01
The problem
NS builds digital services for travellers and for internal processes. In a multidisciplinary Agile team I worked on the next version of the developer portal.
The portal needed to become more consistent, more reusable and more accessible, within NS's existing digital frameworks and enterprise structures.
02
What I found
You don't get consistency by redesigning every screen, but by choosing wisely from what already exists.
UX research and stakeholder interviews showed what users and teams needed. For many of those needs Tractie already had a proven component or pattern; the gain was in applying them consistently.
03
Choices and trade-offs
Choose from Tractie first, build new last
For every part of the portal I first looked for a fitting Tractie component or pattern. Only where nothing fitted did I design something new, within the same rules.
The right navigation type per context
Tractie distinguishes a navigation bar, side panel and navigation drawer. For each part of the portal I chose the type that suits the number of levels and the space available.
Data as a Description List
Technical details and properties sit in a Description List: fixed title–value pairs that are quick to scan, instead of loose blocks of text.
Designing in the same language as development
By using Tractie's anatomy and names, such as title, utilities and tabs, design and code lined up from the start.
