Pans & Co.
A hub that connects experts with new recruits
A hub that connects experts with new recruits
Role
Product Owner
Industry
Human resources
Duration
3 months
Introduction: A twist for a classic and modern business model
Pans & Company, a Barcelona-based sandwich company founded in 1991, blends the city’s traditional dining style with elements of modern fast-food experiences. With over 550 establishments across Europe, the company is now focused on growth and aims to enhance the skills of its employees.
The Approach
As part of a Request for Proposal (RFP), Pans & Company issued a design challenge with specific goals: Creating a hub for their employees: an intranet designed to foster an online community where users can share knowledge with senior partners, provide essential tools for learning and career development, and offer access to up-to-date information to simplify daily tasks.
I was tasked with delivering a design proposal, grounded in UX research, and presented through UI tools to meet these objectives.
Introduction: A twist for a classic and modern business model
Pans & Company, a Barcelona-based sandwich company founded in 1991, blends the city’s traditional dining style with elements of modern fast-food experiences. With over 550 establishments across Europe, the company is now focused on growth and aims to enhance the skills of its employees.
The Approach
As part of a Request for Proposal (RFP), Pans & Company issued a design challenge with specific goals: Creating a hub for their employees: an intranet designed to foster an online community where users can share knowledge with senior partners, provide essential tools for learning and career development, and offer access to up-to-date information to simplify daily tasks.
I was tasked with delivering a design proposal, grounded in UX research, and presented through UI tools to meet these objectives.
Stage 1: A user centric beginning
To begin the project, I immersed myself in understanding the brand’s core values, communication style, and mission to ensure my design aligned with the client’s vision.
With the task of redesigning a platform for the crew members working, I visited several locations in Barcelona to observe their daily processes and interactions with customers. Engaging with the staff on-site, I conducted user research to gather insights into their work environment, ensuring that the redesign would address their specific needs and objectives.
Developing a user persona based on the employees I redacted some insights that would help me ahead on the project.
Stage 1: A user centric beginning
To begin the project, I immersed myself in understanding the brand’s core values, communication style, and mission to ensure my design aligned with the client’s vision.
With the task of redesigning a platform for the crew members working, I visited several locations in Barcelona to observe their daily processes and interactions with customers. Engaging with the staff on-site, I conducted user research to gather insights into their work environment, ensuring that the redesign would address their specific needs and objectives.
Developing a user persona based on the employees I redacted some insights that would help me ahead on the project.
Stage 2: A brand-aligned design structure
Continuing with the challenge, I conducted in-depth research into the values and brand identity of Pans & Company. This allowed me to develop a cohesive design system, grounded in the brand's visual elements, including font choices and logo usage. By effectively incorporating both UX and UI principles, the process involved:
Developing a design system
Wireframing
Establishing information hierarchy
Creating a sitemap
With this foundation in place, I was able to move on to the next phase of the project.
Stage 3: A platform for staff by staff
Drawing from the brand’s design language, inspired directly by the in-store experience and Pans & Company’s mission and values, I applied a user-centered approach based on thorough research, employee insights, and cultural observation. The most critical pages were carefully designed to include:
A Learning Center for employees to access training and development resources
A Blog for staff to share concerns, ask questions, and engage in discussions
A Personal Dashboard where employees can connect with more experienced colleagues
These new sections foster a sense of community, enabling employees to easily navigate essential categories and confidently get up to speed in their roles.
Stage 3: A platform for staff by staff
Drawing from the brand’s design language, inspired directly by the in-store experience and Pans & Company’s mission and values, I applied a user-centered approach based on thorough research, employee insights, and cultural observation. The most critical pages were carefully designed to include:
A Learning Center for employees to access training and development resources
A Blog for staff to share concerns, ask questions, and engage in discussions
A Personal Dashboard where employees can connect with more experienced colleagues
These new sections foster a sense of community, enabling employees to easily navigate essential categories and confidently get up to speed in their roles.
Stage 4: Conclusions & Learnings
While the client was pleased with the results, I ultimately did not win the RFP. The representative explained that they were seeking a more hands-on approach, one where they could observe the employee training process more directly—not necessarily from senior staff to new recruits. This feedback highlighted an important lesson for me: some projects require a more literal interpretation of objectives, and in certain cases, the expectations are more straightforward and don't necessarily need outside of the box thinking.
Despite this outcome, I successfully:
Designed a foundational design language
Created wireframes and implemented the final product
Developed a responsive site with a login interface for user testing
Conducted in-person research, gaining valuable insights and meeting great people
Stage 4: Conclusions & Learnings
While the client was pleased with the results, I ultimately did not win the RFP. The representative explained that they were seeking a more hands-on approach, one where they could observe the employee training process more directly—not necessarily from senior staff to new recruits. This feedback highlighted an important lesson for me: some projects require a more literal interpretation of objectives, and in certain cases, the expectations are more straightforward and don't necessarily need outside of the box thinking.
Despite this outcome, I successfully:
Designed a foundational design language
Created wireframes and implemented the final product
Developed a responsive site with a login interface for user testing
Conducted in-person research, gaining valuable insights and meeting great people
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Copyright 2024 Ivar Arriola
Copyright 2024 Ivar Arriola
Copyright 2024 Ivar Arriola