One Universe: Unifying a multi-user, multi-product ecosystem

PROJECT SNAPSHOT

FULL CASE STUDY

Overview

One Universe was a strategic design initiative to transform a fragmented product ecosystem into a unified platform capable of supporting every user type, family offices, asset owners, GPs, LPs, and individual investors, under one coherent structure.

The goal was to build a platform that is simpler, more consistent, and more scalable, establishing a foundation for all future features and product modules.

The problem

Over time, Universe grew organically. Each new feature was designed and developed independently, following different structures, patterns, and UI rules. While the product expanded, coherence decreased.

This led to three major issues:

1. Inconsistent user experience

Key components, navigation, search, filters, titles, and display options appeared in every module, but were implemented differently. Users needed to re-learn the product in each section.

2. A product that was hard to scale

Design and engineering had no shared framework. New features required reinventing layouts and logic from scratch.

3. A fragmented experience across user types

Family offices, investors, GPs, and LPs all needed different perspectives and tools, but the product lacked a universal foundation that could accommodate them all. Universe needed a shared language, a unified conceptual and structural framework.

Why One Universe

One Universe emerged as the solution:

"One product structure. One experience. One foundation for all user types."

The objective wasn’t only aesthetic. It was strategic:

One Universe would become the new architecture of the product.

The design challenge

How do you unify a large, complex, and heterogeneous platform without disrupting the workflows of thousands of daily users?

The challenge required solving three layers simultaneously:

1. Build a foundational design system for the entire platform

Not just UI components, interaction rules, behaviors, structure, hierarchy, and naming.

2. Unify four critical product areas under one model

3. Support all user types without duplicating complexity

Universe needed a “single core” that felt familiar regardless of the user profile.

My role & approach

As Lead Product Designer, I was responsible for defining the UX strategy, conducting the product audit, establishing cross-platform patterns, and designing the new structural foundation for Universe.

My approach included:

Strategy: Standardizing to simplify

The project began with a key insight:

"One product structure. One experience. One foundation for all user types."

Across all modules, the following components were inconsistent:

The UX strategy was to standardize these elements into a universal layout, providing:

The design solution

1. A unified platform layout

All major modules now follow a single structural pattern:

2. Introducing the “One Universe base product”

I designed the conceptual foundation that defines what every user receives:

The Base Product includes core capabilities:

Above this base, additional modules and features can be layered, enabling a modular business model for the first time.

3. Supporting all user types through One Structure

The new foundation was intentionally flexible enough to serve:

The system adapts through permissions, configurations, and group relationships, without duplicating designs or workflows.

Impact

A cohesive experience across the entire product

Users now navigate using consistent patterns, improving learnability and reducing frustration.

Faster and more scalable product development

This reduced cognitive load and increased predictability across the entire platform.

Engineering no longer rebuilds structural patterns for every module.

A foundation for future growth

Universe now supports new user types, new business models, and new feature expansions.

A clearer, simpler, and more professional product

The shift from fragmented screens to a unified platform elevated the perceived quality of the product.

Introduction of a modular commercial model

The Base Product + Add-Ons structure allows flexible packaging for different client segments.

Reflection

One Universe was more than a redesign; it was a re-architecture of the product. It simplified complexity, aligned the platform under a shared mental model, and set the groundwork for the next generation of Clockwork Universe.

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may speak.”

This project strengthened the platform’s coherence and enabled the company to scale with clarity and intention.