Mercell · Project story
Product design for procurement, self-service purchasing, and AI subscriptions.
- UX/UI design
- Accessibility
- Prototyping
- Design systems
- User research
At a glance
- WCAG 2.2 AA
- Audit and compliance leadership
- AI-supported
- Onboarding and tender monitoring
- System-level
- Design and development alignment
- 158% ARR growth
- During the wider company growth period
01 · Context
Background and challenges
When I joined Mercell, the company was growing and rebranding quickly. Its platform served both buyers and suppliers in digital procurement, a domain shaped by regulation, complex workflows, and high financial stakes.
The ambition was clear: make the platform easier to use, more efficient, and compliant with new EU accessibility requirements while continuing to scale. My role was to simplify that complexity and help turn more of the product into a self-service business.
For suppliers, monitoring tenders means combining keywords, CPV codes, contract types, budgets, and geographical filters. For buyers, workflows must support structured evaluations, documentation, and compliance.
- Improve usability across the platform
- Enable self-service purchasing and subscription management
- Create scalable packages for AI features, credits, and top-ups
- Introduce AI-driven features
- Meet WCAG 2.2 AA requirements
- Align design and development through a stronger design system
02 · Contribution
Highlights
I worked across product design, AI-driven features, accessibility compliance, and design-system development to improve usability for buyers and suppliers.
- Designed purchasing flows that let customers manage subscriptions directly in the app.
- Created subscription packages and enabled self-service sales through the product.
- Designed AI subscription experiences with credits, usage, and top-ups.
- Worked with marketing and sales to translate commercial offers into clear UX and UI.
- Created AI-supported onboarding and tender monitoring that lowered barriers for new suppliers.
- Introduced AI summaries and assistant features to improve navigation and bid creation.
- Led development of a design system aligned with PrimeReact for efficient implementation.
- Introduced semantic versioning and a structured release process for the design system.
- Conducted a WCAG 2.2 AA audit and drove compliance work under the European Accessibility Act.
- Coached designers and developers in accessibility best practices.
- Helped improve usability, reduce implementation errors, and strengthen public-sector competitiveness.
- Supported a period in which annual recurring revenue grew by 158%.
03 · Process
Cross-functional product design
I worked across product design, AI-driven experiences, self-service purchasing, and system-level improvements.
Day to day, I translated user stories into high-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes. The pace was high, and interaction prototypes were essential: they exposed edge cases and workflow issues that static screens did not, allowing us to resolve problems before implementation.
For larger initiatives, I worked closely with product managers and developers to shape solutions before they became requirements. The focus remained the same: reduce cognitive load and guide people through complex processes without overwhelming them.
For subscription packages and in-app purchasing, I worked closely with marketing and sales to align commercial offers, package structure, messaging, and interaction design.
Sometimes the process was structured; sometimes I iterated live alongside developers. The goal was forward momentum with quality.
04 · Product intelligence
Designing AI subscriptions and self-service
I also helped turn AI capabilities into a product that customers could understand and purchase. This included shaping subscription packages, credit models, usage details, and top-up flows for AI features.
Creating a monitoring profile for tenders was technical and intimidating, especially for suppliers in non-technical industries. Asking people to understand CPV codes and keyword logic from the start created an unnecessary barrier.
I proposed a different approach: let users describe, in natural language, what their company does and which opportunities they seek. AI could then generate a structured monitoring profile and guide refinement.
We designed and built an AI-supported onboarding and monitoring flow around this idea. We also introduced AI-generated tender summaries and an assistant that helped users navigate tenders and create bids.
The result was a more intuitive start for new suppliers, supporting broader adoption, retention, and revenue potential.
05 · Scale
Design system and scale
As the platform grew, consistency became critical.
I led development of the design system, defining foundations such as layout, grids, animation, and components. I aligned it closely with PrimeReact, adapting and branding the implementation library rather than reinventing components. This reduced friction and improved speed.
I also introduced semantic versioning and a formal release process. Developers could see what changed, what was deprecated, and how to implement updates, reducing mistakes and improving collaboration.
Accessibility guidance was embedded at foundation and component level, including implementation notes for developers. It became part of how we designed and built, rather than an afterthought.
06 · Compliance
Driving accessibility compliance
The European Accessibility Act made compliance mandatory, but I saw accessibility as more than regulation.
I presented the business and legal implications of non-compliance to leadership, helping secure investment in audits and training. I conducted a full WCAG 2.2 AA audit, documented issues, coached development teams on remediation, and trained designers to build accessibility into their work.
This reduced legal risk and improved product quality. More importantly, it strengthened Mercell’s ability to compete for public tenders with strict accessibility requirements.
Accessibility became a competitive advantage, not just a checkbox.
07 · Outcome
Impact
My work helped:
- Simplify complex procurement workflows
- Lower the barrier for new suppliers through AI-supported onboarding
- Create new revenue opportunities through in-app subscription sales
- Improve collaboration between UX and development
- Reduce implementation errors through a structured design system
- Strengthen compliance with EU accessibility requirements
158% ARR growth
During the wider company growth period.
Growth is always a team effort, while improvements in usability, AI adoption, and compliance supported Mercell’s ability to scale and win contracts in a competitive market.
Most importantly, I helped make a complex platform feel more human.