Digitizing Asset Management at Nutrien
The Overview
The initiative focused on digitizing asset maintenance, utilization, and optimization processes that were historically handled manually through complex, data-heavy documents. This created a significant cognitive burden for Regional Finance Managers, who were required to interpret and act on fragmented information while making profitability decisions. Alongside asset workflows, the platform also needed to support user management for owners responsible for purchasing or leasing assets.
My role as a Senior UX Designer involved leading discovery, research, cross-functional alignment, and end-to-end design to establish a scalable, user-centered foundation for a new product ecosystem.
Understanding the Landscape
Stakeholder Mapping & Discovery
I began by identifying and mapping all project stakeholders across operations, finance, product, engineering, and asset ownership. Through in-depth discussions and a co-creation workshop, we aligned on the core business goals, operational constraints, and success metrics. This shared understanding set the stage for a structured and collaborative design process.
Product ecosystem mapping workshop in progress
Rapid Discovery & Assumption Surfacing
Before meeting end-users, I reviewed all available artifacts: reports, spreadsheets, workflows and documented what was known versus unknown. This helped isolate hidden assumptions and prepare targeted research questions.
User research work in progress
Deep User Research
Field Study & Ethnographic Research
To ground the design in real behaviors, I conducted field visits at the users’ actual work locations. Observing them interact with existing tools revealed inefficiencies impossible to catch in an office setting such as workarounds, reliance on manual checks, and unexpected decision-making dependencies.
This research became foundational for:
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Persona development, anchored in real motivations, frustrations, and workflows
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Empathy mapping, which helped the team internalize user emotions and pressures
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Journey mapping, highlighting bottlenecks and missed opportunities
This approach shifted the team from assumption-driven thinking to a truly user-centered mindset.
Field research in progress
Empathy map
Building a User-Centered Culture
Cross-Functional Journey Mapping Workshops
I facilitated journey mapping sessions with product managers, engineers, project managers, marketing, and sales. By co-creating the journeys, the team began to see the product not as a feature set, but as a holistic decision-support tool for real people with real constraints.
The workshops led to:
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Clear alignment on user goals vs. business objectives
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Shared prioritization criteria
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Recognition of the cognitive load issues that the new platform needed to solve
This collaborative structure also built trust—team members felt genuinely invested in the outcomes.
User journey mapping workshop
Creating reusable templates for current and future state user journeys
Design Exploration & Iteration
Conceptualization & Wireframing
With insights aligned, my co-designer and I translated research into design concepts. We explored multiple approaches through low- to mid-fidelity wireframes, which were continuously reviewed with users and internal teams.
This iterative process surfaced:
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Technical constraints
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Data limitations
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Visualization challenges
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Feasibility trade-offs
The goal was not just usability—it was reducing cognitive load through clarity, consistency, and decision-support design.
Design brainstorming sessions
Data Visualization Research
Given the platform's data-heavy nature, I conducted a comparative analysis of visualization techniques and benchmarked against industry tools. This ensured that design decisions were grounded in best practices and tailored to high-stakes financial review workflows.
Images used from other products for research purposes
Consistency Check Across the Organization
Although the platform was a fresh implementation, I performed a cross-product consistency audit across different business units. Aligning visual patterns, interaction models, and component structures helped ensure a unified experience across the organization.
Experience consistency research with other products within the organization
Establishing a Visual Identity
I led a visual identity workshop to align on the overall look and feel of the product. Using moodboards grounded in the organization’s brand and design system, we defined a cohesive visual direction that balanced corporate standards with functional clarity.
High-fidelity Designs
Process & Team Dynamics
Continuous Feedback as a Resilience Strategy
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The project was not without challenges, especially as requirements evolved and teams navigated cross-functional dependencies. To manage this, I established a rhythm of structured feedback loops—engaging users, stakeholders, and engineers at regular intervals.
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This approach ensured:
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Early detection of misalignment
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Reduced redesign churn
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Stronger team trust and transparency
Impact
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Introduced a research-driven, user-centered culture in a traditionally operations-driven domain
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Simplified a complex, manual, data-heavy workflow into structured, usable digital flows
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Reduced cognitive load for key decision-makers through optimized information architecture and visualizations
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Improved cross-team alignment through co-creation workshops and consistent design processes
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Designed the foundations of a scalable asset management ecosystem with clear personas, journeys, and visual identity