Fortress

Improve HR productivity for remote teams

Company

Dwarves Foundation

Position

Designer (CONTR)

Year

2019

Market

Vietnam, Internal Tool

Challenges

By 2019, Dwarves Foundation was growing fast. With over 100 employees, HR operations struggled to keep up. New hires felt lost during onboarding, employee data was scattered across tools, and repetitive tasks consumed hours of manual work every week. Instead of focusing on growth and company culture, HR managers were stuck fixing errors and firefighting routine issues.

Solution

To solve those problems, Dwarves Foundation team ideated on Fortress, an internal HR webapp that centralized workflows and automated repetitive tasks. I joined as a Design Consultant to build the platform with another UX Designer and ensure it serve the HR team.

I started with research—interviews and observational sessions with HR managers and executives—to see their pain points. The problems were clear: switching between disconnected tools slowed them down, manual errors caused frustration, and the onboarding process lacked structure and chaotic.

Quickly, I relied on these insights and bring everything into one place in Fortress. HR managers could manage employee data, track projects, and onboard new hires seamlessly. Automation took over the repetitive tasks, cutting errors and saving time. Enhanced employee profiles, with skills tracking and career paths, gave managers a tool to guide growth conversations and performance reviews.

I tested prototypes early and directly with HR staff. When the first designs felt overwhelming, I simplified the UI and prioritized clarity. The result was an app that felt simple and easy to use. Beyond the product itself, I designed illustrations for onboarding guides and internal communications to make the entire HR experience smoother and more engaging.

Impact

We launched the MVP in just two and a half months.

Within the first month, HR reported spending 25% less time on routine tasks. Onboarding changed immediately—ten new hires experienced a seamless process with no significant error. HR expressed that they were more proactive, and could focus on supporting company growth.

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