Helping Zurich teams understand data together, not alone
Introduction
As the lead product designer, I worked alongside product and development teams to create a new platform from the ground up. The goal was to make complex data easier to explore and share so decisions could happen with context, clarity and alignment. The platform allows teams to view live data from multiple sources, discuss findings, save insights and stay aware of what matters through tasks and reminders. The focus was not only on what the data shows, but on how people work together around it.
Challenge
Zurich had a wealth of data but accessing it felt fragmented. Teams relied on several tools, shared files and personal methods to interpret information. The result was that insights were often isolated and difficult to bring into collaborative decision-making.
The challenge was to create a unified environment where people could explore data, talk about it and act on it. At the same time, the platform needed to be flexible enough to support different teams, business units and levels of technical knowledge. My role was to shape an experience that felt approachable, consistent and supportive, regardless of who was using it.
Process
We began by speaking with people across the organization to understand how decisions actually happened in day-to-day work. These conversations helped us map real workflows rather than imagined ones. From there, we sketched and prototyped different ways of browsing information, comparing data points and sharing insights with others.
We tested early versions with users and adjusted based on how naturally they could find what they needed, understand what they were seeing and move from insight to next step. Iteration played a key role. Each round of feedback gave us clearer direction on structure, hierarchy and the moments where collaboration should be encouraged, not forced.
As the lead product designer, I guided both the design work and the collaboration between product, engineering and stakeholders, making sure decisions were aligned and momentum stayed steady.
Solution
The final platform brings data, conversation and action into one place. Users can explore complex datasets without feeling overwhelmed. They can comment, ask questions, create shared notes and assign follow up tasks directly where insights appear. Real-time updates keep teams aligned without the need for separate reports or long email threads.
By focusing on clarity and shared understanding, the platform supports faster and more confident decision-making. It feels structured without being rigid and powerful without being complex. Most importantly, it turns data into something people work with together, which is where the real value happens.
Reflection
The key learning here was that data alone does not create understanding. The way people interact around it does. When we design tools that support conversation and shared reasoning, decision-making becomes more confident and more human.
The work behind the work
For the curious minds: how the sausage is made (but prettier). Process, decisions, prototypes, the whole thing.
Select a case study…