Bringing clarity and consistency to the SpotLight admin app
Overview
SpotLight Suite™ is a cloud -based platform allowing users to create digital automative content. The Admin app is an application within SpotLight suite that enables internal users to manage users, teams, licences and credits across all OEMs.
This project originally started as a small redesign of the User Management section of the Admin App, but once we began digging into the experience, it became clear that the issues went far beyond just one area. What started as a focused UX update soon evolved into a an overhaul of the entire Admin App.
UX Designer
Lead Developer, Product Owner, Developer, Tech Director
8 weeks
The problem
Users found the existing interface confusing and easy to make mistakes, especially when managing complex team structures and permissions. A common mistake was assigning users to the wrong team, or removing access entirely. The goal was to reduce mistakes, make it clearer and faster to add, edit, or assign users to teams within the application.
Results
What started as a redesign of the user management section, evolved into a broader overhaul of the Admin app layout and navigation. The redesign streamlined not only the user and team management, but also enhanced usability across other key areas - Vehicle Management, Credit Management and Licence Management, reducing access mistakes by 98% (over 4 weeks).
Listening, observing and understanding
I kicked things off with a stakeholder meeting to understand what was causing the most friction. From there, I spoke with internal users to learn how they used it and where they struggled most.
The interface was confusing, key information was missing, leading to mistakes
The insights from user interviews uncovered the main problem areas: key information was hard to find, main actions were buried or unclear which led to mistakes - like assigning incorrect permissions or removing users from teams. During initial solution discussions, we realised this would impact every other section of the app, so decided a full UX review of the entire app structure was needed to solve the problem.
Mapping the bigger picture, exploring solutions and maintaining design systems
With the expanded scope in mind, I began mapping out the user journeys across all sections. I explored multiple layout options that could unify all areas of the app, created low-fidelity prototypes and ran quick validation sessions with internal users to test new layouts and workflows before refining the high-fidelity designs.
The solution
A clearer, more cohesive experience
The final design introduced a consistent, unified structure across all sections of the app. Navigation was simplified, workflows for managing users were streamlined, and permissions became much clearer to view and edit. We standardised UI patterns and interaction behaviours, added better feedback messages, and reduced opportunities for user error. The app now feels consistent, predictable, and easy to navigate.