The challenge
Nine+Nico approached me with a bold idea: create a self-serve dashboard that helps B2B companies visualise how key accounts perceive their brand. Unlike standard CRMs or agency reports, this needed to be a standalone and scalable tool that clients could log into and explore insights independently. It was about turning stakeholder survey data into actionable charts, tables, and key takeaways.
The brief was ambitious: interactive charts, exportable reports, tiered access levels, and scalable design, all backed by a custom-built CMS that could grow with demand.
Project Snapshot
| Client Type: | Direct Business |
| Working together since: | 2024 |
| Tech: | Custom CMS (Python), Database API |
| Additional Team:: | Chris (Back-end Dev) |
Designing with purpose
We started by mapping out real user needs: sales teams prepping for high-stakes meetings, marketers justifying brand spend, and agency strategists seeking solid proof for bold ideas. From this I developed content-first wireframes that reflected how users would interact with the platform.
Each chart, CTA, and navigation item was designed in Figma – focusing on clarity and accessibility – especially important given the dashboard’s complex data outputs.
Building the front end
The interface was built using HTML5, SCSS, and JavaScript, ensuring fast performance and seamless responsiveness across devices. Chart.js powered the interactive visualisations, including radar charts, word clouds, bar graphs, and perception gauges. Everything was styled with maintainability and scalability in mind, using BEM and modular SCSS.
Custom CMS + data automation
My back-end developer Chris handled the custom CMS built with Django and Wagtail, creating a custom CMS that allowed clients to securely log in and access their dashboards. Survey data is uploaded via Airtable and mapped automatically into charts, meaning clients always see the latest insights. Exports are available in PDF and CSV, and access can be tailored per account.
The result
Pulse is now being rolled out to Nine+Nico clients as part of their brand perception insight offering, with options for white labelling and tiered client access. The dashboard has made data visualisation simple, fast, and insightful for B2B teams needing to justify strategic decisions.
More importantly, it’s helping users feel confident walking into meetings armed with real feedback, not guesswork.
What they said
- Harriet Nicholson, Nine+Nico“We approached Jo with a very early-stage dashboard and a few rough ideas about how we saw our Pulse solution working. Jo took the brief and ran with it, bringing incredible creativity and ingenuity to both the UX and UI. She collaborated seamlessly with Chris on back-end development, and the final result far exceeded our expectations. The solution has already been instrumental for our clients in their strategic planning and proposition development.
Beyond being an exceptionally talented designer and developer, Jo is also an absolute pleasure to work with — proactive, positive, and always on the ball!”