Colloquia

Samenvatting

Digital software development companies increasingly rely on multiple tools to manage communication, documentation, and project progress with their clients. While these tools are intended to improve collaboration, they often result in fragmented information, reduced transparency, and increased dependency on intermediaries such as Product Owners (POs). This fragmentation can negatively affect both communication efficiency and overall client satisfaction.

This master’s thesis explores how an integrated, user-friendly client portal can be designed to improve communication and user satisfaction within a digital software development company. The research was conducted as a case study at Nerds & Company (N&C), a software development agency based in the Netherlands, using a human-centred design approach.

The study followed the Double Diamond framework and employed a mixed-method research strategy, including interviews with clients and POs, an internal workshop, and multiple rounds of feedback sessions with UX/UI designers. These methods were used to gain insight into current communication workflows, challenges, and stakeholder needs. The findings revealed that both clients and POs experience issues related to tool fragmentation, lack of centralized documentation, and limited visibility into project progress. At the same time, stakeholders emphasized the importance of maintaining personal and synchronous communication to support trust and collaboration.

Based on these insights, a set of design requirements was developed and translated into an integrated client portal concept. The resulting high-fidelity prototype centralizes key project information, communication, and documentation in one platform, while supporting role-based access and differing user needs. Usability testing demonstrated that the proposed portal improves clarity, reduces cognitive load, and supports more efficient communication by providing a structured and transparent overview of project information.

The research concludes that client portals are most effective when designed as complementary systems rather than replacements for existing communication practices. By supporting structured, asynchronous communication while preserving human interaction, integrated client portals can enhance transparency, efficiency, and user satisfaction in business to business digital service environments. This thesis contributes both practical design guidance for N&C and broader insights for similar organizations seeking to improve client communication through human-centred digital solutions.