ZorosAI aims to accelerate the future of the construction industry through AI-powered estimation, addressing inefficiencies and costly errors in manual processes.
As the first designer on board, I initially focused on establishing a strong brand identity to secure funding, then transitioned into UX/UI responsibilities to shape their digital platform.
Role
Visual + Product Designer
Toolkit
Figma, Figjam, Pencil + Paper
Date
Jan 2025 - Ongoing
Responsibilities
Brand identity (logo design & visual guidelines)
User research & interviews (identify pain points)
Ongoing Responsibilities:
User flows & information architecture
Low and high fidelity prototyping
Usability studies
Iterating on designs
Accounting for accessibility
THE PROBLEM
UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS NEEDS & GOALS
BUSINESS GOALS
The first phase involved in-depth discussions with the directors to define business goals and constraints, establishing a strategic framework to guide the project.
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Provide a service-driven platform for AI-powered construction estimates
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Target market: Subcontractors initially, expanding to builders and developers.
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Create a staff platform to streamline the estimation process, ensuring that internal teams can refine AI-generated estimates and guarantee accuracy.
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Offer a client portal for seamless communication, where users can upload projects, track progress, and receive estimates.
PRIORITY STAGES
01
Establish Brand and Secure Funding:
Establish a clear, modern identity that resonates with both investors and users to communicate the company’s mission and stand out in the market.
02
Develop Staff Platform: Create a backend system for internal users to input, review, and refine estimates produced by AI, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
03
Develop Client Portal: Build a platform where customers can upload project drawings, track progress, and receive AI-generated estimates.
04
Maintain and Improve Both Platforms: Continuously gather user feedback and test to refine both the client portal and the staff-facing system.
BRANDING
STAGE 1.0
CREATING THE BRAND
Kicking off the first stage of the project as their Visual Designer, I developed the logo and visual guidelines to enhance the brand, ensuring the company appeared professional and legitimate when pitching to investors.
In crafting the brand for this construction tech startup, the emphasis was on conveying precision, trust, and innovation. The company differentiates itself by offering a productised service, combining the power of AI with expert human oversight to ensure accurate estimates, rather than merely selling off-the-shelf software. The goal was to communicate a brand that is both reliable and forward-thinking — revolutionising the construction industry, starting with the critical estimation stage of the project lifecycle.
Logo design
Visual guidelines & mockups
IMPACT
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Established credibility: Developed a professional, cohesive brand identity that enhanced the company’s legitimacy
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Formed foundation for future design: Provided a strong visual identity that will guide future UX/UI design work, ensuring brand consistency and a seamless user experience as the platform evolves.
RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
STAGE 1.2
USER RESEARCH
Any effective design process begins with a deep understanding of the problem through user research. In this foundational phase, I employed a mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods to uncover key user pain points to assist with the first phase which is to secure funding.
Goals
01
Understand user needs and motivations
02
Identify pain points in manual estimation
03
Evaluate existing solutions in the market to identify gaps and opportunities for differentiation
04
Validate demand for the service
Secondary research
Conducting desktop research uncovered valuable quantitative data that really began painting a picture of the current problems within the industry and the current trends.
32% of construction cost overruns are attributed to estimating errors.
45% of construction professionals report spending excessive time fixing mistakes from rushed estimates
25% of contractors report that just 2-3 inaccurate estimates could put them out of business
The success rate for winning a project is only 18%.
Competitive audit
To identify market gaps, refine the product strategy, and validate design decisions, I conducted a competitive audit using SWOT analysis, which provided key insights and confirmed the company’s value in addressing a clear market need. The two main competitors are:
Focusing on a different user market
Having accuracy issues due to lack of human oversight
Still showcasing underdeveloped software despite having a head start
Surveys and interviews
A survey and series of phone interviews were conducted to get a clear picture of all the potential users as well as their characteristics, goals and pain points. This resulted in valuable qualitative data that really helped to narrow down the key painpoints.
“There was a small object in the drawing that represented a retractable awning which I completely missed during estimation. This small mistake ended up costing 50K that we didn’t account for”
“It’s a lot of time and effort put into something...Depending on the size of the job sometimes you need one or two estimators working on it full time for a full week - and you may not even get the job in the end”
"I feel like the process is very outdated...it's very manual, repetitive and menial"
KEY FINDINGS
Consolidating all the research revealed three key user pain points:
Repetitive and tedious estimation process
High risk of costly errors due to overlooked details
Time consuming - leading to inefficiencies and delays
IMPACT
These key findings were pivotal in shaping the pitch deck, contributing to securing $1.9 million in funding from one of Australia’s top three investors, as well as several angel investors.
USER PERSONA
The findings were distilled into a key user persona to help bridge research insights to design decisions by creating a clear picture of the target audience
UX/UI FRAMEWORK
STAGE 2.0
SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS
Even though the project is ongoing I made sure to communicate the next steps clearly so there is a strong and strategic framework in place as we navigate stage 2 of setting up the staff platform.
LEARNINGS
Looking back on the first phase of the project, I’ve reflected on a lot:
I gained valuable insight into the importance of using user research to validate and highlight user pain points, ensuring a thorough understanding of the issue. This foundation is essential, as it helps solidify the value of the idea, especially for investors.
I also had time to reflect on my interviewing skills, focusing on my language and word choices to limit bias. I’ve realised the importance of staying goal-oriented during interviews to ensure the questions are directly aligned with the research goals.