Quoting Platform
Reimagining Manufacturing Quotes
Project Overview
Client
Protolabs
My Role
Lead UX Designer creating wireframes, mockups, and prototypes and assisting our UX Researcher with interviews and testing.
The Challenge
It started as a simple request: "Can you help us make our quoting platform more user-friendly?" Little did we know this six-month project would evolve into a four-year journey to revolutionize how manufacturers interact with digital tools.
As our small team of two UX Designers and a UX Researcher watched a customer painfully upload 100 parts one by one in a six-hour video, the magnitude of the challenge became clear. Our users—engineers, product designers, and procurement specialists—were losing entire workdays to a process that should take minutes. The platform needed more than a facelift; it needed a complete paradigm shift.
The Journey
We dove deep into the world of manufacturing quotes:
Shadowed customer service reps as they helped frustrated users
Interviewed application engineers who knew every system
Mapped out user journeys that looked more like labyrinths
Turned 450+ wireframes into living blueprints for change
From Insight to Inovation
As our understanding grew, so did our ambition. Key realizations shaped our approach:
Users needed to upload multiple parts simultaneously
Users needed to select materials earlier for accurate pricing
Complex orders required project-based organization
Team collaboration was essential, not optional
The Transformation
What began as a redesign became a reimagining. Over four years, we went through:
15+ rounds of user testing, including usability testing in seven languages.
500+ iterative mockups
100+ user flow refinements
Countless "aha!" moments and setbacks
We crafted a platform that:
Streamlined the complex into something more intuitive and decreased customer support calls
Accelerated quote creation from hours to minutes
Empowered teams to collaborate seamlessly
Elevated the entire user experience
Outcomes
In April 2021, Protolabs launched globally. The platform went on to win the Gold 2021 LEAP Award in software – a testament not just to its technical excellence, but to the elegance and efficacy of our design.
Following the platform enhancement, we drove a substantial surge in multi-process quote generation, significantly boosting conversion rates and accelerating revenue growth across the business.