Sift SaaS Platform
Sift is a SaaS platform used to carry out end-to-end systematic literature reviews. I worked closely with a UX designer and engineering team to drive the visual side, designing high-fidelity wireframes and building a complete design system to serve as a solid foundation for ongoing growth and scalability of the app.
Year
2025
Role
UI Designer
WHAT IS SIFT?
Sift is an analysis tool designed to help users carry out complete, end-to-end systematic literature reviews.
What is a systematic literature review (SLR)? An SLR is a structured and in-depth investigation of a particular research question, conducted by analysing existing studied and publications on the topic. Researchers search databases like PubMed using defined keywords to identify relevant records. The data is downloaded, screened and evaluated for quality and relevance – this is where Sift comes in.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
The old app had solid functionality but was limited in what it could offer. Many of its features had been added reactively over time rather than intentionally designed as part of a cohesive system. What began as quick solutions eventually formed a fragmented product.
This created a patchwork experience for users – workflows felt clunky, navigation wasn't intuitive, and simple tasks took longer than they should due to inconsistent patterns. The app needed a thoughtful, end-to-end redesign.
1 | Poor UX
Clunky workflows and inconsistent navigation have created unnecessary friction for teams.
2 | Business goals
The current app doesn’t reflect Costello’s quality or capabilities.
3 | Limited functionality
Supports only part of the SLR process, not the full end-to-end workflow.
DESIGN
Interface Design
My role on the project was to define the app’s visual identity and bring it to life through high-fidelity wireframes, working closely with our development team to ensure seamless implementation.
Below is a selection of some of the key screens that illustrate the breadth of the user journey – highlighting the different stages, the technical information, and the depth of content that had to be carefully designed and structured.
DESIGN SYSTEM
Using the company's brand guidelines and the Material3 design kit as a starting point, I worked with another designer to build a complete design system for the app alongside designing.
Tokens
We selected colours and typography, and applied token values across the design. This streamlines the build process, and lays the groundwork for easier maintenance and future scalability.
Components
Creating reusable components was essential to designing the app efficiently and accurately, ensuring a consistent visual language across every page.
FINAL EXPERIENCE
PROJECTS
Review individual project progress and manage records through the app's dashboard and project area.
SCREENING STAGES
Carry out the full end-to-end SLR process all in one place through the app – from screening records to extracting data and analysing final results.