From Internal Tool to the Next LinkedIn — Transforming an HR Performance App into a Visionary Mobile Platform
Services
Client
Year
Background
The client’s primary product was a no-code app-builder platform used to create internal business applications—from payroll and intranet tools to performance-evaluation systems.
During a strategy session, the leadership team identified one of these modules as having much greater potential. Instead of being “just another HR feature”, it could become a mobile-first professional platform—one that connects people through growth, feedback and collaboration, not simply roles or resumes.
That’s where we stepped in. We were brought on to help define the product vision, map the UX, and bring to life a new experience that wouldn’t just serve internal users—but inspire them.
Our Role
We partnered closely with the company’s leadership and development team to design, validate, and prototype the new product experience.
- Perform a UX audit and research
- Facilitate a design sprint and sketch phase
- Define moodboards and visual direction
- Establish the product vision
- Build high-fidelity prototypes and interaction design
- Develop a dedicated design system
Challenges & Constraints
Every transformation comes with constraints—and designing this product was no exception.
- We were the sole design team embedded within a large, developer-centred organisation.
- The product had to launch as mobile-only from day one.
- The underlying app-builder framework offered generic toolsets (dynamic groups, dashboards, flexible navigation) but needed to be re-imagined for a human-centred experience.
- The development team was new to React Native and learning the stack as they delivered.
- The product had internal “tool” perception—morale and buy-in needed recharging.
Our mission became twofold:
redesign the product—and reignite belief around it.
Discovery & UX Audit
Our mission wasn’t only to design the product — it was to reignite belief in what they were building.
When we joined, the module was in use internally for monthly performance evaluations—collecting feedback, ratings and rankings.
Our audit uncovered significant usability issues:
- Users could view feedback, but had no way to see how they were progressing over time.
- The information architecture prioritised admin workflows over individual growth.
- Visual and interaction inconsistencies made the product feel like an extension of the parent system, not a standalone product.
We identified the opportunity: shift from an evaluation tool to a platform for growth — one that empowers every user, not just administrators.
Research & User Interviews
To validate our assumptions, we conducted interviews and surveys with employees, HR professionals, and managers — both in-office and remote.
- Employees sought visibility — a clear report of their performance and development.
- HR teams required data-driven insights to measure engagement and improvement.
- Managers wanted to identify trends early and coach proactively.
These findings informed our vision: a dynamic, self-reflective performance network turning individual feedback into collective growth.
Ideation & Design Sprint
Our design sprint began with extensive sketching—exploring multiple flows, dashboards and interaction models. At this stage, fidelity didn’t matter; discovery did.
By exploring widely, rearranging ideas and challenging assumptions, we found the common thread: the new product must be simple, human and empowering, with a data layer that supports rather than overwhelms.
Moodboard & Visual Direction
With the conceptual foundation in place, we developed a moodboard to anchor the emotional tone.
Drawing inspiration from world-class mobile apps, we defined an identity that balanced credibility and optimism—moving the product’s perception from “internal tool” to “market-ready platform”.
The moodboard helped stakeholders visualise, and more importantly feel, the leap we were about to make.
Concept Definition & Stakeholder Alignment
After five months of research and iteration, we presented the first complete concept directly to the CEO and senior management.
Our delivery included:
A detailed concept deck explaining the rationale and strategy.
A fully functional high-fidelity prototype in Adobe XD.
Use-case walkthroughs and data flow discussions with the architecture team.
This moment became a turning point: it wasn’t just design screens — it was the future of the product in action. The prototype connected the CEO’s “next LinkedIn” ambition with engineering’s roadmap. Everyone could act on something tangible.
Collaboration with Engineering
We worked closely with the architecture team and software director to understand how our new design concept would fit the existing infrastructure.
Our focus was to:
Ensure the new UX model aligned with technical capabilities.
Define scalable components compatible with the app builder framework.
Translate visual decisions into clear design tokens and interaction logic for developers new to React Native.
By bringing developers in early and sharing the “why” behind every decision, we built trust and ownership. Design became the common language driving alignment.
Results & Impact
By the end of the collaboration, the transformation was evident.
We delivered:
A validated product vision that aligned leadership, HR, and tech.
A high-fidelity prototype ready for testing and investor review.
A new design system built for speed and scale.
A motivated product team, re-energized and aligned behind a shared goal.
The project successfully shifted perception:
From “an internal HR tool” → “a visionary platform for people, growth and collaboration.”
There’s a fine line between inspiration and imitation — but inspiration fuels innovation.
There’s a fine line between inspiration and imitation — but inspiration fuels innovation.
Lessons & Reflections
Even though much of this product remains under NDA, the journey itself is a testament to what happens when vision meets design strategy — and when teams rediscover why they started building in the first place.
For us at Product Rocket, this project reaffirmed a few truths we deeply believe in:
Design is a catalyst for belief. When a team sees what’s possible, motivation follows naturally.
Exploration isn’t waste — it’s investment. Every discarded idea sharpens the final result.
A design system is a culture map. It’s not just about consistency; it’s about alignment and shared ownership.
This case study represents what we love most at Product Rocket:
Taking something ordinary and helping it become extraordinary.
When we blend research, creativity, and a touch of boldness, we don’t just deliver beautiful screens — we build the systems, stories, and confidence that allow products to take off.
