Redesigning TheoBuild to bring brand consistency, increased usability, and a competitive edge

TheoBuild is an invoicing and payments platform built for the construction industry. They offer a purchase card and financial software designed to ease friction between commercial general contractors and subtractors.

Client
TheoBuild

Year
2021 - 2022

Role
Product Designer

Team
Company Founder
Product Manager

Platform
Desktop Web App

The Problem

TheoBuild had received a beautiful new brand style guide – their product needed to match their new brand, but that was not the only issue. They needed to increase the product's usability and compete with heavily-funded competitors who put design at the forefront of their company.

Constraints

I initially approached this project with a grand vision to audit every flow, gather tons of inspiration, design multiple concepts, create a clickable prototype, add UI animations, test with users, work directly with developers, and create a design system. Unfortunately, my grand vision didn't quite align with TheoBuild's timeline and lack of capital.

Bootstrapped and still searching for funding, TheoBuild needed this done fast and on a limited budget. I focused on updating the main screens rather than every screen in the app, which was essential to keep costs low and get the main screens built as soon as possible. Also, I could not drastically change layouts because this would increase development time and cost.

Process

Product Review

I began by looking for places to make design improvements in TheoBuild's current product.

Target Audience

I gathered information on TheoBuild's target audience.

The target audience is construction industry professionals such as owners, controllers, accountants, and CFOs. These tend to be men.

The secondary target audience is office administrators that run company financials. These tend to be women.

The typical age range is 40+ years old.

Competitor Research

I researched competitor products like Divvy, Brex, and Ramp.

Inspiration

I quickly gathered design inspiration from other financial management products, as well.

Brand Style Guide

I made sure to keep TheoBuild's brand style guide top of mind during the design process.

The Results

I've given TheoBuild a brand-consistent usable product that will assist them in securing product funding and give them a better chance at success against competitors.