Network Rail

A bespoke freight management application for Network Rail

UI Design Application Design

Network Rail, a leading provider of railway infrastructure in the UK, sought to streamline its freight management operations with the introduction of a cutting-edge application. Freight management at Network Rail was still running through spreadsheets and manual processes, which meant every entry relied on someone getting it right by hand, and there was plenty of room for things to go wrong. They needed an application that could take that risk out of the equation, and they needed it fast. The deadline was tight from the start, and that shaped how we worked from day one.

We embarked on a mission to design an intuitive and efficient user interface (UI) that would revolutionise freight management for Network Rail.

Networkrail Freight Dashboard

Rapid Prototyping with Figma

The real challenge wasn’t just designing a clean interface, it was making sure it worked for three very different types of user without feeling like three different products stitched together. On top of that, the app had to sit alongside Network Rail’s existing legacy systems, and any friction there would have meant delays nobody had time for.

We used Figma to move quickly, building wireframes and prototypes we could put in front of the client early, then adjusting as the feedback came in. That back-and-forth is what let us hit the deadline without cutting corners on the parts that mattered, like the visual hierarchy and the navigation, which needed to make sense instantly to people who don’t have time to learn a new system while managing live freight.

We kept coming back to one question: would someone on the floor, mid-shift, be able to find what they need without thinking twice? Every screen got tested against that before it made the cut.

Despite the tight deadline, the UI design for Network Rail's Freight Management Application was delivered on schedule, exceeding client expectations.

Testimonial

We are immensely impressed with the exceptional work delivered by Chemical Design on the Freight Management Application project. Despite the challenging deadline, they exhibited unwavering professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail, ultimately delivering a UI that surpassed our expectations.

Peter Eales, KOIOS Master Data

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