CASE STUDY:
Presenting complex information in an accessible and user-friendly manner
Contributions: This was a team project where I contributed as a Researcher and UX/UI Design.
Introduction
Brighton Science provides quality control solutions for the manufacturing industry using the Surface Analyst, a device that measures surface readiness for processes like adhesion and coatings. For example, a car manufacturer like Ford or GM would use the device to test the surface readiness of metal panels before applying paint.
Context
Every new Surface Analyst device undergoes a Gauge Re-Peatability and Re-Producibility (GR&R) test to ensure proper calibration. This test is ordered by Quality Assurance Managers, and the test results are sent from the device to Brighton's cloud platform called - BConnect.
Problem
Stakeholders have access to BConnect, but they rarely log in. Instead, they rely on Quality Assurance Managers to manually pull GR&R test results and compile them into an Excel report, a process that is time-consuming and labor-intensive.
Current State - GR&R Test Not Integrated into BConnect Platform
Goal
Our goal was to streamline the reporting process by designing a new branch of their BConnect platform that integrated the Excel reports and eliminated the need for manual Excel reporting.
Solution
My design integrates GR&R reports into the BConnect platform allowing Quality Assurance Managers to view and share GR&R results with stakeholders. This new branch utilizes existing components resulting in less development time.
Future State - New BConnect Branch Designed to Integrate GR&R Reports
Video Walk-Through
Designers’ Narrated Walk-Through
Supporting Research
Despite my ambition to explore all aspects of the user experience, access to primary user data was limited, and my deadline was tight, so I had to rely solely on an interview with the development team at Brighton.
I gain 3 key takeaways from the interview:
Stakeholders want a simple dashboard where they can easily check test results themselves and have multiple views.
Quality Assurance Managers are looking for a faster way to create summary reports without using Excel.
Everyone needs the data to be clear and easy to understand, with visualizations that make it simple to interpret.
User Journey Diagram
The mapping process helped me spot gaps and opportunities, making it easier to organize my design priorities.
Wireframe Sketches
Based on what I learned from the developers interview, and having fleshed out a detailed journey map, I knew that I needed to prioritize the following features in my wireframes:
A dashboard with an 'at-a-glance' summary
Progressive disclosure
A 'share' feature
Filters on the projects tab
And an feature that indicates results were shared with stakeholders.
Screen Captures of Feature In-Take Meeting with Client (Review of Wireframe Sketches)
Two of my concepts stood out because they could be implemented by modifying existing components, making them feasible within a standard sprint.
Feature Dot Vote (14 Participants)
After the intake call, the design team conducted a dot vote to narrow the 13 features down to 10. This helped the team converge around a set of concepts. Both of my concepts ranked in the top 10, and I was the only designer to do so which added to my influence over the design.
Kano Survey Results Diagram
And as a final step, we bundled the 10 features into a Kano Survey and sent it 6 study key stakeholders for feedback. Study participants were selected from outside the design and development teams, from a group of internal Brighton stakeholders, and all 6 participants responded to the survey. The survey results directly informed my design decisions leading to a design concept that was meaningful and valuable to stakeholders.
Future Iterations
Looking forward, I see several opportunities to build on the concepts I have designed and deepen the impact of my solutions for Brighton Science. A critical next step would be to gather direct user feedback from both Quality Assurance Managers and stakeholders to understand how my design fits into their day-to-day workflows and where additional refinements could enhance usability. I'd like to iterate on the data visualization features to tailor them more precisely to stakeholders' needs, possibly introducing configurable options that would allow users to customize views based on their specific priorities. By embedding these enhancements in future iterations, I hope to create a more seamless, intuitive experience that directly addresses the client’s evolving needs.