Powering the Next-Generation of FReight

Role: Lead Product Designer / Timeline: Q4 2020 - Q3 2021

DAT iQ Design & Multi-Year Vision

I was brought on as part of a founding team to create DAT iQ

DAT Freight & Analytics tasked us with designing DAT iQ from the ground up to create a sophisticated, intuitive platform for freight data analytics. Our team was responsible for crafting the entire user experience, from the initial concept to a fully realized design, empowering logistics professionals with powerful insights and seamless tools for daily operations.

The challenge was to develop a platform that addressed the freight industry's complex needs and made advanced analytics accessible and actionable for users of all levels. We focused on building a clean, user-friendly interface that simplified complex data sets, presenting actionable insights in a way that allowed users to make informed decisions quickly. The design was crafted to be visually appealing, with dynamic data visualizations and intuitive navigation that enhanced the user experience without sacrificing depth or functionality.

As part of the project, we also developed a multi-year design vision aligned with DAT’s long-term business goals. This vision was critical in securing the green light for millions of dollars in the budget to develop and scale the platform. By outlining a clear, strategic roadmap for continuous improvement, new features, and user-centric updates, we demonstrated the platform's potential for growth and long-term value, making it clear that DAT iQ was not just a one-off product but a key driver for the company’s future success.

Our work on DAT iQ helped shape a cutting-edge tool that empowers logistics professionals to confidently navigate the complexities of freight analytics. The platform’s design continues to evolve, and ongoing improvements ensure that it will remain at the forefront of freight technology and analytics for years.

DAT iQ Freight Intelligence will drive the next generation of freight forward through our Advanced Freight Intelligence. Combined with DAT One, DAT iQ will power your business beyond tomorrow’s volatile markets, helping you navigate wild swings, unforeseen changes, and cascading effects.

Create Clarity

Provide insights into short and long-term pricing and supply and demand dynamics

Smart Notifications

Get predictive insights before they happen

Analyze Business Performance

AI-driven analysis of what and where your business can succeed

Automate Action

Make changes when they matter most. Reduce cost and time.

Optimize Transactions

Experience the frictionless growth your business deserves

Customer Problem Statement: Broker

Today, the Freight Market is more volatile than ever. As a growing brokerage, I need as much close to real-time and relevant data as possible. I need to see better insights into an evolving landscape to make the right decisions and ensure my business is successful today and tomorrow.

Defintion + Goals

DAT iQ® is a modular, real-time, and data-driven product that serves as a strategic business intelligence tool to deliver custom analytics, forecasts, and recommendations powered by our existing and future products.

Business Goals

Maintain and drive scalable revenue growth
Drive business intelligence
Be the industry standard for freight analytics and intelligence.
Identify emerging lines of business

Product Goals

Seamlessness with DAT One®
Increase user growth and adoption by lowering product walls
Feature parity with Sonar and reclaim/win market share
Reduce gatekeepers and improve product scalability
Collect product insights with data, metrics, and analytics
Establish realistic delivery timelines with KPIs

Design Goals

Promote the exchange of information, services, and currency.
Service core interactions for Brokers, Shippers, and Carriers
Data-informed Product Design decisions
Deliver experiences that allow users to learn, evaluate, and take action.
Customize and filter data sets with subscriptions and add-on tools.

Dedicated Tools = Better Business Outcomes

DAT iQ is strategic tooling that powers insights and analysis for short and long-term business decisions.

Customers use iQ to advance their freight business intelligence to strengthen their strategy for the future.

DAT One® is tactical tooling that delivers reliable business outcomes through daily action.

Customers use One to find and engage in daily freight transaction business through intelligent matching.

We’re building DAT’s future on scaleable ideas and technology. We can supercharge product strategy, design, and engineering with platform-focused products.

Building Clear Value

01. DAT Platform

Leverage tools from both toolkits to deliver customized value for our customers

02. DAT iQ® Strategy Toolkit

Visualization - graphs, charts, maps, display sizing SML, filterable, high customization.
Analysis - lanes, rates, conditions, performance, revenue, searches, loads, equipment
Automation - micro, macro, automate repeatable actions, staff augmentation

03. DAT® One Tactical Toolkit

Matching
Tracking
Factoring
Transactional Engagement
Monitoring

As we began building DAT iQ®, we needed to define the first three stages of work. These stages maintain the future vision while giving a realistic perspective on the product's early stages.

Product Stages

01. DAT iQ® v1.0 (SLC)

Combines Rateview, Ratecast, FMIC, MCI, and Lanemakers into a single viewable experience
Optimized the short-term and long-term pricing

02. DAT iQ® Growth

Marketplace, tools, and subscription growth

03. DAT iQ® Scale

Self-service tools

Big picture view

High-Level iA Mapping

DAT iQ® v1.0 will combine Rates, Conditions, Lanes, and Forecasts into a single viewable experience to increase research efficiency

DAT iQ v1.0 (SLC)

01. Custom Dashboards

Personalization, customization, filtering

02. Lane Management

Upload single or multiple lanes
Populated into Rates & Conditions
Streamlined intelligence tooling with real-time monitoring
Insights and actions for existing/future rates and lanes

03. Sharable Quote / RFP Pricing Data

Build fast quotes
Shareable - collect more information
Contained interactions - stays on the platform
Extend the DAT brand into all interactions

DAT iQ Growth

DAT iQ® Growth builds the foundations for the Platform. Introduces the Marketplace and My Tools to aid in experience customization.

01. Marketplace - backbone of the DAT Platform

Featured Content
Product Catalog
Recommendations
Betas - product ramp, marketing pulls, waitlists

02. My Tools

Optimization - tell me what and where to change
Automation - micro & macro automations
Analysis - analyze revenue and performance
Visualization - show data in maps, graphs, or charts

DAT iQ Scale

DAT iQ® Scale is how we extend beyond the product and services we build. Putting tools in the hands of our users to build on the platform and supercharging our product offering. (Insideout ethos)

01. Self-Service APIs - customers maturing with data sophistication

02. Tool Builders - Build tools that allow customers to build tools

Turn the product development inside out.
Create revenue mechanisms for outside vendors to contribute to the marketplace (value pull)
SDKs

03. Self-Service Integrations - Add connections to other services via the DAT Platform

Modeled after the way we connect to the DAT® One product.
Data feeds can be added to connect to services via external tools.

DAT iQ - Modular, Configurable Design for Freight Analytics

Adapting Freight Analytics to a Wide Array of Use Cases

The design of DAT iQ was based on the core principle of flexibility. We recognized that the freight industry encompasses a wide range of use cases, from pricing and capacity planning to route optimization and beyond. Therefore, we developed a modular, configurable design that allows users to tailor the platform to their unique needs.

The modular approach enabled us to create a customizable interface where users could choose and configure the tools and features that best aligned with their business goals and workflows. By allowing users to select, arrange, and adapt the platform’s components, DAT iQ provides a personalized experience, whether the user is in transportation, logistics, supply chain management, or any other industry that relies on data-driven decisions.

The design incorporates easy-to-navigate widgets and dashboards that can be configured to display the most relevant data. This empowers users to get quick insights without being overwhelmed by irrelevant information. By providing this level of customization, the platform adapts to the specific challenges and requirements of various industries, helping users make faster, more informed decisions that drive efficiency and cost savings.

This modular, adaptable structure made DAT iQ versatile within the freight industry and positioned it as a solution that could expand to meet the needs of other sectors reliant on advanced analytics. The design ensures that as the product evolves, it can continue to meet emerging use cases, extending its value and impact well beyond its initial scope.

Through this approach, we created a product that could grow and evolve with its users, ensuring its long-term relevance and flexibility while maintaining an intuitive, user-centric interface. The result is a scalable, adaptable platform that empowers users across various sectors to harness the power of freight analytics in a profoundly personalized way relevant to their specific needs.