From a patchwork proof of concept to one folder-based structure, a foundation for views, filtering and grouping that users already know from their desktop.

Context

As Hyro expanded, the need for a unified, intuitive file and user management system became clear.

Hyro is Purple Digital’s enterprise presentation platform, used in immersive experience rooms and customer experience centres. Behind every presentation sits a lot of material: media files, documents, projects, and the people who need access to them. File and user management is where all of that is organised.

That part of the platform started life as a proof of concept, built by a new designer together with a team of developers. It did its job at the time. But as Hyro grew into more sectors and larger organisations, features were added on top of that early foundation without a shared plan. The result was a UI that worked, but didn’t hold together.

My brief: building on the Story Designer redesign and the new Hyro design system, design a new concept for file and user management that brings structure, consistency and room to grow.

Before — a proof of concept that outgrew itself

What started as a quick proof of concept had become a barrier to everyday work.

1. Fragmented UI

   • Files and users were managed in two areas that didn’t feel like part of the same product.

   • Without a unified design language, the two sections used conflicting visual elements and inconsistent flows.

   • Moving between them meant adjusting to different patterns each time.

2. No logical structure

   • There was no clear underlying model for how files and projects related to each other.

   • Content wasn’t organised in a way that matched how users think about their material.

   • That made things hard to find, and harder still as the amount of content grew with enterprise clients.

3. Simple actions, too many steps

   • Common actions, such as opening a document, took more steps than they should.

   • Navigation wasn’t intuitive, and users had to work around the interface rather than with it.

Why it mattered

As Hyro moved into new sectors, more users with different needs relied on this part of the product. A fragmented, unstructured UI slowed them down and undermined the coherent, professional experience the rest of the platform was moving toward. Adding more features on top would only make it worse. The foundation itself needed rethinking.

After — one coherent, familiar system

Familiar patterns, consistent design, room to grow.

• A folder-based structure

  • At the heart of the new concept is a simple, logical model: folders to structure files and projects.

  • It’s a pattern everyone already understands, so users don’t need to learn a new mental model to find, organise or share their material.

• Desktop-familiar patterns

  • Hyro is used mainly on desktop, so I deliberately leaned on patterns people already know from desktop file managers.

  • Navigating folders, selecting items and acting on them works the way users expect, which lowers the learning curve for new teams joining the platform.

• A foundation for views, filtering and grouping

  • Because content now has a consistent structure underneath, the same files can be presented in different ways.

  • The concept provides the foundation for different views and for filtering and grouping content, so users can work with large collections in whatever way suits their task.

• Streamlined common actions

  • Frequent actions such as opening documents were restructured to remove unnecessary steps, so the most common work is also the quickest.

• One visual language

  • Files and user management now share the components and styles of the Hyro design system.

  • A clear visual hierarchy makes key actions and information easy to spot.

  • A set of newly designed, custom icons gives the interface a consistent visual language that also reinforces Hyro’s brand.

Bridge — how I got there

Structure first, then consistency, then room to grow.

1. Untangle the existing UI

   • I mapped the existing file and user management screens and their flows, identifying where patterns conflicted and where users had to take unnecessary steps.

   • That showed the core issue: the problem wasn’t individual screens but the lack of an underlying structure.

2. Choose a model users already know

   • Instead of inventing a new way to organise content, I built the concept around folders for files and projects.

   • A familiar model meant less to learn and gave the rest of the design a solid logical base to build on.

3. Design for desktop, on purpose

   • Knowing Hyro is used mainly on desktop, I chose desktop-focused interaction patterns over generic web or mobile ones.

   • That let the interface feel like a capable work tool rather than a simplified web page.

4. Build in flexibility for growth

   • With a consistent structure in place, I designed it so views, filtering and grouping could be layered on top, and so new features would have a logical place to go.

   • Thoughtful use of space left room for future expansion without cluttering the interface.

5. Apply the design system

   • I brought the screens in line with the new Hyro design system and designed a custom icon set, so files and user management finally looked and behaved like the rest of the platform.

   • Throughout, I reviewed the concept with the PM, developers and tester to keep it feasible to build.

Reflection

• Familiar beats clever. The strongest decision in this project was not to invent anything new. Using folders and desktop patterns people already understand made the concept immediately usable.

• Structure enables features. Getting the underlying model right is what makes views, filtering and grouping possible. Without it, every new feature would have been another patch on top.

• A shared vision matters. The concept gave the team a clear direction for Hyro’s future and created real excitement across the company, from developers to stakeholders. That alignment is a valuable outcome in itself, even before anything ships.

• What’s next. Build the concept and validate it with real users: measure how quickly they find and manage files and whether the new structure holds up as content grows.