Redesigning 'Complot' urban GIS

Role

Product Designer

Platform

Web | SaaS | B2G / B2B / B2C

COMPANY

One City

Client

Complot

year

2025

At One City, I had the opportunity to redesign a spatial information system developed by Complot—used daily by city departments, planning firms, infrastructure teams, utility providers, and even residents.

It’s a complex, data-heavy platform with a wide range of professional users. My goal was to translate that complexity into a smooth and intuitive experience—one that makes people feel in control, not overwhelmed.

Before

After

The challenge

This was a legacy system built with care, depth, and a clear understanding of the domain.

Over time, as new features were added and use cases evolved, the experience became increasingly dense and harder to navigate.

Like many legacy systems, it carried layers of complexity that had built up gradually—serving many needs, but not always in intuitive ways.

My challenge was to respect the strength of what already existed, while reshaping the experience into something more usable, focused,

and easier to navigate for real-world users.

Visually-Heavy & Cluttered Interface

The outdated, visually heavy layout created visual overload, making it harder for users to process information quickly.

Non-Intuitive User Flows

Navigation patterns varied between modules, causing disorientation.

Long-Time Users Habbits

Maintain familiarity while modernizing UX

Map Could Not Be Altered

Resource limitations prevented changes to the map symbology.

Deep User Research

Still, there was a lot of room to improve. I began by

reviewing Google Analytics data to understand

actual user flows and drop-off points. Then I

audited the system end-to-end, mapped screens

and behaviors, researched similar GIS products in

Israel and abroad, and ran competitive

breakdowns.


Using path exploration in Google Analytics allowed me to understand user needs.

Insights

1

User-centric design

2

User-centric design

3

Visual overload and lack of tool hierarchy → confusion among non-technical users

No visual cues or guidance → difficult for occasional users to get started

Different needs: engineers required quick access to technical tools; residents sought simple, clear information

Varied experience levels → a single interface not adapted to frequency of use

Inconsistent navigation patterns between modules

No clear distinction between basic and advanced data layers

Critical tools buried in menus or requiring extensive search

Competitors offer more responsive, streamlined interfaces focused on casual users

Role-based personalization is becoming a market standard

Light onboarding flows improve initial adoption and ease of use

User-centric design

Navigation patterns varied between modules, causing disorientation

Working within the constraints

Working within the constraints

Navigation patterns varied between modules, causing disorientation

Simpler navigation

Existing map symbology and display were

locked in Phase 1

Existing map symbology and display were locked in Phase 1

Tools

Measurment tool

When I first joined the project, the request was to

refresh the UI. But after spending time with the

system, I realized it wasn't just about looks — it

was working against the people using it.

When I first joined the project, the request was to refresh the UI. But after spending time with the system, I realized it wasn't just about looks — it was working against the people using it.

Reframing the Problem

What if we rethink the system from the ground up?

To my surprise, the client didn't push back. We

aligned on key goals: keeping the map at the center

of the experience, preserving certain familiar

layouts for long-time users, and designing with

different professional users in mind.

What if we rethink the system from the ground up?


To my surprise, the client didn't push back. We aligned on key goals: keeping the map at the center of the experience, preserving certain familiar layouts for long-time users, and designing with different professional users in mind.

Visual System Upgrade

The final system wasn't just a visual upgrade. We

restructured everything — from the main navigation

bar, which centralized core actions, to clearer flows

and cleaner language that supported both experts

and everyday users.

The final system wasn't just a visual upgrade. We restructured everything — from the main navigation bar, which centralized core actions, to clearer flows

and cleaner language that supported both experts and everyday users.

User Testing & Validation

One moment that really stuck with me: I showed a

daily GIS user a feature she had never noticed —

because it was buried deep in the UI. Her reaction

said it all.

Addressing Edge Cases

Addressing Edge Cases

Since advanced features were put on hold for now,

and there were legacy elements — like map layers

and symbology — that had to stay as-is, the design

had to work around these constraints while still

feeling cohesive.

Since advanced features were put on hold for now, and there were legacy elements — like map layers and symbology — that had to stay as-is, the design had to work around these constraints while still feeling cohesive.

Impact & Reflection

The redesign transformed how users interact with

the system. Task completion improved

dramatically, and feedback from both experts and

casual users was overwhelmingly positive. This

project reinforced that sometimes the biggest

impact comes from questioning the brief itself.

The redesign transformed how users interact with the system. Task completion improved dramatically, and feedback from both experts and casual users was overwhelmingly positive. This project reinforced that sometimes the biggest impact comes from questioning the brief itself.

💡

"I've been looking for this for months!"

City Engineer

Needs advanced analytics and

layer management

Architect

Requires precise

measurements and planning

tools

Entrepreneur

Wants quick access to

infrastructure data

Resident

Needs simple, clear property

information

Water & Sewage

Engineer

Requires precise

measurements and planning

tools

Outcomes & Impact

45%

Faster task completion for non-experts

30%

Increase in dashboard usage

This redesign finally makes the GIS a tool we want to use

daily.

— Municipal Engineer

Want to see how I can create scalable, professional systems

for your organization?

Contact Me

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