Designing a complex tool testing software
Improving and enhancing the working lives of tool testers with intuitive and user-friendly software.
Background
CEUS is a powerful web-based software that performs essential tool testing for the automotive and tool manufacturing industry.
The goal of the project was to simplify and tailor the software to customers who demand an intuitive interface without a complex interface requiring laborious training.
Role in the project
Lead UX Designer of the CEUS project
Acquiring essential domain knowledge
User/Stakeholder interviews
Early-stage testing with subject matter experts.
Prototyping, and usability testing with users/stakeholders.
Working closely with front-end developers to implement solutions.
Business goals
Simple ways to test industrial tools
Shortening work flows in order to reduce training time/costs
Compliance with industry standards
Database compliance
Design goals
Simple design
Easy-to-follow UI
Reduce clutter and enhance intuitivity
Access to users
One thing that made this project challenging was getting access to users due to security restrictions in the tool-testing industry. I overcame this by dealing with service technicians and sales engineers. This helped me to gather key user insights due to their frequent customer visits.
Service Technician as a proxy user
Acting as a proxy user responsible for maintaining and calibrating the system infrastructure at the customers site.
Other key users
Tool Tester
A user responsible for test execution to collect data on the measurement system. Performs measurements on the shop floor of the factory or laboratory.
Test Planner
A user responsible for the master data management and who typically works from an office. Tries to fix problems with specialised knowledge.
Using design thinking to solve user pains
Given that I also lacked domain knowledge, I decided to enlist the help of the project stakeholders/team to help me to learn more about the domain and to ensure I wouldn’t waste time.
I decided to organise a ‘design-thinking’ workshop in person with our team and together we utilised the principles of design thinking to understand user problems and needs before moving into user journeys and ideation.
Ideating and journey mapping together
Using this time together at the design-thinking workshop allowed us ample time to ideate and brainstorm potential layouts and solutions as well as delve deeper into user journeys our users might take.
Utilising the Kistler design library
I approached our design library and then reworked these rough designs into a series of mid to high-fidelity wireframes to present to our product managers. The feedback allowed us to proceed with iterations and show the new concept to our service technicians for early-stage usability testing.
Domain knowledge
When I joined the project I had a lot to learn about the term ‘fastening technology’ and the kind of jargon used by our users. I found that speaking to subject matter experts such as sales teams and service technicians helped me to better understand the problems of our users more deeply. This information also helped me to better advise our stakeholders about common usability issues.
First challenge 🚀
After the most basic architecture was designed, I moved on to designing specific features for the first release. Many more features were designed, but the way I approached each of them was largely the same. Here is a selection of a few:
Problem
Situations can occur when a user needs to take manual control of the CEUS device and the hardware needs adjusting for advanced accuracy.
Approach
In order to understand where this is crucial for a user I had to spend time analysing the previous CEUS software. I discovered this takes a lot of understanding which for new customers would present difficulty.
Outcome
Based on my understanding of the problems, I began ideating potential solutions. These screens were usability tested with sales engineers and our service technician.
Second challenge 🚀
The second feature focuses on reading the values from an industrial display wrench (tool with a digital display) which is important for tool testers to make their lives easier.
Problem
How can we make a simple process for a user to connect his wrench so that it registers automatically, reads the values and performs a measurement more quickly?
Approach
During a rare field study visit I spoke to several people on the factory floor to better understand how the whole process happened and used photographic evidence as well as interviews to support my understanding.
Outcomes
I tested the newly designed screens with users both on-site and internal stakeholders to clarify if the solution would be intuitive, then also with developers to check the solution would work from a technical standpoint.
Third challenge 🚀
In this challenge, our test planner users need the ability to set up complex testing standards with their tools to follow international measuring standards.
Problem
Some CEUS users must measure in accordance with internationally recognised measurement standards. When doing this a user has to setup and make several adjustments according to their tool.
Approach
With this problem, I had the opportunity to work very closely with a customer who uses standards heavily in their work. Their problems were largely representative of other users who use testing standards.
Outcomes
Working closely with this customer allowed me to be focussed on the specific needs of our users. Furthermore, I ran usability testing with calibration experts that understand the testing standards to ensure the design got feedback from other sources.
Usability Testing Sessions
Throughout the entire process usability testing sessions allowed me to review the work based on feedback received by providing annotated commentary as follow ups/action points in iterations.Â
What worked well?
Buy-in from stakeholders
Stakeholders' understanding of why a ‘user-centered’ approach is important and helpful. This was demonstrated to me in comments made or feedback received.
Usability testing
The usability testing sessions I had a major impact on the design decisions taken.
Always trying to improve
I regularly proposed changes that could improve some basic KPIs like reducing time on task, or simplifying complex workflows.
Challenges
Access to users
Getting access to users was especially challenging due to security issues. I made use of the Service Technicians to counterbalance this issue, and from time to time a field visit helped me to better understand some key issues.
Not many new customers
Furthermore, not having many customers who were using the new software to speak to, so using subject matter experts was crucial.
Budget constraints
As there were also budget constraints on the project, it simply wasn’t always possible to travel to our customers to learn more, so utilising the in-house knowledge available/remote interactions helped to work around these issues.
Were the business & design goals met?
Quicker setup without need for support
Reduced work and set-up times
User-friendly and intuitive layouts and processes
Thank you for viewing. I hope you enjoyed the case study.
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