The Problem
Tight deadlines. A moving target. Real stakes.
Every year, ahead of a major international product launch, the client needs a fully operational prototype that replicates a mobile OS for internal tech support use. Staff use it in place of the physical device to walk customers through issues in real time.
The catch: the OS is still in beta during development, which means the target is moving the entire time. This requires tight communication and precise execution to maintain quality across every iteration.
Challenges
Three things that made this hard.
- Real-Time Adjustments Continuously adapted to changes in a Beta operating system, requiring rapid iteration while maintaining design quality.
- High-Volume Design Work Managed a large volume of design tasks in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, balancing efficiency with precision to meet deadlines.
- Multilingual Development Delivered the internal client tool in four languages, requiring careful attention to detail to ensure accuracy and consistency across all versions.
Year by Year
Two years. Two very different roles.
2025
Came back as Design Lead and started by teaching the automated workflow to the full team. Once everyone was running it, the pace across the board was noticeably faster. That freed me to move into compilation and lead responsibilities earlier than expected.
Midway through, two of the other design leads dropped off the project. I absorbed their work, kept QA moving, and served as the primary point of contact with the client. We finished on time, ahead of the previous year's timeline.
2024
The work was tedious by nature — building prototype screens meant constant screenshotting and manual stitching, repeated across hundreds of states. Early on I started looking for a better way and found a set of Photoshop scripts that automated the repetitive parts entirely. Once the workflow was dialed in, I was days ahead of schedule and the output was more consistent too.
That efficiency created room to absorb extra work from teammates and keep the team on track. At the end of the project, the leads asked me to come back the following year, this time as Design Lead, and to bring the workflow with me.
Results
Can't show it. But it's working.
The tool has been in active deployment since launch. Project managers on both the Huge and client sides noted the quality and pace of delivery.
On the ground, it does what it was built to do: support staff can walk a customer through a device issue without needing the physical hardware in front of them. That's the outcome.
What I'd do differently: The workflow handoff in 2025 went well overall, but I underestimated the onboarding curve. There was some initial confusion that required one-on-one follow-up with a few team members. I saw it coming and didn't do enough about it. Next time I'd build a proper onboarding session before anyone touches the workflow — not a quick demo, an actual walkthrough with time to ask questions.
Takeaways
What this taught me.
Anticipating Mistakes
You can't assume people know how or when to do something. Being a leader means spotting where things are likely to go wrong and preemptively guiding the team.
Thriving in Fast-Paced Environments
Both years confirmed something I already suspected: I do my best work when the pace is high and the stakes are real. Tight timelines don't drain me. They focus me.
Resilience Under Pressure
Things will inevitably go wrong. When two design leads left mid-project, I was able to regroup, refocus, and keep the project moving forward without losing momentum.
This project is under NDA, but I'm happy to walk through it in more detail. Get in touch.