Industry
Finance
Company
Farabi Financial Group
Optimizing the Watchlist: Reducing Errors and Cutting Task Time by 42%
I led the optimization of the watchlist feature for a financial trading dashboard, reducing task completion time by 42% and eliminating user errors through iterative usability testing and workflow refinement.
Problem
User behavior analysis via Microsoft Clarity and initial usability testing revealed that the watchlist feature suffered from high interaction cost and system rigidity. Traders struggled with unintuitive workflows—specifically the inability to modify the default "Portfolio" category—which resulted in frequent error states and frustrated users.
System Constraint Confusion: The "Portfolio" category was automated and locked, but this constraint was not clearly communicated to users, leading to repeated errors when they attempted to manually add or remove stocks.
High Interaction Cost: Adding a stock to a specific category required a complex, multi-step process (selecting a category first), which increased cognitive load and slowed down decision-making.
Lack of Visibility: Users had to manually toggle between categories to check if a stock was already being watched, violating the "Visibility of System Status" heuristic.
Solution
I executed a user-centered redesign focused on flexibility and Error Prevention. By restructuring the information architecture, I decoupled the "add" action from specific category views, creating a seamless flow that aligns with how traders actually think and work.
Proactive Error Prevention: Redesigned the flow to require category selection before addition, effectively removing the possibility of users trying to modify restricted system folders.
Streamlined Workflow: Enabled a "multi-select" functionality, allowing users to add a stock to multiple categories in a single action, significantly reducing clicks.
Enhanced Status Indicators: Implemented clear visual cues that show a stock's status instantly, eliminating the need to navigate back and forth to verify if an asset is being tracked.
Result & Outcome
The redesign was validated through post-launch usability testing, proving that removing friction points directly improved trader efficiency. We achieved a "zero-error" state for key tasks and drastically sped up the workflow for our most active users.
Efficiency Surge: Successfully cut the average task completion time by 42%, allowing traders to react to market changes significantly faster.
Error Elimination: Reduced the user error rate during stock management to 0% by "designing out" the confusing interaction patterns.
Task Mastery: Achieved a 100% scenario completion rate in validation testing, confirming that the new flow was intuitive for both pro users and newcomers.
Scalable Architecture: Established a robust pattern for list management that supports complex financial data without overwhelming the user interface.
