Taskly

Role

UX/UI Designer (Sole Designer)

Services

SaaS Platform

Web App Design

Branding

Industry

Technology

Date

12 Weeks

Tools

Figma

FigJam

Adobe Photoshop

Project Overview

Reducing Cognitive Overload in Task Management

Summary

Taskly is a SaaS task management platform designed to help users manage professional and personal tasks without unnecessary cognitive strain. The project explores how clear information hierarchy, standardized workflows, and intentional UX decisions can reduce mental overload and support efficient collaboration between designers and developers. This project was approached as an end-to-end product design exercise, from user research and problem definition through high-fidelity prototyping and usability validation.

The Problem

Many task management tools aim to be powerful but end up overwhelming users. Instead of supporting focus and productivity, cluttered interfaces, fragmented workflows, and unclear prioritization increase cognitive load and reduce adoption.

Users struggle with:

Prioritizing tasks effectively
Maintaining visibility over progress
Managing complex tasks without feeling overwhelmed

This project focuses on solving these challenges through clarity, structure, and user-centered design.

Goals & Success Criteria

The goals of Taskly were defined to directly address cognitive overload and workflow fragmentation identified during research. Rather than adding features, the focus was on simplifying how tasks are captured, prioritized, and executed.

The primary goals were to:

Reduce cognitive overload when managing tasks
Help users clearly prioritize what matters most
Create a clean and intuitive task management flow
Support consistent design-to-development handoffs

Success was measured by how easily users could understand, prioritize, and complete tasks without confusion or hesitation.

Research & Insights

To understand user needs and frustrations, I conducted qualitative research through interviews and surveys focused on task organization, collaboration, and productivity tools. The goal was to uncover where existing solutions create friction rather than value.

Key Insights

Users feel overwhelmed when too many tasks are visible at once
Lack of prioritization leads to decision fatigue
Fragmented tools disrupt workflow continuity
Users prefer simplicity and clarity over feature density

These insights directly informed all design decisions throughout the project.

User Personas

Based on research findings, I created two primary personas representing the core user groups interacting with Taskly. These personas ensured that design decisions remained grounded in real goals, frustrations, and workflows.

Emily Anderson

A detail-oriented UI/UX designer who needs a standardized way to manage tasks and design handoffs. She is frustrated by fragmented communication and version control issues that slow down her workflow and delay project timelines.

Oliver Thompson

A process-driven lead developer who needs clear, consistent access to design specifications and sprint tasks. He is tired of administrative overhead and resolving discrepancies caused by outdated or missing assets.

User Flow

To ensure a smooth and logical experience, I mapped the core task management flow. This helped identify unnecessary steps and opportunities to simplify interactions.

The primary flow focused on:

Viewing tasks
Prioritizing tasks
Completing tasks efficiently

Wireframes

Low-fidelity wireframes were created to explore layout, hierarchy, and navigation before moving into visual design. This stage allowed for rapid iteration and early usability validation.

The wireframes focused on:

Clear task hierarchy
Minimal distractions
Straightforward navigation

Visual Design & UI System

After validating structure through wireframes, I developed a visual design system to ensure consistency across the platform. The UI emphasizes clarity, readability, and subtle visual emphasis to guide attention without overwhelming users.

The design system includes:

Typography hierarchy
Color palette
Buttons and input components
Task status indicators

Final Design Solution

The final high-fidelity design delivers a focused task management experience that reduces clutter and highlights priorities. The interface supports quick orientation and minimizes unnecessary visual noise.

Key Features

Dashboard emphasizing task priority and progress
Simple task creation and editing flow
Clear visual indicators for task status
Minimal UI distractions to support focus

Usability Testing & Iteration

Usability testing was conducted using an interactive prototype to evaluate clarity, navigation, and task prioritization. Feedback highlighted areas where users needed stronger visual cues and faster access to key actions.

Based on testing feedback: