From Connection to Control: Great Place to Work Combines a Professional Community App With a No-Code Admin Dashboard That Simplifies Management and Empowers Growth.
Duration
2021 (6 months)
Project Role
Product Designer / UX Researcher
METHODOLOGy
Stakeholder Interview, Persona Building, Empathy Mapping, Wireframing, Design System, High-Fidelity Screens, Prototyping
Tools
Figma, Miro, Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop, ChatGPT, Zoom, Google Workspace
The Ask
It started with a conversation.
When Adishwa, the project lead from Great Place to Work (India), reached out, his vision was clear:
“We want to bring professionals together, a space where they can learn,
share, and grow beyond office walls.”
There wasn’t a digital community where professionals could exchange insights, connect with peers, and discuss workplace culture. Most platforms felt generic, scattered, or too formal.
He wasn’t just thinking of an app.
He wanted complete control, a platform where the community lives on the front end, and the management happens seamlessly on the back end, without writing a single line of code.
That idea became our foundation, a dual-system ecosystem combining a community app and a no-code admin dashboard.
Understanding the Vision
In our first stakeholder interview, Adishwa explained that while Great Place to Work already had an established presence, it lacked a digital space where professionals could interact beyond certifications and rankings.
He wanted something alive, conversational, and scalable — a digital community built on trust and shared knowledge.
From that discussion, we defined two main needs:
A user-facing community app where professionals could join discussions, access research, and attend events.
A backend dashboard where GPTW teams could upload, manage, and edit every piece of data without technical help.
To dive deeper, we built:
An empathy map around Adishwa’s goals and frustrations.
Two user personas — representing the types of professionals who would use the app daily to learn and connect.
Persona 1
Goals:
Connect with other software developers to share knowledge and best practices
Stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends in software development
Build his professional network
Improve his coding skills and efficiency
Challenges:
Limited opportunities to connect with other software developers outside of work
Difficulty keeping up with the constantly changing landscape of software development
Feeling isolated and disconnected from the larger software development community
Persona 2
Amit is a marketing manager at a fast-growing technology company. He's been in his current role for three years and has a bachelor's degree in marketing. In his free time, Amit enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Goals:
> Expand his network and connect with other marketing professionals in the technology industry.
> Stay up-to-date with the latest marketing trends and best practices.
> Find resources and training opportunities to develop her skills and advance her career.
Challenges:
> Limited time due to a demanding job and family responsibilities.
> Difficulty finding relevant information and resources among the sea of information online.
> Feeling disconnected and isolated from others in her field.
Defining the Challenge
“We have platforms for employees, but not for conversations.”
– Adishwa, Project Lead, GPTW India
The problem wasn’t about creating another professional network.
It was about building a bridge between professionals and the organization — one that’s easy to manage, effortless to scale, and adaptable over time.
So, we reframed the challenge as:
Moving from Vision to Design
Since the project required quick turnaround, we streamlined our process — skipping lengthy UX research stages and diving straight into structure and design.
We began by sketching two interconnected systems:
The Community App
The app became a central hub for professionals to:
Join forums and discussions around workplace culture.
Discover research papers, events, and GPTW-certified companies.
Build meaningful connections with peers and mentors.
Each feature was designed to feel professional yet approachable — balancing structure with human warmth.
The No-Code Admin Dashboard
The No-Code Admin Dashboard
This was the heart of Adishwa’s requirement.
We designed a no-code dashboard that lets GPTW’s internal team manage everything — from content uploads to event listings — with clean UI, clear actions, and zero dependencies on developers.
The entire interface was built around clarity and confidence — ensuring anyone could use it effortlessly, regardless of technical skill.
Visual Language
A unified design system was built to ensure scalability and brand consistency across both the mobile app and admin panel. Every element — from typography to micro-components — was crafted for clarity, legibility, and accessibility.
The tone was professional, calm, and modern, reflecting GPTW’s values of trust, collaboration, and growth.
✍️ Typography
The SF Pro family was chosen for its modern, readable, and adaptable structure — balancing professionalism with a sense of warmth that fits GPTW’s trusted yet approachable identity.
🎨 Color Guide
The palette blends neutral grays and bold primaries to reflect clarity and optimism, supported by success, warning, and error tones for dynamic system feedback and better accessibility.
📐 Grid System
A responsive 12-column and 4-column grid ensures visual harmony across devices. It creates predictable rhythm and balance for both compact mobile screens and detailed admin dashboards.
🧭 Icons & Illustrations
Custom iconography and hand-drawn illustrations bring friendliness to a corporate platform. Each icon is built on a modular grid for visual alignment and quick scalability.
🗂 Cards & Components
Reusable card components form the foundation of interaction — from content previews to confirmations. Their consistent spacing, contrast, and motion patterns keep user focus clear.
🔔 Notifications & Splash Screen
Subtle animations and branded alerts make communication seamless. The splash screen reinforces brand recall while maintaining quick app launch performance.
📱 App Store Presence
Every screen — from app icons to store listings — was designed to convey professionalism and trust. Visuals emphasize real user value rather than marketing fluff.
🧭 App Mockups
The app design centers on discoverability and dialogue — letting users access discussions, events, and learning content without friction. The UI adapts to reading and posting flows naturally.
🧑💻 Backend Dashboard Mockup
The admin panel empowers non-technical users to manage content, events, and users effortlessly. Built with clarity and modular UI components, it turns complex data management into an intuitive experience — no coding required.
Prototype & Interaction
We linked all screens in Figma into a fully interactive prototype to simulate real user flows — from signing in to creating posts and managing backend data.
This helped validate how both sides — users and admins — would experience the platform as one cohesive system.
Impact & Reflection
✨ Impact
🚀 Complete Digital Transformation — GPTW moved from offline spreadsheets and manual data handling to a fully digital, self-managed ecosystem.
⚙️ Zero-Code Control — Admins gained full ownership without relying on developers.
🤝 Seamless Community Experience — Professionals could finally connect, share, and grow in one place.
💭 Reflection
This project taught us how design can empower both users and creators.
For users, it built a place for connection.
For GPTW, it gave independence — the ability to manage and grow their community without code or complexity.
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