The Core Problem and Initial Constraint (Pre-Requirements/Design)

The project was initiated to address a significant operational inefficiency: 70% of our user base was not using the existing dashboard and relying on customer support for their essential data. I led this effort to implement a new interface with clear charts and tables.

The initial constraint presented the first major conflict: we were given an aggressive, non-negotiable one-month delivery timeline, with only one week initially allotted for design. Our standard process requires three weeks for proper iteration.

Conflict and Resolution: Requirements

Conflict: The Scrum Master insisted the one-week design timeline was firm to meet the delivery date. Rushing the design phase would compromise the project’s goal.

Action & Resolution: I refused to accept the unrealistic timeline. I engaged stakeholders and my manager, framing the issue around business risk:

“The risk is not in delaying; the risk is in rushing a flawed product to market. We are tackling a 70% support reliance issue. If we ship a feature that is poorly designed, we will generate more questions, increase the support workload, and ultimately waste the entire development investment. We must secure time for three proper design iterations.”

My insistence led to a compromise. Stakeholders granted a two-week design period and agreed to a revised project timeline that reflected the need for quality before moving to Development.

Conflict and Resolution: Development

Conflict: One week before the scheduled launch date, during User Acceptance Testing (UAT), I found that the implemented product did not meet the signed-off design standards. The development lead advocated for launching as-is despite the quality gap.

Action & Resolution: I escalated the quality concern immediately, overriding the pushback from the development team. I formally recommended moving the deadline, making it clear that my accountability was to user value:

"I appreciate the development effort, but the current output will fail our users. We cannot compromise the core design principles we fought for. I formally recommend we move the deadline by one month to ensure the remaining quality fixes are implemented correctly. I will not sign off on a poor user experience.”

I stood firm, resisting the pressure. The deadline was moved. The delay ensured the correct implementation.

Project Outcome

The dashboard was delivered one month later than originally planned. The commitment to quality was validated by the results: we achieved a confirmed 10% reduction in customer support requests in the first week, directly addressing the pain points for the majority of users.

Conflict Resolution: Systemic Alignment and Design System Creation

Conflict: During post-launch debriefing (conducted in the 3rd quarter), a deeper systemic conflict was revealed: my own team's output contributed to miscommunication. Specifically, the lack of a source of truth meant new developers struggled significantly to implement UI components correctly, leading to the misalignment seen in UAT.

Action & Resolution: I leveraged this data to immediately champion and lead a 3rd quarter initiative to create a comprehensive Design System. This project aimed to provide a definitive source of truth for all UI components and design standards for both the design and development teams, proactively solving the internal conflict and ensuring better technical alignment for all future projects.