Case study—

Case study—

Designing a new operating system for the construction back-office

Designing a new operating system for the construction back-office

Summary

Trayd is a construction back-office operating system consisting of web and mobile apps for subcontractors, construction workers, and general contractors. Trayd has raised capital from some of the best venture capital firms, including Bloomberg Beta and Y Combinator. Trayd hired me to help them with their product design and UX.

Role

Contract product designer 2023-2024

A compilation of different views from the app from desktop to mobile.
A compilation of different views from the app from desktop to mobile.
A compilation of different views from the app from desktop to mobile.

[ Fig 1 ]

Examples of Trayd's desktop and mobile views.

Examples of Trayd's desktop and mobile views.

The all-in-one construction back-office platform

The all-in-one construction back-office platform

I was introduced to Trayd in the summer of 2023 and fell in love with its mission. Trayd is an all-in-one construction back-office platform designed to streamline day-to-day operations. The company was going through the summer 2023 Y Combinator startup accelerator when I met the team.

Born into a construction family, Trayd's CEO, Anna Berger, saw how she could improve the many siloed systems in the field. She teamed up with her lifetime friend and fantastic software engineer, Cara Kessler, as her co-founder. Together they're building the single back-office operating system, with payments at its core.

Views from the iOS app.
Views from the iOS app.

[ Fig 2 ]

Trayd's wallet, time tracking, and cash-out iOS views.

Trayd's wallet, time tracking, and cash-out iOS views.

I started working with Trayd as they finished Y Combinator (YC). As a YC alumni, I understand how difficult it is for founders to build a high-growth startup. Design is often overlooked and deprioritized for speed to market and engineering productivity. Yet, most of the top YC-backed startups had a strong emphasis on design excellence from the beginning, including Airbnb, Stripe, Brex, Webflow, Flexport, etc.

A compilation of different designs from the scheduling section of the platform.
A compilation of different designs from the scheduling section of the platform.
A compilation of different designs from the scheduling section of the platform.

[ Fig 3 ]

Scheduling component examples.

Scheduling component examples.

Transforming an old industry

Construction payroll and back-office software are antiquated industries with poor UX. I love to address product spaces like this because end users are often blown away when a product focuses on design.

Old industries can be transformed with new web technologies and a fantastic user experience, and when they're transformed, innovative startups become multi-billion dollar businesses. I witnessed this firsthand as Flexport's first designer.

Responsibilities

• Building and maintaining Trayd's design system

• Designing responsive web, tablet, and mobile apps

• User testing and optimizing the Trayd platform

A compilation of different views and UI components from the platform.
A compilation of different views and UI components from the platform.
A compilation of different views and UI components from the platform.

[ Fig 4 ]

A compilation of components from the subcontractor platform.

A compilation of components from the subcontractor platform.

Trayd also reminded me of when I started at Flexport in 2014. Both companies were freshly out of YC, had just raised their first rounds of capital, and addressed an old industry.

The Trayd platform includes desktop, tablet, and mobile apps for different roles within the construction industry. It includes time and attendance tracking, worker management and onboarding, payroll, worker cashout, scheduling and shift automation, and reporting.

Views from the payroll section of the app.
Views from the payroll section of the app.
Views from the payroll section of the app.

[ Fig 5 ]

Construction payroll views and components.

Construction payroll views and components.

Back-office workers can review, approve, and run payroll in a few simple steps. Trayd’s compliance features ensure workers are being paid correctly and quarterly tax filings are submitted on time.

The mobile app is designed to capture field attendance through geolocation and track hours worked. The construction foreman can view shift details and clock workers in and out. Construction workers benefit from earned wage access in real-time.

Screenshots from the worker and subcontractor schedule section of the app.
Screenshots from the worker and subcontractor schedule section of the app.
Screenshots from the worker and subcontractor schedule section of the app.

[ Fig 6 ]

Trayd's worker and subcontractor schedule views.

Trayd's worker and subcontractor schedule views.

Trayd's scheduling features help subcontractors manage their workers' shifts easily and efficiently. Workers then receive push notifications and SMS messages on their phones regarding upcoming shifts, reducing the need for manual processes.

The Trayd subcontractor web app makes it easy to onboard new workers and streamline compliance. Once onboarded, construction workers can complete their profiles and gain access to the platform's many benefits.

Views from the reporting and analytics section of the subcontractor app.
Views from the reporting and analytics section of the subcontractor app.
Views from the reporting and analytics section of the subcontractor app.

[ Fig 7 ]

Reporting views and components.

Reporting views and components.

The Trayd platform culminates in real-time reporting and custom dashboards showcasing business performance. Users can view, download, and create complex reports in minutes.