2023 - Current
Product Designer
Spotnana.app →

From Feature to Platform: The Specialty Desk Evolution

Scaling Enterprise Travel

0-to-1 • B2B SaaS • Strategy

Scaling Enterprise Travel:
From Rigid Feature to Flexible Platform

How I pivoted a simple group booking request into a comprehensive B2B platform, unlocking global contracts with Amazon, Meta, and Tesla.

80%

Reduction in Admin Time

Trusted by

$Multi-Million

Volume Managed

Fortune 500

Adoption (Amazon, Meta, Tesla)

Template Configuration

The Initial Ask:
"Help Us Manage Group Events"

When I joined Spotnana, our largest client, Tesla, came to us with an urgent problem. They were managing large company offsites manually—using spreadsheets, endless email threads, and external agencies. The process was painfully slow, taking admins over 2.5 hours per event to organize. With a major global summit approaching, they needed a digital solution immediately.

The "Chaos" Collage. A background of a complex Excel sheet. Overlay screenshots of messy email threads and Slack messages like "Where is my ticket?" or "Is this approved?". Use red circles to highlight "Manual Entry" and "No Cost Control."

Rapid Delivery for Speed

To meet the tight deadline, I led the design of an MVP called "Events." Strategically, we decided to reuse our existing individual booking flows to minimize engineering effort. We successfully shipped the feature in time for Tesla's summit, validating the core need for group travel management.

A clean diagram: Create Event → Add Traveler $\to$ Book Trip. Next to it, a clean UI shot of the MVP "Event Details" page.

The "Scalability Trap"

But then we hit a wall. As we demoed "Events" to our next wave of enterprise prospects—Meta and Amazon—we realized the MVP wouldn't hold up. Their needs weren't just about "groups"; they needed to manage thousands of Candidates, Interns, and Guest Speakers.

I identified a critical Scalability Gap: The "Events" model was too rigid. It forced admins to treat every traveler the same. If we kept patching this feature, we would end up hard-coding rules for every new traveler type, creating massive technical debt.

The "Breaking Point" Diagram.

  • Left: A rigid circle labeled "Events MVP."

  • Right: Diverse shapes trying to fit in: Triangle ("Candidates"), Square ("Interns"), Star ("Guest Speakers").

  • Action: Show them clashing or overflowing. Label this tension point: "The Scalability Gap."

The Pivot:
From "Feature" to "Template Architecture"

I paused the roadmap and pitched a new strategic vision: The Specialty Desk (SPD). Instead of building specific features for "Candidates" or "Interns," we would build a Template Engine.

This architecture allows Admins to create their own travel types by mixing and matching modular policies. This meant we could support any future use case without writing a single line of new code.

The "Lego" Architecture. Show a modular system diagram. A core "SPD Engine" at the bottom. Above it, "Template Modules" (Policy, Payment, Profile) snapping together to form different outputs like "Candidate Trip" or "Intern Program."

Mastering Complexity:
The Template Builder

Leveraging my legal background, I architected the logic for a "No-Code" style configuration tool. This interface allows Admins to define complex permission and payment rules effortlessly. For example, ensuring a "Recruiter" can only view their specific candidates, or that "Interns" are restricted to Economy class.

High-Fidelity UI (Template Builder). A polished shot of the configuration screen. Zoom in on a specific toggle or dropdown (e.g., "Payment Method: Central Card Only") to show the granularity of control.

Efficiency at Scale:
The Smart Data Grid

To solve the manual entry pain point, I designed a Smart Data Grid. It allows admins to upload bulk data (e.g., 500 candidates) which the system auto-validates against the selected template. Errors are flagged instantly for in-line correction, replacing email back-and-forth with a streamlined workflow.

Motion / GIF.

Show the bulk upload process: File Drag & Drop $\to$ Loading Spinner $\to$ Grid appears with 2 red rows (errors) $\to$ User clicks and fixes one $\to$ Row turns green.

Execution:
Unblocking the Team

Execution was tough. We had no PRD and a remote team. I created 'Assumption Zones' in Figma to separate 'Ready for Dev' work from 'In Progress' ideas. This kept the engineers unblocked and building, while I clarified edge cases with the PM."

Figma Workspace Screenshot. A zoomed-out view of your design file. Use colorful tags overlaid on the image: 🟢 Dev Ready, 🟡 Needs PM, 🔵 Logic Flow.

The Result:
Business & User Impact

The pivot to a Platform architecture was the key differentiator that allowed Spotnana to sign Amazon, Meta, and Walmart.

  • Scalability: When Amazon later requested a "Return to Office" travel program, we configured it using existing templates in 2 days—zero code required.

  • Efficiency: We reduced Admin operational time by 80% (from 2.5 hours to <30 minutes).

Before & After.

  • Left (Grayed out): The "Chaos" image from Slide 2. Text: "2.5 Hours."

  • Right (Bright): The final UI from Hero Section. Text: "< 30 Minutes."

  • Bottom: Large logos of the Fortune 500 clients.