Building a Digital Freight Marketplace
My leadership in designing the Online Freight Marketplace transformed complex shipping processes into a seamless digital experience, leading to its recognition at Expo 2020 Dubai and significantly improving efficiency for traders and bidders
Overview of a logistics management platform showing multiple key screens: freight rate comparison and booking on the left, real-time shipment tracking with milestone timeline in the center, and pricing and performance analytics dashboards on the right, all displayed within a unified desktop interface.
Project Overview
This project involved designing a unified digital platform connecting Importers/Exporters with Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) for spot quoting and e-bidding. The opportunity arose from the logistics industry's need to digitize complex, manual processes, especially during the pandemic.
Three-column overview outlining the Lead UX Designer role, key research and design responsibilities, tools used (Figma, Axure RP, Jira), and logistics project details, including end-to-end freight platform scope and outcomes like faster booking and e-bidding.
The Decision that Mattered
Rather than simply digitizing existing forms, I chose to conduct extensive on-site contextual inquiry with logistics teams, because I understood that the true 'chaos' and pain points were not captured in formal documentation. This trade-off prioritised deep user empathy and real-world workflow understanding, which was crucial for designing truly impactful features like Spot Quote and eBid.
The Problem
The core problem was the highly inefficient and opaque nature of freight logistics, characterized by manual bookings, phone calls, and spreadsheets. This led to significant time waste, lack of visibility, and distrust between Importers/Exporters and Logistics Service Providers, especially exacerbated by the pandemic's push for digitization.
Constraints & Challenges
Designing for a traditionally manual and complex B2B industry presented challenges in translating intricate operational workflows into intuitive digital experiences. Building trust and ensuring transparency in a competitive bidding environment also required careful design considerations.
Design Process
Discover - Field Insights and Stakeholder Alignment
Through contextual inquiry and stakeholder interviews, I spent nearly three weeks embedded with logistics teams, observing live freight coordination and discussing both user needs and business goals. While on the floor, I studied how shipments were managed across multiple tools—spreadsheets, landlines, printouts, and internal systems—often in parallel. Stakeholder discussions clarified the ambition to create a differentiated, industry-first platform combining spot quoting and e-bidding, while user research revealed critical gaps in visibility, speed, and trust across the shipment lifecycle.
Overview of a busy logistics environment highlighting parallel paper/software workflows, coordination and visibility challenges, reliance on workarounds, and user needs for speed, transparency, and trust.

Contextual inquiry summary capturing how logistics teams actually manage shipments then

Three user quotes from logistics roles highlighting challenges: excessive time spent coordinating shipments, constant checking across systems and calls, and the need for end-to-end visibility and trust from quotes to delivery.

Insights got from the users during the research

Define . Breaking down Tasks & Aligning Flows
Insights from discovery were translated into task analysis and end-to-end journey maps to break down freight procurement into structured, repeatable flows — from bid creation to POD upload. This clarified friction points, decision moments, and handoffs across user roles while aligning with the business goal of creating a unified, scalable marketplace. The outcome was a clear experience framework balancing operational efficiency with transparency and trust.
Shipment lifecycle diagram from job confirmation to delivery and POD, with cross-stage functions for documentation, finance, communication, and claims.

Task analysis of the shipment lifecycle stages and cross-functional actions required at each milestone

eBid workflow diagram showing steps from bid creation and supplier invitation to evaluation, award, and shipment execution, with support for documentation, status tracking, communication, and audit.

Task analysis of the shipment lifecycle stages and cross-functional actions required at each milestone

Design · Wireframing and Prototyping Core Workflows
Early wireframes and prototypes were developed in Axure to validate workflows before visual refinement. Design was delivered in two focused phases:
Phase 1: E-bidding workflows
Phase 2: Spot quotes, shipment tracking, and rate management
Each feature was built using progressive disclosure and cognitive load reduction principles, ensuring busy logistics users could act quickly without losing control or visibility. Regular reviews with the product team ensured business feasibility while maintaining user clarity.
Test . Usability Testing and Iterative Refinement
Testing was embedded into the design cycle rather than treated as a final step. Clickable prototypes were validated with real logistics users in rapid feedback loops. Using issue severity mapping, findings were prioritized and iterated quickly. High-impact features, such as the LSP rate update panel, went through multiple rounds of refinement to improve clarity, speed, and error prevention.
This approach ensured the platform reduced coordination effort while supporting business goals of adoption, trust and transparency.
Usability test metrics table showing improved success rates and reduced task time after design changes for LSP selection, routing info completion, and shipment tracking.

Usability testing matrix for quote booking and shipment workflow

THE OUTCOME
Post-launch, the platform was quickly embraced, enabling traders to book competitive spot quotes in under 2 minutes and making the e-bidding process 80% faster. It significantly improved trust and efficiency, leading to its recognition as a Top 3 finalist at Expo 2020 Dubai and a 'Most Promising Startup' by TAQADAM Accelerator. 
Impact metrics displayed as four cards
Final Reflection
This project taught me that logistics isn’t about moving cargo — it’s about moving confidence. The people who ship things across the world don’t just need tools. They need clarity, control, and trust at every step. And good UX? That’s what creates it.

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