Sift SaaS
Sift is a SaaS platform used to carry out end-to-end systematic literature reviews. I conducted a user testing phase pre-launch, and worked closely with another UX designer and an engineering team to drive the visual side, leading to a design system which serves as a solid foundation for ongoing growth and scalability of the app.
Year
2025/2026
Role
UX Designer
WHAT IS SIFT?
Sift is an analysis tool designed to help users carry out complete, end-to-end systematic literature reviews (SLRs).
An SLR is a structured and in-depth investigation of a particular research question, conducted by analysing existing studies 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 main role on the project was to define the app’s visual identity and bring it to life through high-fidelity wireframes. I designed the initial wireframes before testing them with users in the next phase.
USER TESTING
Usability Testing
After the initial wireframes were designed, I lead a testing phase where I gave the app to users for the first time.
Moderated tests
I conducted tests with 6 users where I asked them to complete management and reviewer tasks on the first version of the app, whilst I observed and took notes. I tracked user behaviour, feedback and pain points in a spreadsheet.
Result analysis
By synthesising the data, I identified recurring themes supported by direct user quotes and behavioural insights during the test. I translated these into a list of bugs and design issues, and a proposed actionable solution for each, collaborating with stakeholders to rank the list in order of priority.
The process was really valuable to the project, and ensured every update was backed up by a real user problem, rather than assumptions.
The findings were added to Jira to iterate the design, working closely with our development team to handover updated designs and ensure seamless implementation.
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
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.
