Revamping a logistics management platform, cutting processing time by over 40%

C4 Logistics operates a time‑critical transport platform with three interconnected portals: Admin, Supplier, and Customer. Each portal had grown outdated, cluttered, and difficult to navigate.

- Users struggled with disorganised data. 
- Call‑to‑action structures were missing. 
- Branding was inconsistent. 
- Navigation forced unnecessary steps, slowing workflows and increasing cognitive load. 

The project was sponsored by C4 Logistics and prioritised resolving critical usability issues and aligning the portals with the company’s brand identity. Initially framed as a UI to refresh, discovery revealed deeper problems: fragmented information architecture, poor readability, and unprofessional presentation. 

The redesign became a comprehensive overhaul. 

- A unified design system was introduced to establish brand consistency. 
- Sidebar navigation was implemented to streamline workflows. 
- WCAG‑compliant accessibility standards ensure maximum readability.

The result was a professional, scalable platform that improved usability across Admin, Supplier, and Customer portals.

The redesign demanded more than a cosmetic refresh. It requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses usability, branding, and scalability. Discovery revealed that the portals’ problems went beyond aesthetics, with disorganised information architecture and missing CTAs actively slowing down user workflows. 

1. User research and discovery: Conducted stakeholder interviews and heuristic audits to identify pain points such as cluttered interfaces, missing CTAs, and a lack of branding. Representative feedback included: “It was hard to know where to click first; everything felt like it was competing for my attention.”   

2. Information architecture: Audited 326 screens and reorganised modules into a sidebar navigation model, streamlining workflows and reducing cognitive load across Admin, Supplier, and Customer portals.   

3. UX and UI design: Built a unified design system with reusable components (typography, colours, CTA styles, sidebar, dashboards) to ensure consistency, speed, and brand alignment.   

4. Full-stack development: Collaborated closely with developers to implement the design system within ASP.NET Web Forms, SQL Server, and IIS, overcoming legacy constraints while maintaining security.   

5. Accessibility and usability: Applied WCAG‑compliant contrast ratios and typography weights to maximise readability and usability for diverse user groups.   

6. QA and collaboration: Designers participated in QA, testing every screen. Small team collaboration enabled quick iteration and adaptation to an unpredictable scope. 

The redesign began with a unified design system to ensure brand consistency and professional usability across Admin, Supplier, and Customer portals. Instead of wireframing every screen, the team adopted a component‑based strategy, creating a reusable library of UI elements, typography, colour palettes, CTA styles, dashboards, and sidebar navigation. This approach accelerated delivery and guaranteed consistency across 326 screens. 

Admin dashboard: Early layout for system‑wide data management 

Job status view: Simplified workflow for logistics tracking 

Customer portal view: Streamlined order tracking and profile management 

Admin dashboard: Modernised layout with improved readability and clear hierarchy 

Job detail screen: Pptimised CTAs and organised detail grids for sensitive information 

Supplier portal: Smooth sidebar navigation and consistent styling across modules 

Captions highlight improvements: Readability “a thousand‑fold,” modern look, and brand alignment. 

The redesign required deep integration with C4’s legacy ASP.NET Web Forms infrastructure. Collaboration between design and engineering was critical, as sensitive backend logic limited direct design access. By providing a reusable component library, the UI/UX designer enabled developers to implement changes efficiently without disrupting backend systems. 

Front end: ASP.NET Web Forms with shared user controls, enhanced with Tailwind CSS for modern styling 

Back end: SQL Server database with ADO.NET, IIS hosting, and session management 

Integrations: REST API endpoints supported cross‑portal functionality 

Security: Forms Authentication and InProc sessions ensured secure access across Admin, Supplier, and Customer portals 

Collaboration: Designers and developers worked closely to overcome unpredictability, designing missing screens on demand 

QA: Designers participated in testing every screen, ensuring usability and consistency across all portals 

Security: Forms Authentication and InProc sessions ensured secure access across Admin, Supplier, and Customer portals 

Tech stack: ASP.NET · SQL Server · IIS · Tailwind · REST API · Figma 

The C4 Portals redesign delivered measurable impact across every user role. Processing time for quotes and jobs dropped by over 40%, with workflows becoming more logical and easier to navigate for the internal team.

Customs teams reported faster adoption and time savings in their day-to-day operations. Carriers found driver requirement management significantly easier, moving more of their work online as a result. New transport customers described the platform as credible and professional - giving them confidence in C4's service before a single conversation took place.

Internally, the transformation went beyond usability. The admin team now feels proud to onboard new employees and present the portals to prospects - a platform that finally reflects C4's efficiency and capabilities.

The portals scaled smoothly to accommodate diverse permission levels and regional needs, meeting every success criteria set at the start of the project.

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We also redesigned C4 Logistics' public-facing website - see that case study →