Decision 01
Start with the next useful candidate task.
The dashboard prioritizes progress, upcoming work, and clear routes into study and registration instead of mirroring the organization behind the platform.
Certiport North Star·Candidate platform · strategy → tested direction
I designed a candidate-first North Star that could expand to later roles and product states.
I co-led a three-year North Star initiative and, as Sole Product Designer, translated the candidate experience into a tested Figma prototype and phased roadmap built to support future roles and product states.
// RoleSole Product Designer · co-led North Star initiative
// AudienceCertification candidates first
// TeamProduct · engineering · research · leadership
// TimeframeThree-year direction · tested prototype
// MaturityValidated North Star + phased roadmap
// Signal~65% less program friction · 200K+ monthly
// Three product decisionsInterface first
Three decisions shaped the North Star.
Unify a fragmented candidate journey while creating a foundation that would not block later expansion to other roles and states.
Decision 02
Connect credentials to a visible pathway.
Pathways turn certifications from isolated transactions into a sequence a learner can understand and act on.
Decision 03
Make the record useful after the exam.
Transcript and credential states preserve achievement evidence and help candidates decide what comes next.
// UI evidenceAdditional product evidence
More of the candidate portal
Account, profile, dashboard, and post-exam UI states from the North Star portal direction.
Evidence and outcome
The candidate-first prototype made the strategy testable.
Moderated candidate research shaped the dashboard, pathways, transcript, and assistant entry points. The North Star became a tested prototype and phased roadmap.
// ReflectionLimits and next questions
The North Star was a tested direction, not a finished platform.
Tradeoff
Focusing first on candidates created clarity but required the foundation to remain extensible without implying every future persona was already designed.
Evidence boundary
The North Star itself was a tested direction and roadmap.
Next test
Validate later role-specific states as they enter the roadmap instead of assuming the candidate hierarchy transfers unchanged.
// Protected deep caseDecisions · evidence · edge cases
See the evidence behind the decisions.
Includes the role breakdown, evidence, edge cases, outcomes, and lessons.