Emerge Palette Design System

Design Problem

Inefficient Existing Processes

The freight industry relies on outdated, manual processes like phone calls and emails, leading to inefficiencies in sourcing capacity, pricing, and shipment tracking. The design challenge was to create a user-friendly platform that streamlines these tasks for shippers, carriers, and brokers.

Complex User Needs

Catering to diverse users—shippers, carriers, and brokers—required a flexible interface that balances simplicity with robust functionality. Each group has unique workflows, making it critical to design a system that’s intuitive yet comprehensive.

Information Overload

Freight logistics involves complex data, such as pricing, capacity, and shipment details. The design needed to present this data clearly to avoid overwhelming users while ensuring quick access to actionable insights.

Consistency Across Platforms

Ensuring a cohesive user experience across web and mobile interfaces was essential, requiring a scalable design system that maintains consistency while adapting to different devices.

Doing inspired work

The design team kicked the process off by taking inventory of the current components floating between all of the Emerge applications. Once all inventory of styles and components were compiled, the team was able to move forward and introduce solutions to unify them. Over the course of three months, we created a robust system of foundational styles, unified system components, and voice guides for the product teams to rely on.

Introducing Palette Design System

In 2021, we launched the Palette Design System. This system provided consistency for the design team and a unified set of foundational components. For the first time, designers were able to utilize standard color palettes and could rely on consistent text and layer stylings. The designers found ways to add more delightful and unique experiences for their users by creating new, more expressive null states and custom components like radios and checkboxes. We focused on highlighting important moments in our user’s journey and making them feel more delightful when successfully completed.

System Foundations

System Components

Transit Cards

Table Styles

Constant evolution

We’ve been able to rely on the Palette Design system to help us build new functionality and scale our products quicker. In 2022, the team plans to continue to scale our design system, and the work to unify all applications will continue to be a theme leading into 2023.