Kim Lawlor
All Case Studies
Feature DesignPlatformComponent ArchitectureFintech

Notes Integration

Designing a native notes system for QSWeb — built around trading workflows, not adapted from general-purpose tools.

Role
Senior Product Designer
Year
2025
Status
Live
Notes grid view showing tagged note cards
01

Challenge

There was no way to capture notes within the product, and the feature needed to align with existing workflows.

The initiative was driven by a need to stay competitive, with early direction referencing tools like Google Keep. Those patterns are designed for general note-taking and don't map directly to trading workflows. There was limited product definition upfront, so the structure, behaviour, and integration points needed to be established within the context of a dense, modular interface. The challenge was introducing a new capability that fits naturally into QSWeb without disrupting core workflows.

02

Approach

Designed notes as a native system for QSWeb, grounded in existing patterns and workflows.

Focused on defining how notes should behave within the product rather than adapting external models. Established structure, interaction patterns, and integration points that align with QSWeb modules and layout constraints. Worked closely with development throughout implementation and validation to ensure the system remained consistent and scalable.

Designed a structured notes system aligned with QSWeb patterns and layout constraints.
Built the module to integrate with Golden Layout and existing UI behaviours.
Introduced grid and list views to support different scanning and usage styles.
Defined tagging and sorting logic, including priority tagging behaviour.
Implemented soft delete with a recoverable state to support safe editing.
Rejected variable-height layouts to maintain consistency and scalability.
Designed for future contextual entry points across modules.
Accounted for backend constraints while preserving forward compatibility.
03

Outcome

Shipped a new notes module and expanded it into a cross-module capability.

Users can create and manage notes directly within QSWeb, with support for tagging, sorting, and multiple viewing modes. The system was later extended to support note creation from other modules, allowing relevant data to be passed directly into notes. Established a scalable foundation for future enhancements, including deeper contextual integration.

Gallery

Notes list view with tag filters and sortable columns
Note editor dialog with title, tags, and body fields
Contextual note creation panel opened from a watchlist row

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