Redesigning Inspection Software: Transforming Field Team Performance
Elevating Home Inspections: A Strategic Redesign of Horizon App by Carson Dunlop
Redesigning Inspection Software: Transforming Field Team Performance
Executive Summary
Led end-to-end redesign of professional inspection software used by thousands daily. Collaborated with product, development, and QA teams to solve field reliability challenges while modernizing core workflows, creating a more efficient and dependable platform for inspectors.
Carson Dunlop’s Horizon mobile app is essential for home inspectors to document findings and capture photos in the field. However, the company had received alarming feedback indicating that inspectors were facing significant usability issues and and outdated interface compared to the competitors.
The Challenge
Field inspectors struggled with an outdated mobile app that hindered their daily workflows. Key pain points included unreliable offline capabilities, cumbersome photo management, and complex navigation that impacted their ability to conduct efficient inspections.
Carson Dunlop’s Horizon mobile app is essential for home inspectors to document findings and capture photos in the field. However, the company had received alarming feedback indicating that inspectors were facing significant usability issues and and outdated interface compared to the competitors.
Key Improvements:
Transformed complex workflows into intuitive inspection processes
Eliminated sync failures and data loss issues
Streamlined photo management and documentation
Enhanced offline capabilities for field work
Modernized UI while maintaining familiarity
Carson Dunlop’s Horizon mobile app is essential for home inspectors to document findings and capture photos in the field. However, the company had received alarming feedback indicating that inspectors were facing significant usability issues and and outdated interface compared to the competitors.
My Role & Impact:
Led app redesign project delivery and implementation
Developed and implemented solutions for critical technical challenges:
Offline sync functionality
Photo management system
Ensured quality standards through successful internal inspection validation
Product Leadership
Facilitated collaboration across product, engineering, and QA teams
Led end-to-end product strategy from research through implementation
Balanced innovation with user familiarity to ensure a smooth transition
Architected scalable technical foundation for future growth through:
Offline-first architecture
Cohesive design system
Modular photo management infrastructure
Discovery
Starting on a shared understanding
To kick off the redesign, we conducted stakeholder interviews to align on business goals, timelines, and product vision. We established the project's primary goals:
PROJECT GOALS
Modernize the interface while maintaining Horizon's reliable core functionality
Retain existing users by delivering a more intuitive experience
SUCCESS METRICS
Decrease in user churn rate from 23% to under 10%
Increase user satisfaction scores by 40%
Reduce user support tickets related to interface issues by 50%
Research & Analysis (Understanding User Needs)
Initial feedback suggested that usability issues and limited functionality were the main culprits. As the product designer on the project, my first task was to investigate these concerns and develop a clearer understanding of the problem space. To which I conducted a thorough discovery phase, which included:
1.
Analyzed app usage data, support tickets, and user reviews
3.
Benchmarked competitor apps to identify industry best practices
2.
Interviewed home inspectors to understand their workflows and needs
4.
Mapped out existing user flows and screens to identify pain points
User Journey mapping
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Usability Audit
The usability audit uncovered critical issues in Horizon's mobile app that slow down inspectors' daily workflows.
Key problem areas include the appointment management system, search functionality, navigation design, interaction clarity, and information presentation. By addressing these gaps between the app's capabilities and inspectors' needs, there is significant potential to streamline the inspection process and boost field efficiency.
User interview quotes
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Pain Points
Common users pain points
Delights
What user's like about the current app
User Journey mapping
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Usability Audit
The usability audit uncovered critical issues in Horizon's mobile app that slow down inspectors' daily workflows.
Key problem areas include the appointment management system, search functionality, navigation design, interaction clarity, and information presentation. By addressing these gaps between the app's capabilities and inspectors' needs, there is significant potential to streamline the inspection process and boost field efficiency.
User interview quotes
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Pain Points
Common users pain points
Delights
What user's like about the current app
User Journey mapping
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Usability Audit
The usability audit uncovered critical issues in Horizon's mobile app that slow down inspectors' daily workflows.
Key problem areas include the appointment management system, search functionality, navigation design, interaction clarity, and information presentation. By addressing these gaps between the app's capabilities and inspectors' needs, there is significant potential to streamline the inspection process and boost field efficiency.
User interview quotes
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Pain Points
Common users pain points
Delights
What user's like about the current app
User Journey mapping
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Usability Audit
The usability audit uncovered critical issues in Horizon's mobile app that slow down inspectors' daily workflows.
Key problem areas include the appointment management system, search functionality, navigation design, interaction clarity, and information presentation. By addressing these gaps between the app's capabilities and inspectors' needs, there is significant potential to streamline the inspection process and boost field efficiency.
User interview quotes
To understand inspectors' workflows, I analyzed the inspection process and uncovered critical mobile usability issues, including limited booking, basic photo capture, offline reliability, no media gallery, and poor interaction feedback—hindering daily efficiency.
Pain Points
Common users pain points
Delights
What user's like about the current app
What was the problem?
Through synthesizing the insights from user research, interviews, and usability testing, I was able to identify key pain points and root causes. This process revealed critical issues like:
Through synthesizing the insights from user research, interviews, and usability testing, I was able to identify key pain points and root causes.
Outdated Visual Design
No photo preview
Can't reorganize images
Limited organization options
Photo Management Issues
No photo gallery view
Limited organization options
"Spare tab" feature only accessible on web
Navigation Complexity
Confusing menus and missing features
Limited organization options
Poor information hierarchy
Sync & Offline Issues
No visible syncing indicators
Lost data during connectivity issues
These insights informed my design decisions:
Updated Visual Design
Modern, clean look aligned with brand
Improve information hierarchy and visual cues
Streamlined Photo Management
Batch photo capture and processing
Gallery view for easier photo organization
Better photo annotation tools
Simplify Navigation:
Identify frequently used features and prioritize their placement.
Provide filters, folders, or tagging systems to make organization more intuitive. Use breadcrumbs or search functionality to help users find features quickly.
Offline Reliability
Implement background syncing with clear status indicators
Design offline support for uninterrupted work
Data loss during connectivity issues
Key Constraints
Existing users built daily routines around current workflows
Major changes could disrupt inspector efficiency
Need to maintain familiar patterns while modernizing
Opportunity✨✨
How might we preserve familiar workflows in Horizon while introducing new features that enhance efficiency and flexibility, ensuring a seamless transition for experienced users
Design Process
Information Architecture
Led a strategic audit of the app's information architecture through task analysis, collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize user flows and eliminate friction points. Findings revealed critical opportunities to reduce navigation complexity while preserving essential workflows.
Iterating and Testing
Developed design solutions through structured iteration phases:
Created low-fidelity concepts exploring multiple navigation paradigms
Refined solutions through mid-fidelity wireframes
Validated approaches through usability testing with field inspectors
Iterated based on both user feedback and technical constraints
Home page redesign
Through iterative testing of three home screen concepts - photo cards, map-centric, and list views - the list view emerged as optimal. While photo and map layouts showed promise, user testing revealed the list view best balanced efficiency, hierarchy, and scalability for inspectors' daily workflows.
Attaching images to items
Initial testing revealed inspectors struggled with a nested camera menu, particularly in challenging spaces like crawl spaces and roofs. Separating camera and gallery buttons streamlined the photo capture process, significantly reducing documentation time.
Handling deep nested navigation
Evolved navigation from full breadcrumbs to a Split Header design, combining a back button with dropdown title—balancing quick access with hierarchical context for inspectors.
Final product walkthrough
Simplified Navigation
Research revealed navigation complexity was a major pain point, particularly on the home page. Implemented a streamlined card-based system with quick actions and clear status indicators, reducing interaction steps by 50%. The new layout prioritizes critical information and common tasks, improving field efficiency while maintaining familiarity.
Before Information Architecture
No clear indication of what actions are available
No way to quickly sort or filter appointments
No visual distinction between past/future appointments
Missing Features Basic list-only view No status indicators
Homepage in Legacy app
New Redesigned homepage page
This redesign better serves inspectors' needs by:
☑️ Showing more information at a glance
☑️ Providing quick access to essential actions
☑️ Making status and timing clear
☑️ Enabling easy filtering and sorting
☑️ Using space efficiently while maintaining readability
Homepage key interactions
The redesigned homepage allows users to call, send messages, get map directions, and view detailed property information with a single click, optimizing accessibility for inspectors in the field.
Homepage
Call screen
Message screen
Feedback
Maps
Design solution for photo management problems
Streamlined photo management workflow
Field research showed inspectors struggled with photo organization and sync issues. Introduced a category-based gallery with batch operations and automatic organization. This system eliminated manual sorting time and reduced documentation friction, enabling inspectors to focus on their assessment rather than administrative tasks.
Legacy app
New Redesigned gallery page
Gallery Management System: Streamlining Field Inspection Documentation
Implemented an intuitive photo management system with automated categorization and batch operations, significantly reducing documentation time for field inspectors.
New Redesigned gallery page
Moving images from one topic to another
Selects destination screen
Confirmation
Images attached to the topics "Roofing"
Images attached
Actions menu
Improved offline & syncing reliability
Addressing critical field reliability issues, implemented a comprehensive offline-first approach with clear sync status indicators. The new system provides immediate feedback on data status and automatically handles background syncing, eliminating data loss concerns and reducing support tickets related to sync failures.
Offline mode notification
Offline mode status with a persistent indicator
Offline mode status with a persistent indicator
Internet available notification
Internet connectivity restoration alerts
Syncing
Active syncing progress
Sync failure message
Successful sync completion notifications
Sync completed
Visual error with 'View detail' option
Sync error details page
Specific error messaging
Specific error messaging
Enhancing efficiency while preserving familiar workflows.
Contexual bottom nav bar
Implemented a context-aware navigation system that transitions between global and inspection-specific tools, optimizing for single-inspection workflows while preserving quick access to essential features
Complex inspection hierarchies required clear location context. While initially simplifying to a back button, user testing revealed the need for more guidance. The solution: a contextual dropdown header that appears at deeper navigation levels, providing clarity without cluttering the interface."
Breadcrumbs navigation on legacy app
Before
Uses backslashes (\) instead of standard forward slashes (/) or (>)
No spacing around separators making it hard to read
Abbreviated terms ("Ro" instead of "Roofing")
No visual distinction between levels
No visual feedback for current location
Low contrast gray text on dark blue is hard to read
Breadcrumbs redesign
Breadcrumbs redesign
After Information Hierarchy:
Clear back navigation
Current context "Roofing material" as large title
Dropdown shows full path and marks "Current" location
Maintains context without cluttering the interface
After Field Inspector Benefits:
No learning curve - uses patterns they know
Large touch targets for gloved hands
Clear visibility of current location
Quick navigation between sections
Minimal cognitive load during inspections
Job details
Consolidated critical inspection tools into a unified mobile interface based on field feedback. This streamlined solution eliminated platform switching, enabling inspectors to complete assessments entirely on mobile.
Original legacy design
Redesigned job details page
Redesigned job details page
Reports
Search: Transforming Dense Lists into Actionable Results
Search: Transforming Dense Lists into Actionable Results
Implemented card-based search with categorization and previews, enabling inspectors to quickly locate and document findings on-site.
Search on the legacy app
Dense inspection data in a list-based results
Redesigned search page results
Card layout with clear, filters, categorization, and content previews.
Card layout with clear, filters, categorization, and content previews.
Voice search
Interactive voice search
Interactive voice search
Visual Design & UI Kit
In addition to addressing user experience challenges, I gave the interface a contemporary upgrade, seamlessly merging Carson Dunlop's branding with modern mobile user interface guidelines. Also, I devised a thorough, adaptable UI component collection that encompasses all standard patterns, guaranteeing uniformity and growth potential across the platform. Worked together with the development team to guarantee practicality and smooth design-development transition.
Project Outcome and Challenges Due to Organizational Changes
While the platform launched successfully, long-term metric tracking was interrupted due to organizational changes. To measure success and impact, I would have monitored the following:
Boosted platform usage and positive feedback, highlighting improved efficiency.
Increased daily active users, showing strong workflow adoption.
Higher legacy system migrations, reflecting a smooth transition.
Fewer support tickets and higher retention, demonstrating user satisfaction.
Reduced inspection errors, indicating better data validation.
Faster onboarding, showcasing an intuitive interface.
Lessons Learned
User Research Impact: Field research with inspectors uncovered key mobile workflow insights and validated design decisions through real-world testing.
Iterative Design Process: Regular feedback loops enabled quick adjustments to meet specific inspector needs, balancing familiar workflows with modern improvements.
Industry Insights: Collaborating with field inspectors highlighted the need for simple interfaces, offline functionality, one-handed use, and streamlined data entry—shaping our mobile-first design approach.
