Cotiss, best practice procurement, simplified.
Cotiss, best practice procurement, simplified.
Cotiss, best practice procurement, simplified.
CLIENT
Cotiss, best practice procurement, simplified
SECTOR
SaaS
Enterprise UX
Startup
DELIVERABLES
Multi-Vertical WebApp
Creative Strategy
Content
Procurement quietly powers everything from city infrastructure to a school’s inventory, yet its tools have long been joyless and opaque. From zero to launch, I led the creative strategy to build a modern product that tackles procurement’s tangled complexity.
YEAR
2022-2024
ROLE
Principal Product Designer & Creative Strategist @ Cotiss
Project Snapshot
Cotiss is a New Zealand-based SaaS startup simplifying procurement for small teams managing complex, high-stakes workflows. As Principal Product Designer, I led design across product, brand, and systems — helping take the platform from zero to launch over three years. The result: a focused, human-centred tool that replaces manual processes with structure, visibility, and calm.
THE NORTH STAR
Design a web-based procurement platform for lean teams — combining complex verticals into one cohesive product, with guided workflows that elevate transparency and support auditability, without the weight of traditional enterprise systems.
THE landscape
Before Cotiss, procurement for small and mid-sized teams was painfully slow and decidedly “unsexy.” Workflows limped along in bloated legacy suites—or worse, in spreadsheets, PDFs, and endless email threads—making every purchase cycle a manual, error-prone slog. Compliance checks were an afterthought, audits were nightmares, and visibility into spend or risk was almost nonexistent. The industry’s tools were built for sprawling enterprises, leaving lean teams to hack together processes that drained time, morale, and public money.
90% of Procurement is Manual
Spreadsheets, PDFs, and email threads remain the default tools for managing millions in spend.
90% of Procurement is Manual
Spreadsheets, PDFs, and email threads remain the default tools for managing millions in spend.
90% of Procurement is Manual
Spreadsheets, PDFs, and email threads remain the default tools for managing millions in spend.
Low Visibility = High Risk
average delay for public procurement project approvals
Low Visibility = High Risk
average delay for public procurement project approvals
Low Visibility = High Risk
average delay for public procurement project approvals
Fragmented Workflows Everywhere
Most small teams stitch together 5+ tools just to manage a single contract process.
Fragmented Workflows Everywhere
Most small teams stitch together 5+ tools just to manage a single contract process.
Fragmented Workflows Everywhere
Most small teams stitch together 5+ tools just to manage a single contract process.
Enterprise Tools Weren’t Built for Small Teams
Existing platforms are complex, expensive, and designed for departments 10x the size.
Enterprise Tools Weren’t Built for Small Teams
Existing platforms are complex, expensive, and designed for departments 10x the size.
Enterprise Tools Weren’t Built for Small Teams
Existing platforms are complex, expensive, and designed for departments 10x the size.
THE landscape
Before Cotiss, procurement for small and mid-sized teams was painfully slow and decidedly “unsexy.” Workflows limped along in bloated legacy suites—or worse, in spreadsheets, PDFs, and endless email threads—making every purchase cycle a manual, error-prone slog. Compliance checks were an afterthought, audits were nightmares, and visibility into spend or risk was almost nonexistent. The industry’s tools were built for sprawling enterprises, leaving lean teams to hack together processes that drained time, morale, and public money.
THE APPROACH
We set out to replace fragmented, manual procurement with a single, structured platform lean teams could trust for high-stakes work. Research confirmed users wanted clarity and audit-ready control, not endless settings, so we built guided flows that log every decision, simplify collaboration, and make compliance effortless yet calm. As Principal Product Designer, I defined the interaction models, navigation, and component system that keep Cotiss scalable and powerful—without overwhelming its users.
Unified, Not Siloed
We combined multiple procurement functions — sourcing, contracts, approvals — into one cohesive flow that replaced scattered tools and disconnected systems.
Unified, Not Siloed
We combined multiple procurement functions — sourcing, contracts, approvals — into one cohesive flow that replaced scattered tools and disconnected systems.
Unified, Not Siloed
We combined multiple procurement functions — sourcing, contracts, approvals — into one cohesive flow that replaced scattered tools and disconnected systems.
Guided by Design
Each workflow was structured to reduce cognitive load and support confident decision-making, even for users new to digital procurement.
Guided by Design
Each workflow was structured to reduce cognitive load and support confident decision-making, even for users new to digital procurement.
Guided by Design
Each workflow was structured to reduce cognitive load and support confident decision-making, even for users new to digital procurement.
Designed for Transparency
The platform automatically tracked every action, comment, and approval — making stakeholder accountability and audits effortless.
Designed for Transparency
The platform automatically tracked every action, comment, and approval — making stakeholder accountability and audits effortless.
Designed for Transparency
The platform automatically tracked every action, comment, and approval — making stakeholder accountability and audits effortless.
Balancing Compliance with Usability
We continuously navigated the tension between legal requirements and best-practice UX — designing interfaces that felt intuitive without compromising compliance.
Balancing Compliance with Usability
We continuously navigated the tension between legal requirements and best-practice UX — designing interfaces that felt intuitive without compromising compliance.
Balancing Compliance with Usability
We continuously navigated the tension between legal requirements and best-practice UX — designing interfaces that felt intuitive without compromising compliance.
THE APPROACH
We set out to replace fragmented, manual procurement with a single, structured platform lean teams could trust for high-stakes work. Research confirmed users wanted clarity and audit-ready control, not endless settings, so we built guided flows that log every decision, simplify collaboration, and make compliance effortless yet calm. As Principal Product Designer, I defined the interaction models, navigation, and component system that keep Cotiss scalable and powerful—without overwhelming its users.
What Shipped & Why It Matters
Procurement quietly powers everything from city infrastructure to a school’s next laptop order, yet its tools have long been joyless and opaque. Cotiss proves that thoughtful design—rooted in clarity, accountability, and empathy—can transform this “unsexy” backbone of society. By merging complex workflows into a guided, audit-ready experience, the platform gives procurement teams the visibility and confidence they’ve never had, turning routine purchasing into work that feels purposeful, transparent, and impactful.
Unified Multi-Vertical Platform
Integrated previously fragmented workflows into one cohesive, user-friendly interface.
Unified Multi-Vertical Platform
Integrated previously fragmented workflows into one cohesive, user-friendly interface.
Unified Multi-Vertical Platform
Integrated previously fragmented workflows into one cohesive, user-friendly interface.
Radically Improved Transparency
50% improvement in satisfaction from internal stakeholders
Radically Improved Transparency
50% improvement in satisfaction from internal stakeholders
Radically Improved Transparency
50% improvement in satisfaction from internal stakeholders
Compliance without Compromise
Successfully balanced stringent legal requirements with intuitive UX, empowering users without overwhelming them.
Compliance without Compromise
Successfully balanced stringent legal requirements with intuitive UX, empowering users without overwhelming them.
Compliance without Compromise
Successfully balanced stringent legal requirements with intuitive UX, empowering users without overwhelming them.
30 % Boost in Procurement ROI
Lean teams realised a direct 30 % lift in return on spend after switching to Cotiss.
30 % Boost in Procurement ROI
Lean teams realised a direct 30 % lift in return on spend after switching to Cotiss.
30 % Boost in Procurement ROI
Lean teams realised a direct 30 % lift in return on spend after switching to Cotiss.
25 % Faster Cycle Times
Average sourcing-to-contract timelines shrank by a quarter, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work.
25 % Faster Cycle Times
Average sourcing-to-contract timelines shrank by a quarter, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work.
25 % Faster Cycle Times
Average sourcing-to-contract timelines shrank by a quarter, freeing teams to focus on higher-value work.
Workdays, Streamlined
Internal stakeholders reported 50 % higher satisfaction as routine tasks became friction-free and focus shifted to strategic work.
Workdays, Streamlined
Internal stakeholders reported 50 % higher satisfaction as routine tasks became friction-free and focus shifted to strategic work.
Workdays, Streamlined
Internal stakeholders reported 50 % higher satisfaction as routine tasks became friction-free and focus shifted to strategic work.
What Shipped & Why It Matters
Procurement quietly powers everything from city infrastructure to a school’s next laptop order, yet its tools have long been joyless and opaque. Cotiss proves that thoughtful design—rooted in clarity, accountability, and empathy—can transform this “unsexy” backbone of society. By merging complex workflows into a guided, audit-ready experience, the platform gives procurement teams the visibility and confidence they’ve never had, turning routine purchasing into work that feels purposeful, transparent, and impactful.
CLIENT
Cotiss
SECTOR
Procurement
Enterprise UX
SaaS
DELIVERABLES
Multi-Vertical WebApp
Marketing Website
Branding
Procurement quietly powers everything from city infrastructure to a school’s inventory, yet its tools have long been joyless and opaque. From zero to launch, I led the creative strategy to build a modern product that tackles procurement’s tangled complexity.