team) highlighted the importance of clear communication and adaptable workflows.