Navigation
Redesign.
A design-led navigation overhaul.
From research to project buy-in.
MY ROLE
Product Designer
Problem framing · Research · Product design
TIMELINE
3 months
Dec 2023 – Feb 2024
TEAM
1 designer · 1 PM · 2 engineers
Sole designer, from research to launch.
O Platform
Home
Content
Campaign list
Lemon8 page setup
Message
Traffic promotion
H5 builder
User
User pool
Creator platform
Operational tool
Survey
Comment tool
Data management
Label management
Config center
For developers
RD tool
Kani
Lemon8 page setup
Discover page
Hashtags
Banner
Rising stars
Editor’s picks
Feed page
Publish bubble
Feed icon
Feed user card
Featured content
Feed channel
Others
Search query
Image guidance
Summary
Navigation for discovery and everyday work.
I redesigned O’s navigation to help users understand the platform, discover its features, and move between familiar tools.
Before
After
Key results
Satisfaction
3.9 → 4.6
out of 5
Higher feature adoption
10 / 15
features
Adoption lift
+32%
across 10 features
Background
O is Lemon8’s internal operations platform, supporting content configuration, resource management, and user management.
As Lemon8 grew rapidly in 2023–2024, O saw a large influx of new users. Training and experience no longer scaled as a way to learn the platform.
The product team wanted to split complex features into simpler tools. Based on a design audit, I saw a risk: changing familiar entry points within an already difficult navigation system could make those features even harder to find.
Navigation needed attention first.
However, this was still a design hypothesis. Research would determine whether it warranted a project.
A growing user base.
A need to make learning easier.
JP
OOTD
Search
Boost
Traffic coupons
Anchor
Activity
Rising Stars
Featured Content
Search Queries
Feed Channels
Home
Client Intervene
Campaign Center
Discover
Resource
User
Tools
In-app Message
Survey
Trending Items
Comment Tool
Labels
Weekly Report
Post Tools
Config Center
Collapse Menu
O Platform
Recommend Queries
All Queris
New Queries
Query
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit
Ipsum loren
Ipsum loren
Ipsum loren
Ipsum loren
Ipsum loren
Ipsum loren
Status
Online
Online
Offline
Offline
Offline
Offline
Offline
Region
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
Online Duration (UTC+8)
2022-03-04
09:00:00
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18:00:00
to
Permanently
2022-03-04
09:00:00
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18:00:00
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09:00:00
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Editor
huangzheyu...
hannibalsmith
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huangzheyu...
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Edited at (UTC+8)
2022-09-28 12:00:00
2022-09-28 12:00:00
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2022-09-28 12:00:00
2022-09-28 12:00:00
2022-09-28 12:00:00
2022-09-28 12:00:00
Search queries
Region
Status
1 selected
Edit Online Duration
Take Offline
All
73
Posts
73
Users
73
Hashtags
73
Effects
0
Comments
10
JP
OOTD
Explore
1
Too many levels
2
Confusing categories
3
Unclear labels
4
Unpredictable interaction
Heuristic evaluation
From hypothesis
to evidence
I partnered with the product manager to establish a satisfaction baseline and understand where users struggled.
01 — Satisfaction survey
In O’s 2023 annual user survey, navigation scored 3.9 out of 5.
More than 65% of surveyed modules scored above 4.0, making navigation a clear area for improvement.
Navigation satisfaction in 2023
3.9
/
5
Below the 4.0 improvement threshold.
02 — User interview
We interviewed 21 users across key regions, roles, and experience levels. Their feedback revealed four recurring problems.
/ Insight — 01
1/3 users couldn’t move beyond search
After entering search, users struggled to locate the navigation or move to another area.
Unpredictable interaction
/ Insight — 02
1/2 users couldn’t find familiar features
Around half struggled to locate features they had used before because categories and names were unclear.
Confusing categories
Unclear labels
/ Insight — 03
1/4 users didn’t know existing features
Around a quarter users were unaware that some existing features were available at all.
Too many levels
Unclear labels
Conclusion
Navigation was getting in the way.
These findings helped secure agreement to redesign navigation before splitting the features.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
How might we help users — especially newcomers — quickly and reliably find the tools they need as O grows?
Success metrics
/ 01 — Experience
Satisfaction ≥ 4.0
Improve on the 3.9 baseline.
/ 02 — Discovery
Higher feature adoption
Measure adoption two weeks after launch against the pre-launch baseline.
/ 03 — Efficiency
Pre-launch
Faster, more reliable access
Reduce task time and improve success in finding a target feature.
Strategy
I translated the research findings into four connected design moves.
Problem
Confusing categories
Users couldn’t find familiar features
Too many levels
Features were buried or never discovered
Unpredictable interaction
Users couldn’t move beyond search
Unclear labels
Features couldn’t be found or discovered
Design response
Reorganize around how users understand their work
Flatten the hierarchy from four levels to two
Fix the interaction and preserve navigation context
Clarify names and add visual guidance
/ 01 — Information architecture
Organize around
users’ mental models.
Card sorting
Card sorting shaped categories that matched users’ mental models.
/ 02 — Navigation depth
Reduce the depth
from four to two.
Level 1
Message
Traffic promotion
H5 builder
User
User pool
Creator platform
Operational tool
Survey
Comment tool
Data management
Label management
Config center
For developers
RD tool
Kani
Level 2
Banner
Rising stars
Editor’s picks
Feed page
Publish bubble
Feed icon
Feed user card
Featured content
Feed channel
Others
Search query
Search guide
Profile page setup
Post template
Image guidance
Before
4 levels
After
2 levels
Flatten the hierarchy so fewer layers stand between users and their tools.
/ 03 — Interaction
Keep navigation accessible.
Keep the rest of the platform within reach.
All
73
Posts
73
Users
73
Hashtags
73
Effects
0
Comments
10
JP
OOTD
Explore
Before
Navigation disappears
After
Navigation remains
accessible
Preserve navigation context.
/ 04 — Guidance
Show what a feature does.
Not just what it’s called.
1.4km
5 selections of living room
moon_ismart
452
1.4km
Dried flowers ♡ I also like fresh flowers
marun
286
1.4km
Asparagus bacon cheese spring rolls
akicoco
36
1.4km
How to make video Until a ghost muffin is made 👻🎃
i_am.y_hm
92
All
Beauty
Fashion
Food
Travel
Home
Recipes
Go to post something interesting in your mind right now.
Publish bubble
Following
For You
Feature preview
Add visual context
to plain text
Use plain language and image previews to explain what a feature does.
Initial design
Usability test
We tested both versions with 21 users.
The averages favored the new design,
but the five who preferred the original were all experienced users.
Better overall.
Not for everyone.
Design
New navigation
Original navigation
Preferred by
16 / 21
5 / 21
Avg. task time
7.2 s
8.2 s
Task completion rate
84.3%
80.8%
/ Refinement — 01
Optional guidance.
Less visual overhead.
Users mentioned that the secondary drawer took up too much space, and experienced users no longer needed the imagery.
I redesigned the drawer into a smaller one that takes up less space.
Users who already know the tools can turn off previews.
Before
Expanded guide
Lemon8 page setup
Feed page
Feed icon
Publish bubble
Feed user card
Featured content
Feed channels
Discover page
Banner
Editor’s picks
Rising stars
Hashtags
Post page
Post template
Profile page
Profile page setup
Search page
Search queries
1.4km
5 selections of living room
moon_ismart
452
1.4km
Dried flowers ♡ I also like fresh flowers
marun
286
1.4km
Asparagus bacon cheese spring rolls
akicoco
36
1.4km
How to make video Until a ghost muffin is made 👻🎃
i_am.y_hm
92
All
Beauty
Fashion
Food
Travel
Home
Recipes
Go to post something interesting in your mind right now.
Publish bubble
Following
For You
After
Compact & optional
Lemon8 page setup
Discover page
Hashtags
Banner
Rising stars
Editor’s picks
Feed page
Publish bubble
Feed icon
Feed user card
Featured content
Feed channel
Others
Search query
Search guide
Profile page setup
Post template
Image guidance
1.4km
5 selections of living room
moon_ismart
452
1.4km
Dried flowers ♡ I also like fresh flowers
marun
286
1.4km
Asparagus bacon cheese spring rolls
akicoco
36
1.4km
How to make video Until a ghost muffin is made 👻🎃
i_am.y_hm
92
All
Beauty
Fashion
Food
Travel
Home
Recipes
Go to post something interesting in your mind right now.
Publish bubble
Following
For You
/ Refinement — 02
Make frequent
switching faster.
Experienced users switched between secondary features more often than between top-level categories.
I therefore changed the persistence model: once a secondary feature is selected, its navigation stays visible for quick switching.
Before
Display primary navigation only
O Platform
Contents
Campaign center
Lemon8 page setup
Force recommend
Users
User pool
Creator platform
Reach out
Operational toolkit
Traffic coupons
Survey
Labels
Config center
Collapse sidebar
After
Secondary navigation stays visible once selected
Lemon8 page setup
Discover page
Hashtags
Banner
Rising stars
Editor’s picks
Feed page
Publish bubble
Feed icon
Feed user card
Featured content
Feed channel
Others
Search query
Search guide
Profile page setup
Post template
Image guidance
Final design
A navigation system built for
clarity, exploration, and speed.
Clarity
Understand the structure.
Clearer categories and labels help users understand how business areas relate and predict where features belong.
Exploration
Discover what’s possible.
A visible hierarchy and optional image guidance help users explore capabilities and understand unfamiliar features.
Speed
Switch without friction.
Once selected, secondary navigation stays visible, keeping related features close during frequent switching.
Impact
Highest-rated module
Navigation satisfaction rose from 3.9/5 in 2023 to 4.6/5 in 2024, the highest module score that year.
Navigation satisfaction
3.9
4.6
Higher feature adoption
Within two weeks of launch, 10 of the 15 affected features saw higher adoption. The average relative lift across those 10 features was 32%.
10
out of 15
Features with higher adoption
+32%
Average adoption lift
Reflection
There is no average user
A stronger overall result did not mean the design worked equally well for everyone. Looking at the minority response exposed friction that averages missed.
A good trade-off is not about choosing one group over another. It is about understanding how often each cost occurs, how long it lasts, and addressing each one appropriately.
Build the evidence before asking for investment
A design audit can surface a problem, but judgment alone rarely justifies a change that requires product and engineering investment. A satisfaction baseline and user interviews turned a concern into a product case the team could evaluate together.
The experience changed how I approach design leadership: our role is not only to propose solutions, but to build a shared understanding of the problem so that investment, trade-offs, and outcomes are grounded in evidence.