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Launching a real-time operations platform for a national rail network (in 6 weeks)
Launching a real-time operations platform for a national rail network (in 6 weeks)
Role
Senior Product Designer at Pego
Senior Product Designer at Pego
Senior Product Designer at Pego
Responsibilities
Strategy, UI/UX, Prototyping, Testing
Strategy, UI/UX, Prototyping, Testing
Strategy, UI/UX, Prototyping, Testing
Date
November 2025
November 2025
November 2025
Overview
Pego is a UK-based startup which streamlines facilities management by connecting buildings, occupants, and operatives through a unified task management platform.
Pego was built for buildings. But one day, a large rail operator asked a bold question:
“Could your platform work for trains?”
They needed a way to manage in-transit and turnaround cleaning across an entire rail network - tracking operatives as they boarded and exited trains, reporting maintenance and cleanliness issues and giving the end client real visibility into network-wide performance.
Unlike buildings, trains and operatives are on the move. Constantly. And we had six weeks to deliver an MVP...
Pego is a UK-based startup which streamlines facilities management by connecting buildings, occupants, and operatives through a unified task management platform.
Pego was built for buildings. But one day, a large rail operator asked a bold question:
“Could your platform work for trains?”
They needed a way to manage in-transit and turnaround cleaning across an entire rail network - tracking operatives as they boarded and exited trains, reporting maintenance and cleanliness issues and giving the end client real visibility into network-wide performance.
Unlike buildings, trains and operatives are on the move. Constantly. And we had six weeks to deliver an MVP...
My role
As the Senior Product Designer, I mentored a junior designer and worked end-to-end across:
As the Senior Product Designer, I mentored a junior designer and worked end-to-end across:
Discovery & research with mobile operatives and rail network managers
Discovery & research with mobile operatives and rail network managers
Concept and system design for a moving, real-time environment
Concept and system design for a moving, real-time environment
UX/UI design for both a live operational dashboard and a mobile operative app
UX/UI design for both a live operational dashboard and a mobile operative app
Rapid prototyping and delivery alongside Product and Engineering
Rapid prototyping and delivery alongside Product and Engineering
Discovery
Key insights emerged quickly:
Key insights emerged quickly:
Operative tasks couldn’t be pre-assigned in advance, work needed to be on-demand
Operative tasks couldn’t be pre-assigned in advance, work needed to be on-demand
Location awareness was critical: Which train? Which station? Which operative?
Location awareness was critical: Which train? Which station? Which operative?
Visibility across the network was fragmented and reactive
Visibility across the network was fragmented and reactive
The system needed to work in real time, at national scale and be usable by non-technical operatives.
The system needed to work in real time, at national scale and be usable by non-technical operatives.
We flipped the building model on its head. Instead of assigning tasks in advance, we designed a system where:
We flipped the building model on its head. Instead of assigning tasks in advance, we designed a system where:
Trains generate work, not schedules
Trains generate work, not schedules
QR codes become entry and exit points
QR codes become entry and exit points
Location data drives task creation, assignment and reporting
Location data drives task creation, assignment and reporting
The solution
Live network dashboard
I designed and prototyped a real-time operational dashboard featuring:
I designed and prototyped a real-time operational dashboard featuring:
A live map of the UK showing every train in the network
A live map of the UK showing every train in the network
Status indicators for:
Train location
Active operatives onboard
Reported issues
Delays and cancellations (via live train data)
Status indicators for:
Train location
Active operatives onboard
Reported issues
Delays and cancellations (via live train data)
Live and historical locations of cleaning operatives across the trains in the network
Live and historical locations of cleaning operatives across the trains in the network
On-demand operative workflow
For operatives, the mobile app experience was redesigned entirely:
For operatives, the mobile app experience was redesigned entirely:
Activating the phone camera, the app detects QR codes automatically, removing friction and speeding up turnaround times
Activating the phone camera, the app detects QR codes automatically, removing friction and speeding up turnaround times
Scanning a QR code onboard a train automatically checks them in
Scanning a QR code onboard a train automatically checks them in
Tasks are generated dynamically and assigned in real time
Tasks are generated dynamically and assigned in real time
Operatives can:
Complete or dismiss tasks as not needed
Capture photos for proof and issue reporting
Operatives can:
Complete or dismiss tasks as not needed
Capture photos for proof and issue reporting
Scanning a QR code when exiting a train updates the network status map in real time
Scanning a QR code when exiting a train updates the network status map in real time
Impact
The result was a step-change in how the network operated:
The result was a step-change in how the network operated:
True real-time visibility across trains, operatives and issues
True real-time visibility across trains, operatives and issues
Faster turnaround cleaning driven by on-demand task allocation
Faster turnaround cleaning driven by on-demand task allocation
Clear, trustworthy reporting for the end client
Clear, trustworthy reporting for the end client
A live operational dashboard the rail operator described as:
“Clearer and easier to follow than any operational dashboard we’ve used before.”
A live operational dashboard the rail operator described as:
“Clearer and easier to follow than any operational dashboard we’ve used before.”
Beyond solving the immediate problem, the project proved something bigger: Pego could scale beyond buildings into high-complexity, mobile environments - opening up entirely new markets.
All delivered as a working live MVP in six weeks.
Beyond solving the immediate problem, the project proved something bigger: Pego could scale beyond buildings into high-complexity, mobile environments - opening up entirely new markets.
All delivered as a working live MVP in six weeks.
What I'm most proud of
Translating a moving, real-world system into a simple, usable experience
Translating a moving, real-world system into a simple, usable experience
Designing under extreme time constraints without sacrificing clarity or usability
Designing under extreme time constraints without sacrificing clarity or usability
Using research and systems thinking to unlock a new product direction
Using research and systems thinking to unlock a new product direction