Windows Desktop UI Modernization
Bringing the world’s only automatic link-repair tool into the era of clean, performant design for enterprise power-users.
Duration
11 months
Duration
11 months
Team
2 WPF / XAML Engineers, Backed by NetForemost design-ops for design-system governance
Engagement Model
Staff Augmentation
Engagement Model
Staff Augmentation
Tools
Figma, Azure DevOps Pipelines, WPF, XAML, MVVM, .NET 6
Tools
Figma, Azure DevOps Pipelines, WPF, XAML, MVVM, .NET 6
THE CHALLENGE
Aging UI & tech stack – Monolithic WinForms code made new features slow to ship and hard to test.
Power-user complexity – Dozens of configuration options cluttered the workflow for less technical users.
Enterprise expectations – Fortune-500 customers demanded zero downtime and flawless link-repair accuracy during the UI transition.
LinkTek needed a surgical, non-disruptive overhaul: modern visuals, smoother performance, and a design foundation for future expansion, without breaking a single link-fix job.
THE CHALLENGE
Aging UI & tech stack – Monolithic WinForms code made new features slow to ship and hard to test.
Power-user complexity – Dozens of configuration options cluttered the workflow for less technical users.
Enterprise expectations – Fortune-500 customers demanded zero downtime and flawless link-repair accuracy during the UI transition.
LinkTek needed a surgical, non-disruptive overhaul: modern visuals, smoother performance, and a design foundation for future expansion, without breaking a single link-fix job.
THE CHALLENGE
Aging UI & tech stack – Monolithic WinForms code made new features slow to ship and hard to test.
Power-user complexity – Dozens of configuration options cluttered the workflow for less technical users.
Enterprise expectations – Fortune-500 customers demanded zero downtime and flawless link-repair accuracy during the UI transition.
LinkTek needed a surgical, non-disruptive overhaul: modern visuals, smoother performance, and a design foundation for future expansion, without breaking a single link-fix job.
THE SOLUTION
1 • Design System & Clean-UI Principles
Crafted a modular WPF component library with reusable controls, typography scale, and color tokens.
Introduced progressive disclosure: hiding advanced knobs until needed, streamlining onboarding.
Added real-time feedback banners (success, warnings) to replace modal pop-ups.
2 • MVVM Refactor & Performance Tuning
Migrated legacy WinForms views to WPF + XAML with MVVM for testability.
Implemented async/await data binding to prevent UI freezes during large link-analysis jobs.
Lazy-loaded heavy reports, cutting high-volume project load times nearly in half.
3 • Robust Regression Safety Net
Built automated UI smoke tests with Appium WinDriver to validate core workflows nightly.
THE SOLUTION
1 • Design System & Clean-UI Principles
Crafted a modular WPF component library with reusable controls, typography scale, and color tokens.
Introduced progressive disclosure: hiding advanced knobs until needed, streamlining onboarding.
Added real-time feedback banners (success, warnings) to replace modal pop-ups.
2 • MVVM Refactor & Performance Tuning
Migrated legacy WinForms views to WPF + XAML with MVVM for testability.
Implemented async/await data binding to prevent UI freezes during large link-analysis jobs.
Lazy-loaded heavy reports, cutting high-volume project load times nearly in half.
3 • Robust Regression Safety Net
Built automated UI smoke tests with Appium WinDriver to validate core workflows nightly.
THE SOLUTION
1 • Design System & Clean-UI Principles
Crafted a modular WPF component library with reusable controls, typography scale, and color tokens.
Introduced progressive disclosure: hiding advanced knobs until needed, streamlining onboarding.
Added real-time feedback banners (success, warnings) to replace modal pop-ups.
2 • MVVM Refactor & Performance Tuning
Migrated legacy WinForms views to WPF + XAML with MVVM for testability.
Implemented async/await data binding to prevent UI freezes during large link-analysis jobs.
Lazy-loaded heavy reports, cutting high-volume project load times nearly in half.
3 • Robust Regression Safety Net
Built automated UI smoke tests with Appium WinDriver to validate core workflows nightly.
THE OUTCOME
Modern, cohesive UI across 80 % of the application—remaining screens scheduled to be worked in-house using the new component library.
Snappier UX: 45 % faster average load and render times.
Higher satisfaction: Support tickets about “confusing interface” dropped by 60 % in the first quarter; NPS climbed from 80 → 90.
THE OUTCOME
Modern, cohesive UI across 80 % of the application—remaining screens scheduled to be worked in-house using the new component library.
Snappier UX: 45 % faster average load and render times.
Higher satisfaction: Support tickets about “confusing interface” dropped by 60 % in the first quarter; NPS climbed from 80 → 90.
THE OUTCOME
Modern, cohesive UI across 80 % of the application—remaining screens scheduled to be worked in-house using the new component library.
Snappier UX: 45 % faster average load and render times.
Higher satisfaction: Support tickets about “confusing interface” dropped by 60 % in the first quarter; NPS climbed from 80 → 90.
Testimony
“NetForemost engineers felt like core team members from day one. They gave LinkFixer a UI overhaul without a single hiccup in production workflows”
Michael Sexsmith, VP of Business Development, LinkTek
Projects
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Other Projects
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Let’s Stay Connected
Got questions or want to collaborate? Feel free to reach out—I'm open to new projects or just a casual chat!
Reach out anytime
Let’s Stay Connected
Got questions or want to collaborate? Feel free to reach out—I'm open to new projects or just a casual chat!
Reach out anytime
Let’s Stay Connected
Got questions or want to collaborate? Feel free to reach out—I'm open to new projects or just a casual chat!