Wave Works
We designed a dashboard system to detecting machine health, aimed at minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.
The Team consisted of UX Designers, Researchers, and System Engineer, with weekly checking discussions with the CEO.
Role:
Product Designer
Duration:
4 weeks
Platform:
Tablet
Tools Used
The vision & challenge
Wave Works is a Startup company in the early stages of developing a universal sensor system that utilizes ultra-low-powered microchip technology to monitor factory machine health, tracking parameters such as sound, humidity, temperature, and vibrations.
Given the technology's potential applications, how can we design a system to efficiently detect and alert users of significant machinery anomalies? Moreover, with the influx of data, the challenge lies in organizing the data for future troubleshooting of machine-specific behaviors and patterns.
Login Animation
Divide and Conque with the A team
One of the biggest hurdles in the project was collaborating under different time zones. To address this, I took the lead to coordinate schedules, facilitate communications, and proposed a design sprint approach. Each week, we created a meeting agenda from stakeholder feedback and huddled on Slack to bounce ideas, stay on track, and bond as a team.
Coordinating availabilities using Doodle
How we solved our problem in an agile way
Daily slack check-in
Mapping out success
Upon laying down the groundwork with user research and gathering research from various competitors like Machine Metrics, All Data, and IOT Connect. We narrowed down our target audience to craft personas based on research data.
User Interviews
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Competitor Analysis
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Personas
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With the research insights and personas in mind, I facilitated team brainstorming sessions to explore the ideal user flow for our MVP.
We first documented the parameters used to detect machine health, followed by envisioning what the protocol would be like to troubleshoot potential machinery issues.
Upon numerous discussion within the team and with key stakeholders, we decided to take a strategic approach to creating our main user flow. We wanted a flow that was straightforward and captured what the users considered to be essential.
We added a library page to address stakeholder concerns of how to analysis machinery data and removed three screens that was deemed to be not essential.
A SYSTEM FOR BIG AND SMALL
How do you design with scalability in mind?
A library system. The library would act as a centralize hub for all machinery related data, making it frictionless to view current and past activities like detected anomaly and most recent maintenance status.
Designing for consistency
Behind every successful scalable product you'll find a well organized, consistent design system. I took part in the creation of the company's design system to define the color scale and design components that aligned with current branding.
Minimal, intuitive, and efficient were words that really shined through from the primary and secondary research and I wanted users to feel each of those words while using the software.
Many components were the results of numerous of wireframe iteration and feedback. Here is an responsive side navigation and card component that I really enjoyed designing.
My Learnings
Research goes a long way, especially when venturing into an unfamiliar domain.
At the start of this project, I had limited knowledge on wireless sensor chips and their applications in machine health detection. However, through white paper research, competitive analysis, and user interviews I was able to efficiently tackle the challenge.
A well maintained design system built with consistency in mind allows for faster iterations and effectively communicates a cohesive brand message to users.
A well kept design system.
A well maintained design system built with consistency in mind allows for faster iterations and effectively communicates a cohesive brand message to users.
Where the project is at now
The Wave Works Universal Sensor Systems project is currently in the testing stage and stands to transform the future of factory monitoring in the tech industry.