Empowering relationships, enhancing efficiency, and enabling improved decision-making through content strategy, messaging, and information architecture

An iMac on a desk in a room with people in the background displaying the price change request application

Date Completed

March, 2024

Overview

Sherwin-Williams’ salesforce relies on price changes as a vital sales tool, with representatives submitting pricing requests through a web application. These requests are reviewed by district managers and sales leads to drive business outcomes and maintain competitive relationships with customers.

The existing web application presented an opportunity to improve efficiency, enhance decision-making, and strengthen collaboration between sales representatives and their managers. It lacked intuitive functionality, clear data presentation, and streamlined workflows, making it challenging for users to navigate and effectively process requests.

As the senior designer on this project, I led the research phase and collaborated with a junior designer to develop a user-centered solution. Delivered under tight deadlines, the redesigned application addressed the core needs of its users while introducing modernized functionality to improve efficiency and foster stronger working relationships across the salesforce.

Application modernization requirements

To address the challenges and improve the efficiency of Sherwin-Williams’ pricing request process, the following modernization requirements were defined:

  1. Intuitive User Experience: Create a more user-friendly interface for both requestors and approvers, ensuring streamlined input and review of pricing changes.
  2. Unified System: Develop a centralized platform where both requestors and approvers can access the same data, fostering transparency and collaboration.
  3. Enhanced Decision-Making Support: Provide approvers with better, context-rich information to make informed decisions on pricing requests.
  4. Business-Specific Customization: Implement business unit flags to accommodate specific rules for various divisions, moving beyond generic classifications like P&M and non-P&M.
  5. Dynamic Display Fields: Design flexible display fields that reflect the unique requirements of each business division, ensuring relevancy and clarity.
  6. Prioritization and Impact Assessment: Introduce a prioritization process to rank requests based on their business impact, enabling efficient evaluation.
  7. Approval Escalation Mechanism: Incorporate the ability to escalate approval decisions through automated or manual thresholds, allowing requests to reach multiple levels of oversight as needed.
  8. Integrated Communication Features: Enable seamless communication within the system, including notifications to update users when a request is submitted, reviewed, or approved.
The detail page of the price change request application

Process

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Laying the Foundation for Modernizing the District Manager Approval System

Understanding the modernization goals for the DM Approval System began with a comprehensive review of the requirements document provided by the business analysts and a live demo of the current system during a meeting with the pricing team’s product owners, business analysts, and directors.

The requirements document served as a cornerstone for identifying user pain points and technical challenges, while also outlining the objectives for improving the system. The document highlighted opportunities to create a centralized platform, streamline workflows, and provide better context for decision-making, ensuring the new design would support both the requestors and approvers.

Key Findings from the Requirements Document

The requirements document provided a detailed roadmap for system improvements, including:

  1. Centralized Access: Creating a unified system for requestors and approvers to access the same data.
  2. Context-Rich Decision Support: Displaying more actionable information, such as pricing comparisons and district-specific averages, to enable better decisions.
  3. Workflow Streamlining: Introducing auto-approval thresholds, escalation mechanisms, and customizable search options.
  4. Enhanced Usability: Improving the interface for search, table organization, and approval flows to reduce user effort.

In the next column is the complete requirements document, which provided critical context and guided the UX process:

Key Takeaways from the Current-State Demo

During the meeting, the team explored the existing functionality and its challenges through a live demonstration. Key insights included:

  1. Four-Step Workflow: The application follows a repetitive workflow: Search, Select, View, Decide. This structured process needs refinement to reduce cognitive load and time spent on approvals.
  2. Fragmented Data: Approvers frequently reference external tools to access additional data, slowing down their workflow and increasing the chance of errors.
  3. Approval Types: Variations in workflows (e.g., Pricing Requests vs. Quote Requests) led to inconsistent user experiences, highlighting the need for standardization.
  4. Scalability Challenges: The lack of prioritization and risk indicators in the current system makes it harder for district managers to focus on high-impact decisions efficiently.

In the next column is the complete requirements document, which provided critical context and guided the UX process:

Proposed Improvements

The team outlined opportunities to improve the user experience:

  1. Streamlined Search and Filtering: Reduce visible fields to commonly used ones, such as district, status, type, and date, while hiding advanced options in expandable menus.
  2. Quick Approval Features: Add inline approval functionality directly in table rows, minimizing clicks and navigation time.
  3. Enhanced Detail Pages: Integrate actionable data directly into approval views, such as risk indicators, district price averages, and product hierarchy alignment.
  4. Unified Approval Models: Align workflows for all request types to support consistency, including adding “send back” functionality for quote requests.

Next Steps

To move forward, the team agreed on these action items:

  1. Review mockups shared in the meeting and located in the TAG IT Pricing Initiatives team site.
  2. Explore integrations with CPM to surface relevant data and reduce reliance on external tools.
  3. Conduct follow-up meetings to align design decisions with stakeholder expectations and finalize the system’s interaction model.
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Uncovering Decision-Making in the DM Approval System

After being introduced to the project, I planned, scheduled, and conducted task-based, talk-aloud protocol interviews with Sherwin-Williams district managers. These interviews uncovered critical insights into how pricing approvals are approached, the challenges district managers face, and the opportunities to streamline workflows and enhance decision-making.

As part of the research phase, I conducted a recorded Teams session with Roy Hernandez, a district manager with 19 years of experience. During the session, Roy provided a detailed walkthrough of his pricing approval workflow, highlighting real-world challenges and opportunities for improvement.

The research plan developed prior to the interviews guided the structure of these conversations. It ensured that the questions focused on key aspects of the system, including the search functionality, detail pages, and the decision-making matrix. (Embed the revised research plan document here.)

Insights from the session

Roy revealed that pricing approval is deeply integrated into his daily responsibilities, with requests often stemming from a collaborative process between district managers and sales representatives. He noted that while the volume of requests fluctuates, the decision-making process is guided by communication with his team and an analysis of key account metrics, such as sales potential, gross margin, and year-over-year growth.

One of the most significant takeaways from this session was the nuanced role of district managers in coaching and challenging their team members to make data-driven pricing decisions. Roy emphasized that many requests require conversations with sales representatives to align on pricing strategy, assess return on investment (ROI), and address competitive pressures.

These workflows involve a combination of automated system-generated data and human judgment, reinforcing the need for a tool that effectively integrates both elements. For example, Roy highlighted the inefficiency of dealing with minor pricing discrepancies manually, suggesting the potential value of an enhanced auto-approval feature for low-risk requests.

Key Takeaways from the Video

  1. Frequent Communication: The pricing approval process often begins with a conversation between district managers and sales representatives to align on strategy and rationale for pricing changes.
  2. Search and Navigation: Roy explained how he navigates the system, typically starting with the pending approval requests loaded by default. He prefers working through the list sequentially but occasionally uses the search functionality to locate specific requests.
  3. Detail Pages: Roy provided insights into how he uses the account overview and detail tables to make informed decisions. He stressed the importance of having accurate sales potential data, comments from the requester, and competitor pricing comparisons.
  4. Coaching Opportunities: District managers play a key role in coaching sales representatives, particularly younger team members, to ensure pricing decisions balance competitiveness with profitability.
  5. Areas for Improvement: Suggestions included adding contextual account information (e.g., Pro Plus membership status or online purchasing activity) to the account overview and streamlining approval workflows for minor price adjustments through auto-approval features.

Next steps

This research informed the recommendations presented to the pricing approval team. The insights gathered shaped wireframe designs and prototype iterations that addressed the challenges and opportunities identified in these discussions. These designs aim to streamline the user interface, provide enhanced decision-making data, and reduce the manual effort required for pricing approvals.

define

Framing Insights for Actionable Design

Man tinting paint

With the recordings and observations from the formative research phase, the synthesis began to uncover patterns and opportunities for improving the pricing approval application. This phase emphasized not just summarizing findings but translating them into actionable insights that would inform the design of the revamped tool. Below, the process is documented alongside the resulting recommendations, highlighting the approach and key takeaways.

Goals of Research Synthesis:

  1. Enhancing Decision Support: Provide district managers (DMs) with better tools and context to make precise pricing decisions efficiently.
  2. Fostering Communication: Develop functionalities that allow seamless communication within the system, including notifications for submitted or decisioned requests.
  3. Timestamping and Tracking: Integrate timestamps for submissions, request IDs, and automated expiration dates to align with predetermined criteria.
  4. Historical Data Access: Build an intuitive information architecture to allow approvers to review expired requests and, if necessary, resubmit them with updates.

Research Findings and Insights

The following sections summarize key themes from district manager interviews, focusing on their workflows, challenges, and suggestions for improvements:

Approval Workflow Efficiencies:

  • Current systems require frequent manual interventions. Many DMs expressed a desire for automated thresholds to approve routine requests, which could significantly reduce their workload.
  • Auto-approvals based on criteria like margin thresholds were highlighted as a valuable addition.

Communication Gaps:

  • Comments provided by sales reps were often insufficient, necessitating phone calls to clarify the rationale behind requests. A more robust, in-app messaging system could streamline these conversations.
  • Notifications for requests nearing expiration were requested to prevent accidental lapses.

Contextual Decision-Making:

  • Many DMs rely on account-level metrics (e.g., YTD sales, gross margin) to inform decisions. Ensuring this data is accessible and prominently displayed would enhance their ability to make informed approvals.
  • Insights into historical trends for accounts and products, presented visually, could further improve decision accuracy.

Expiration Management:

  • The current five-day expiration window is a pain point for DMs, especially during vacations. A mechanism to extend deadlines or track expired requests was suggested.

Process and Outputs

The following FigJam board represents the Define phase, showing how insights were categorized and mapped to actionable design improvements. It encapsulates the iterative process of clustering observations and identifying core problems to address in the redesign.

ideate

Exploring Solutions for a Modernized Pricing Tool

In the ideation stage of the pricing approval modernization project, we transitioned from gathering insights to exploring potential solutions. Our primary challenge was maintaining consistency across the application while addressing user pain points. Drawing on insights from district manager interviews and aligning closely with business requirements, we developed a series of concepts to refine and improve the application’s user experience. The goal was to enhance usability, reduce friction, and support the core tasks of price approval and request management.

Process Overview

Using Figma, we juxtaposed the existing pricing tool against mockups that incorporated both research findings and business requirements. This visual comparison helped identify gaps and opportunities for innovation. We iteratively refined these ideas, testing layout variations, component designs, and interaction models.

Process Overview

  1. Reducing Scrolling with Progressive Disclosure: We proposed a detail page design that grouped products into families, enabling users to navigate by category rather than scrolling through an extensive list.
  2. Simplified Navigation with Tabs: Tab-based navigation was explored to streamline the search experience, allowing users to toggle between sections without losing context.
  3. Improved Modal States for Request Details: Recognizing the need for focused interaction, we mocked up modals for displaying request details, ensuring they were easily accessible without disrupting workflow.
  4. Reordered Content Stacking:Page layouts were reimagined to emphasize critical tasks and information. Key details were prioritized based on user feedback.
  5. Enhanced Table Design:Variations of table headers and styling were tested to improve clarity and usability. Changes included sticky headers and a simplified column structure.
  6. Messaging Integration:Integrating a chat-like messaging system was proposed to facilitate communication. This feature aimed to provide context for decisions and reduce reliance on external tools.

Embedded Figma Board

The attached Figma board demonstrates the juxtaposition of the legacy application and the proposed designs. It visually documents the evolution of ideas, highlighting how user insights were translated into actionable designs.

Collecting Feedback through Iterative Collaboration

As part of the iterative ideation process, I invited one of our district managers, who had participated in the discovery research phase, to join a follow-up Teams meeting. This session aimed to evaluate and refine the design of the revised pricing approval system, gathering valuable feedback to validate design decisions and identify areas for further enhancement.

Revisiting the Research and Sharing Insights

The session began by revisiting the formative research insights. I walked Roy through the research board, which included transcripts and key observations from interviews, structured around patterns identified in the user workflow: search, select, and decision-making. This presentation set the stage for a collaborative exploration of how these insights translated into the new design.

Walking Through the Revised Design

  • Cleaner Interface and Improved Navigation: Roy immediately noted the cleaner design and appreciated the separation of pending quotes into their own tab. This organization reduced clutter and improved focus.
  • Enhanced Search and History Features: Breaking out the approvals history and auto-approved requests into dedicated sections resonated strongly with Roy. He acknowledged the improved accessibility of information, which minimized the need to wrestle with date range filters or navigate cumbersome menus.
  • Feedback on Auto-Approval Features: Roy expressed enthusiasm for auto-approved requests and their potential to streamline workflows, especially for low-impact pricing changes.

Capturing Feedback for Iterative Improvements

My research participant's feedback provided actionable insights that informed the next iteration of the design. Key points included:

  • Incorporating “Ready to Go” Functionality: Jon emphasized the importance of retaining and integrating the “Ready to Go/Overstock” feature within the application, suggesting its placement in the top-right corner for easy access. This functionality was critical for managing product expirations, overstocks, and discontinued items.
  • Progressive Disclosure for Detail Pages: Jon preferred the introduction of progressive disclosure to reduce the burden of endless scrolling. This approach allowed him to navigate records one at a time, keeping controls fixed at the bottom of the screen for consistent usability.
  • Prioritizing Metrics and Trends: Jon highlighted the value of displaying account metrics such as year-to-date gallon trends, gross margins, and product file costs. His feedback led to a more data-rich presentation that provided actionable insights at a glance.
  • Simplifying Notifications: He suggested introducing notifications for requests nearing expiration within 24 hours, delivered via email. This approach balanced the need for timely awareness without overwhelming users with unnecessary alerts.

Integrating User Feedback into the Design Process

This collaborative session reinforced the value of involving expert users in an iterative design process. Roy’s detailed feedback on specific features, usability enhancements, and workflow improvements directly shaped the next design iteration. By presenting the prototype and discussing its alignment with real-world needs, I ensured that the revised system would better support district managers in their critical decision-making tasks.

Transcript Excerpts from the Teams Meeting

Below are key excerpts from the session, highlighting feedback and discussion points:

On the New Interface Design

  • Jon: “I like it. Already looks a lot cleaner. Pending quotes? That’s pretty cool. Is that like someone quoted out and it’s just out there?”
  • Me: “Yes, and it’s separated into its own tab for easier navigation.”
  • Jon: “I love it. Approvals history and auto-approve requests are great features too.”

On Notifications for Expiring Requests

  • Jon: “I wouldn’t want to be spammed, but an email for requests expiring in 24 hours would be helpful. That way, if I’m on vacation, I can quickly approve them from my phone.”

On Progressive Disclosure and Table Navigation

  • Jon: “Scrolling through 40+ records is exhausting. This setup with fixed controls and progressive navigation makes it so much easier.”

On Metrics and Trends

  • Jon: “Having year-to-date gallons, margins, and trends for 2022 and 2023 side-by-side would be really useful. It helps tell the account’s story before diving into details.”

On Maintaining Ready-to-Go Functionality

  • Jon: “That’s critical for managing inventory. It’d be great to integrate it into this system instead of needing a separate tab.”

This stage exemplifies how real-world feedback from stakeholders contributes to refining design solutions, ensuring they meet both user needs and business goals. The iterative nature of this process underscores the importance of validating assumptions and continuously improving based on collaboration and insight.

prototype

Final Presentation and Prototype Overview

Introduction to the Final Round of Design

As our project reached the final stages, our primary focus was on synthesizing user feedback, business requirements, and technical feasibility to deliver a cohesive solution. The design process led us to a prototype that not only addressed key user pain points but also introduced new functionalities aimed at enhancing efficiency and user satisfaction.

During this stage, we prepared a comprehensive presentation for the pricing team. This included outlining our design rationales, showcasing the final prototype, and providing a roadmap for iterative improvements based on identified gaps. The goal was to communicate the value of our design decisions clearly and to secure alignment with stakeholders.

The new design for the landing pa

Introduction to the Final Round of Design

  1. Design Alignment with Business Goals: We highlighted how the new design supports streamlined workflows, improves decision-making, and aligns with the broader objectives of Sherwin Williams’ pricing strategies.
  2. Key Features and Enhancements: These included a revamped approval workflow, progressive disclosure techniques for detailed information, and visual hierarchies that reduce cognitive load.
  3. User Feedback Integration: We showcased how user insights were directly translated into functional improvements, ensuring the design met real-world needs.
  4. Next Steps and Iterative Opportunities: Finally, we discussed areas requiring further exploration, particularly around system integrations and advanced user functionalities, such as in-app messaging.

Final Prototype Insights

The prototype addressed several critical challenges, including:

  1. Improved Communication: By integrating feedback loops into the UI, we reduced reliance on external tools for collaboration.
  2. Streamlined Information Architecture: This enabled users to navigate effortlessly between pending and historical requests while maintaining focus on priority actions.
  3. Optimized Decision-Making Processes: Enhanced filters, search functionalities, and visual indicators ensured users could approve or reject requests with confidence and speed.

Reflections & takeaways

Refining the Role of UX in Enterprise Solutions

This project underscored the critical role of user experience in transforming complex business processes into intuitive digital solutions. The pricing tool is a prime example of how design can drive operational efficiency and strategic decision-making at scale.

As the senior designer leading this initiative, I leveraged a combination of research, collaboration, and iterative design to address the project’s unique challenges. Working closely with district managers and business analysts allowed me to craft a solution that was both user-centric and technically robust.

Lessons Learned

  1. The Value of User-Centric Iteration: Early and continuous user feedback was instrumental in shaping a design that resonates with end-users while aligning with business goals.
  2. Bridging Communication Gaps: Building a shared language between the UX and pricing teams fostered stronger collaboration and more effective problem-solving.
  3. The Importance of Scalability: Designing for scalability ensured that the solution could adapt to future requirements without disrupting existing workflows.

Impact Beyond the Tool

The redesigned pricing tool represents more than an improved application; it demonstrates the value of integrating UX principles into enterprise systems. By enhancing the relationship between stakeholders and the design team, this project has set a new standard for collaboration and innovation at Sherwin Williams.