FreeWave Portal
Designing a scalable, self-service IoT platform for diverse industrial users
FreeWave Portal
Designing a scalable, self-service IoT platform for diverse industrial users
FreeWave Portal
Designing a scalable, self-service IoT platform for diverse industrial users
Project overview
FreeWave Technologies, historically focused on physical tracking and monitoring hardware, was shifting to a SaaS-based IoT model. To support this transition, they needed to modernize an outdated, acquired device management portal into a scalable, brand-aligned, self-service platform. The goal was to simplify complex workflows for a diverse user base, support a growing ecosystem of edge devices, and enable a shift from hardware-only sales to recurring software revenue.
Goals: The platform redesign aimed to simplify complex device workflows for users of all technical levels, support multiple user roles and access permissions, and enhance scalability to manage millions of devices. It needed to reflect FreeWave’s evolving brand and vision as a modern IoT provider, while enabling self-service configuration, monitoring, and management. Additionally, the work laid a strong foundation for future product integrations and feature expansion.
My Role: As lead designer and creative director, I spearheaded the full design process, from discovery and strategy through execution and iteration. I played a critical role in early research and stakeholder workshops to deeply understand the client’s niche industry, customer journeys, and operational complexity. I helped develop the foundational design system, site architecture, and modular page templates, collaborating closely with our product team and the client. I also acted as a cross-functional liaison, guiding the phased rollout and continuous improvement of the experience post-launch.
Services & Activities: Research & Strategy, Personas, Information Architecture, User Flows, Design System, Mobile-First UI/UX Design
Project overview
FreeWave Technologies, historically focused on physical tracking and monitoring hardware, was shifting to a SaaS-based IoT model. To support this transition, they needed to modernize an outdated, acquired device management portal into a scalable, brand-aligned, self-service platform. The goal was to simplify complex workflows for a diverse user base, support a growing ecosystem of edge devices, and enable a shift from hardware-only sales to recurring software revenue.
Goals: The platform redesign aimed to simplify complex device workflows for users of all technical levels, support multiple user roles and access permissions, and enhance scalability to manage millions of devices. It needed to reflect FreeWave’s evolving brand and vision as a modern IoT provider, while enabling self-service configuration, monitoring, and management. Additionally, the work laid a strong foundation for future product integrations and feature expansion.
My Role: As lead designer and creative director, I spearheaded the full design process, from discovery and strategy through execution and iteration. I played a critical role in early research and stakeholder workshops to deeply understand the client’s niche industry, customer journeys, and operational complexity. I helped develop the foundational design system, site architecture, and modular page templates, collaborating closely with our product team and the client. I also acted as a cross-functional liaison, guiding the phased rollout and continuous improvement of the experience post-launch.
Services & Activities: Research & Strategy, Personas, Information Architecture, User Flows, Design System, Mobile-First UI/UX Design
Project overview
FreeWave Technologies, historically focused on physical tracking and monitoring hardware, was shifting to a SaaS-based IoT model. To support this transition, they needed to modernize an outdated, acquired device management portal into a scalable, brand-aligned, self-service platform. The goal was to simplify complex workflows for a diverse user base, support a growing ecosystem of edge devices, and enable a shift from hardware-only sales to recurring software revenue.
Goals: The platform redesign aimed to simplify complex device workflows for users of all technical levels, support multiple user roles and access permissions, and enhance scalability to manage millions of devices. It needed to reflect FreeWave’s evolving brand and vision as a modern IoT provider, while enabling self-service configuration, monitoring, and management. Additionally, the work laid a strong foundation for future product integrations and feature expansion.
My Role: As lead designer and creative director, I spearheaded the full design process, from discovery and strategy through execution and iteration. I played a critical role in early research and stakeholder workshops to deeply understand the client’s niche industry, customer journeys, and operational complexity. I helped develop the foundational design system, site architecture, and modular page templates, collaborating closely with our product team and the client. I also acted as a cross-functional liaison, guiding the phased rollout and continuous improvement of the experience post-launch.
Services & Activities: Research & Strategy, Personas, Information Architecture, User Flows, Design System, Mobile-First UI/UX Design
The Need for Design
Problem: The inherited portal was outdated, rigid, and unable to support modern workflows, multiple access levels, or millions of devices, creating friction, inefficiencies, and limiting product adoption.
Business Need: As FreeWave shifted from selling standalone hardware to offering a scalable SaaS-based IoT platform, they needed a modern device management interface that could support their new business model, reflect their brand evolution, and enable customer self-service at scale.
User Need: A flexible, intuitive platform for configuring, monitoring, and managing a large fleet of IoT devices, regardless of user role, technical expertise, or device type.
The Need for Design
Problem: The inherited portal was outdated, rigid, and unable to support modern workflows, multiple access levels, or millions of devices, creating friction, inefficiencies, and limiting product adoption.
Business Need: As FreeWave shifted from selling standalone hardware to offering a scalable SaaS-based IoT platform, they needed a modern device management interface that could support their new business model, reflect their brand evolution, and enable customer self-service at scale.
User Need: A flexible, intuitive platform for configuring, monitoring, and managing a large fleet of IoT devices, regardless of user role, technical expertise, or device type.
The Need for Design
Problem: The inherited portal was outdated, rigid, and unable to support modern workflows, multiple access levels, or millions of devices, creating friction, inefficiencies, and limiting product adoption.
Business Need: As FreeWave shifted from selling standalone hardware to offering a scalable SaaS-based IoT platform, they needed a modern device management interface that could support their new business model, reflect their brand evolution, and enable customer self-service at scale.
User Need: A flexible, intuitive platform for configuring, monitoring, and managing a large fleet of IoT devices, regardless of user role, technical expertise, or device type.
Discovery
Discovery
Discovery
Research & Competitive Insights
To understand the needs of a much broader audience, we conducted stakeholder and FreeWave client interviews, competitive audits, and in-depth conversations with agents, distributors, and office managers to map out real-world workflows and pain points. This process also required us to learn how regulations and operational models vary across regions and business sizes. We translated findings into personas, journey maps, and MVP-focused opportunities to guide our roadmap.
Key Questions
How do workflows differ across user types? What functionality is essential at scale? What motivates or frustrates users day-to-day? How do regional regulations affect product use? What competitive features are considered table stakes? And how can the portal be flexible enough to support unique branding and role permissions?
Key Questions
How do workflows differ across user types? What functionality is essential at scale? What motivates or frustrates users day-to-day? How do regional regulations affect product use? What competitive features are considered table stakes? And how can the portal be flexible enough to support unique branding and role permissions?
Key Questions
How do workflows differ across user types? What functionality is essential at scale? What motivates or frustrates users day-to-day? How do regional regulations affect product use? What competitive features are considered table stakes? And how can the portal be flexible enough to support unique branding and role permissions?
Findings
User needs varied widely, some wanted fast onboarding and out-of-the-box dashboards, while others needed granular device control, templating, and cross-user visibility. There was a clear opportunity to simplify setup, and introduce personalization. All while allowing for company-specific branding, permission controls, and role flexibility.
Findings
User needs varied widely, some wanted fast onboarding and out-of-the-box dashboards, while others needed granular device control, templating, and cross-user visibility. There was a clear opportunity to simplify setup, and introduce personalization. All while allowing for company-specific branding, permission controls, and role flexibility.
Findings
User needs varied widely, some wanted fast onboarding and out-of-the-box dashboards, while others needed granular device control, templating, and cross-user visibility. There was a clear opportunity to simplify setup, and introduce personalization. All while allowing for company-specific branding, permission controls, and role flexibility.
Ideation
Approach & Validation
My team and I dedicated a significant portion of the project to the discovery phase because understanding the full scope of FreeWave’s users and their workflows was critical to making the right design decisions. We conducted extensive interviews, stakeholder workshops, and observational research to map out the diverse user base, from highly technical field engineers to enterprise-level IT administrators. This helped us grasp the complexity of their daily tasks and informed the creation of detailed personas that captured different levels of technical fluency and business sizes, guiding every aspect of the redesign.
With these insights, I led the team to tackle complex problems by simplifying difficult and technical processes, making them easier and more intuitive for users at all levels. We approached the redesign with a mobile-first, data-simplifying focus, revamping the information architecture to create a more intuitive and actionable navigation system. We designed a modular dashboard that let users create, save, and duplicate custom views, a crucial feature for managing large fleets of devices efficiently. Blueprint Templates were introduced to speed up device configuration and reduce onboarding friction, while scalable administrative controls supported teams ranging from small groups to large enterprises.
To ensure our solutions truly addressed user needs, my team and I prioritized validation through iterative prototyping and stakeholder feedback. We integrated tour-based onboarding and pre-populated setup flows to improve the first-use experience, carefully balancing simplicity for new users with power and flexibility for advanced users. This user-centered, iterative approach enabled us to transform complex workflows into streamlined, user-friendly experiences that aligned with both operational goals and user expectations.
Ideation
Approach & Validation
My team and I dedicated a significant portion of the project to the discovery phase because understanding the full scope of FreeWave’s users and their workflows was critical to making the right design decisions. We conducted extensive interviews, stakeholder workshops, and observational research to map out the diverse user base, from highly technical field engineers to enterprise-level IT administrators. This helped us grasp the complexity of their daily tasks and informed the creation of detailed personas that captured different levels of technical fluency and business sizes, guiding every aspect of the redesign.
With these insights, I led the team to tackle complex problems by simplifying difficult and technical processes, making them easier and more intuitive for users at all levels. We approached the redesign with a mobile-first, data-simplifying focus, revamping the information architecture to create a more intuitive and actionable navigation system. We designed a modular dashboard that let users create, save, and duplicate custom views, a crucial feature for managing large fleets of devices efficiently. Blueprint Templates were introduced to speed up device configuration and reduce onboarding friction, while scalable administrative controls supported teams ranging from small groups to large enterprises.
To ensure our solutions truly addressed user needs, my team and I prioritized validation through iterative prototyping and stakeholder feedback. We integrated tour-based onboarding and pre-populated setup flows to improve the first-use experience, carefully balancing simplicity for new users with power and flexibility for advanced users. This user-centered, iterative approach enabled us to transform complex workflows into streamlined, user-friendly experiences that aligned with both operational goals and user expectations.
Ideation
Approach & Validation
My team and I dedicated a significant portion of the project to the discovery phase because understanding the full scope of FreeWave’s users and their workflows was critical to making the right design decisions. We conducted extensive interviews, stakeholder workshops, and observational research to map out the diverse user base, from highly technical field engineers to enterprise-level IT administrators. This helped us grasp the complexity of their daily tasks and informed the creation of detailed personas that captured different levels of technical fluency and business sizes, guiding every aspect of the redesign.
With these insights, I led the team to tackle complex problems by simplifying difficult and technical processes, making them easier and more intuitive for users at all levels. We approached the redesign with a mobile-first, data-simplifying focus, revamping the information architecture to create a more intuitive and actionable navigation system. We designed a modular dashboard that let users create, save, and duplicate custom views, a crucial feature for managing large fleets of devices efficiently. Blueprint Templates were introduced to speed up device configuration and reduce onboarding friction, while scalable administrative controls supported teams ranging from small groups to large enterprises.
To ensure our solutions truly addressed user needs, my team and I prioritized validation through iterative prototyping and stakeholder feedback. We integrated tour-based onboarding and pre-populated setup flows to improve the first-use experience, carefully balancing simplicity for new users with power and flexibility for advanced users. This user-centered, iterative approach enabled us to transform complex workflows into streamlined, user-friendly experiences that aligned with both operational goals and user expectations.
Final Designs
The New Experience
The final solution transformed FreeWave’s portal into a modern, scalable, and mobile-first platform that effectively supports a diverse user base and reflects the company’s evolving SaaS IoT vision. The new experience simplified complex workflows and enabled users at all technical levels to manage millions of devices with ease. My team and I delivered a unified platform that included:
A flexible, modular dashboard system for custom views and efficient device management.
An overhauled information architecture for intuitive navigation and actionable workflows.
Blueprint templates and pre-populated setup flows that streamlined onboarding and device configuration.
Scalable administrative controls to accommodate small teams and large enterprise organizations.
Results
Simplified complex, technical processes into easy-to-use workflows, improving overall user satisfaction.
Supported multi-role access and user management, increasing platform adoption across different user types.
Enabled scalable management of millions of devices, preparing the portal for future growth.
Provided a flexible foundation for ongoing product expansion and integrations aligned with FreeWave’s business goals.
Final Designs
The New Experience
The final solution transformed FreeWave’s portal into a modern, scalable, and mobile-first platform that effectively supports a diverse user base and reflects the company’s evolving SaaS IoT vision. The new experience simplified complex workflows and enabled users at all technical levels to manage millions of devices with ease. My team and I delivered a unified platform that included:
A flexible, modular dashboard system for custom views and efficient device management.
An overhauled information architecture for intuitive navigation and actionable workflows.
Blueprint templates and pre-populated setup flows that streamlined onboarding and device configuration.
Scalable administrative controls to accommodate small teams and large enterprise organizations.
Results
Simplified complex, technical processes into easy-to-use workflows, improving overall user satisfaction.
Supported multi-role access and user management, increasing platform adoption across different user types.
Enabled scalable management of millions of devices, preparing the portal for future growth.
Provided a flexible foundation for ongoing product expansion and integrations aligned with FreeWave’s business goals.
Final Designs
The New Experience
The final solution transformed FreeWave’s portal into a modern, scalable, and mobile-first platform that effectively supports a diverse user base and reflects the company’s evolving SaaS IoT vision. The new experience simplified complex workflows and enabled users at all technical levels to manage millions of devices with ease. My team and I delivered a unified platform that included:
A flexible, modular dashboard system for custom views and efficient device management.
An overhauled information architecture for intuitive navigation and actionable workflows.
Blueprint templates and pre-populated setup flows that streamlined onboarding and device configuration.
Scalable administrative controls to accommodate small teams and large enterprise organizations.
Results
Simplified complex, technical processes into easy-to-use workflows, improving overall user satisfaction.
Supported multi-role access and user management, increasing platform adoption across different user types.
Enabled scalable management of millions of devices, preparing the portal for future growth.
Provided a flexible foundation for ongoing product expansion and integrations aligned with FreeWave’s business goals.
Impact
Impact
Impact
The Results
The new FreeWave portal is a modern, extensible platform that supports diverse user needs while enabling customers to configure, manage, and scale their devices independently. It successfully bridges the gap between powerful industrial capabilities and user-friendly, self-service design. The flexible, mobile-friendly system reinforces FreeWave’s position as a forward-looking, customer-focused technology company—and lays the groundwork for continued innovation and growth.
More Case Studies
More Case Studies
More Case Studies
