Building Confidence, Not Complexity: A UX-First Approach to Construction Apps

An Interview with Myra Zafar, UX Design Lead at EZO

Myra Zafar shares her insights on the mobile software requirements of the construction industry. A fast-moving, high-stakes environment requires clarity without complexity, which is often lacking in most mobile apps. A UX-first approach in construction means an app designed around work itself with fewer clicks, faster workflows, and a layout that’s simple and intuitive to understand. Read the full interview for more on how smart app design can drive efficiency on the job-site! 

Myra, you’ve often said construction is one of the toughest industries to design for. Why is that?

MZ: Construction is incredibly demanding. Projects run for years, deadlines keep shifting, and even a single piece of equipment can cost millions. One small scheduling mistake can throw everything off.

Despite all that complexity, it’s one of the most overlooked industries when it comes to good software. Too often, tools treat it like a bunch of disconnected pieces, tabs, modules, and records, instead of what it really is: a fast-moving, high-stakes environment where clarity and coordination are everything.

Communicating in the field – apps
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So, what do you think most software gets wrong about construction apps?

MZ: A lot of tools assume that construction professionals just need help tracking data or generating reports. But that’s not really the issue. What they actually need is confidence. Confidence that the equipment will work tomorrow, that schedules won’t clash, and that the right assets will be in the right place at the right time.

Most software adds layers of complexity when what people actually want is simplicity. They just want to feel sure that tomorrow’s work can go ahead without disruption.

And that’s where your UX philosophy comes in. What does a “UX-first” approach look like for construction apps?

MZ: We at EZO asked ourselves: what if we designed around the work itself, not around menus and modules?

That’s how we came up with the idea of work centers, where everything related to a specific task lives together. This approach means fewer clicks, faster workflows, and a layout that mirrors how construction teams actually operate on the ground.

Let’s take maintenance as an example. How does this approach change that workflow?

MZ: For a mechanic, the goal isn’t to “log a work order.” It’s to make sure the excavator starts up on time the next morning. Downtime can cost thousands of dollars a day.

In EZO’s CMMS Maintenance Center, if a field technician notices a leak, they can open their tablet and create a work order right there. The manager sees it instantly, assigns it, and attaches parts, all in one place. There’s no chasing paper, no switching between apps, and no duplicate data entry. The result is a working machine, not just a completed form.

That sounds intuitive. How about scheduling, another pain point for most construction teams?

MZ: Definitely. Scheduling is where clarity matters most. Managers don’t want to stare at endless calendars; they just want to keep projects on track.

In the Scheduling Center, every reservation appears on a single timeline. If there’s a crane conflict, the manager can just drag to adjust it and even create a purchase request from that same view. Last-minute inspections pop up immediately and can be updated with one click. It’s all about coordination and confidence, no spreadsheets, no jumping between tabs.

And when it comes to optimization, how do you make that actionable rather than analytical?

MZ: Exactly! That’s the challenge. An idle asset is losing value every day. In the Catalog Optimizer, managers can instantly spot underused equipment and redeploy it. The same tool can suggest preventive maintenance to avoid future breakdowns.

It’s not another dashboard to stare at. It’s actionable insight that appears right where decisions are made.

There’s a common theme running through everything you’ve described, what’s the principle tying it all together?

MZ: The idea is simple.

• Don’t scatter work across modules. Bring it all into one place.
• Don’t make users click through layers of menus. Make workflows natural, fast, and easy to follow.

That’s what we call workflow-first design. It’s not about making software look pretty. It’s about giving teams the confidence that tomorrow’s work will get done smoothly.

Looking ahead, how do you see technology and intelligence evolving in this space?

MZ: The next step is intelligence that’s built right into the workflow. Think predictive maintenance that kicks in before a part fails, or scheduling that spots conflicts before anyone notices them. Even optimizers that recommend redeployment before costs rise.

But the key is subtlety. These things shouldn’t feel like separate features or analytics layers. They should show up naturally, right where people are already working.

Finally, if you had to sum up your philosophy for designing construction software, what would it be?

MZ: Construction will never be simple, and that’s okay. Our job as designers is to make its complexity manageable.

By building work centers that reflect how professionals actually work, we can help the industry move from reacting to problems to preventing them.

At the end of the day, great design isn’t about how software looks. It’s about how confidently people can get their work done.

About Myra Zafar 

With more than a decade of experience in UX design, Myra has worked across B2B SaaS, e-commerce, and geoscience platforms, fields where complexity is part of the job description. As a Lead UX Designer, she’s drawn to the challenge of transforming intricate systems into experiences people genuinely enjoy using. Her philosophy is grounded in balance: creating products that achieve business goals while still feeling effortless and natural for the people behind the screens.