Bolting Calculation Software

Click and Drag the Handle!

Existing Informate UI vs Wireframed Proposal

Laying the Groundwork

Currently many of the key outputs aren't called out to the degree they should be, and data points aren't sorted effectively.

The data points that are called out visually could be called out more impactfully and legibly.

The calculations done in Informate are useful for planning and organizing, and operations managers need the data. How can that transfer happen more seamlessly, without using PDF outputs?

Digging in to Data

The survey found that a large majority of people who use Informate and BoltUp were satisfied with its functionality. We also found that many BoltUp users didn't even know about Informate. This suggested to us that making a uniformly branded ecosystem was important.

An example of an excel sheet used to calculate bolt loads

Highest Priority

Desktop Refresh

• Refocus on key data points and outputs found from research.
• Propose new data visualisations
• Don't make jobs harder

Building on that Foundation

Mobile Rebrand

• Rebrand BoltUp as Informate Mobile, to unify the ecosystem and make sure people know about the full software
• Next step is talk to technicians to find out how the software can serve them on the job

Visual Wireframing

Desktop Refresh

First Drafts

First attempts at redesigns were base explorations into the focus areas, like data-vis and highlighting key statistics.

"Wizard" guided mode

We also experimented with a guided "wizard" mode to step through data input. Ultimately, engineers found this juvenile and slow: they are highly educated and can compute these calculations without software help, they don't need a step by step guide.

Build Your Own Dashboard

We also experiemented with a customizable dashboard since many different roles need different statistics. Ultimately we thought this was unlikely to be implementable, and also failed to meet the goal of establishing a hierarchy of data outputs.

Collecting Feedback

Since the team is distributed through the US and Europe, we shared wireframes with engineers and stakeholders using Adobe XD's cloud functionality. This allowed asynchronous feedback and helped collect everything in one place.

Proposed Changes

Click and drag the bar to compare existing Informate UI vs wireframed proposal

Most valued data points are heavily prioritized

All stress factors are visualized, and blank gauges are replaced with labeled bullet charts

Form is re-ordered so most determinant questions come first, and alternative inputs were explored

Advanced outputs are always available and searchable in a sidebar, rather than in a pop-out

Next Steps

Mobile - Phase Two

We were able to start some wireframes for Mobile, but many of the stakeholders who use mobile like Technicians were unavailable for feedback so it took a backseat. The next step would be to interview them and get their feedback to improve the mobile experience.

Feasability for Devs

Since UX is so new at Enerpac and there were lots of changes going on, a real team for development couldn't be spun up before the end of my internship. The next step would be getting more developers involved to make sure proposals were executable. 

Configurator

Individual Design Sprint

My Personal Project

The last three weeks of my internship was reserved for a self-chosen personal project/design sprint. I talking with different departments and managers in Enerpac to identify a blue sky need somewhere in the company, and decided to work with sales on a product configurator for pullers. (Pullers are tools which grip objects stuck on shafts like wheels or bearings, and have a central cylinder to push the shaft down off of the object.)

Helping Customers Help Themselves

The Current Customer Experience

Pullers are among the simplest tools Enerpac sells, but they have many options for kits and accessories. Because of this customers still have a hard time finding the exact tool or kit to order. Sales then has to help them find the right tool, which takes up a lot of time on low revenue, low volume sales.

How to Choose a Puller

Pullers are simple tools at heart, so finding the right puller should be very doable for most customers if they know what to look for. A majority of the time, a customer will know a puller will fit with only three measurements:

Reach

i.e. how far down the shaft does the puller have to reach to grab the object

Diamater of Object

How wide do the puller's jaws have to open to get around the object being pulled?

Diamater of the Shaft

Make sure the puller will be able to push the shaft, and helps determine the amount of friction and therefor force required

Once the customer has established these measurements they can be almost certain the tool will match the job, and they only need to choose the product line and accessories.

Collecting Feedback

Shared Wireframes

Once again, I used Adobe XD to share out wireframes with stakeholders. This time I sent it to sales managers, regional managers, distributors and product trainers who deal with pullers. I also asked them to send the wireframes out in turn to customers who buy pullers.

Prioritizing Comments

Since the wireframes reached a breadth of roles, I needed to make sure I was following feedback that actually represented customer reactions. Therefore, I prioritized the feedback by who was either a customer themselves or worked directly customers on a regular basis.

Results

Click through the gallery to see the flow

Next Steps

Since this was an individual, speculative project there are no plans or means for implementation. But the project had good reception, and put this possibilty on the radar for sales. It also helped create buy-in for UX in a new department of the company, which was one of the overarching goals of my internship.

What I learned at Enerpac

Heavy Self Guidance

I've always had individual responsibility at my internships, so it wasn't a surprise to manage my workload and my schedule. But this was the first time I was the only UX designer in a company, and also the first time I was part of building a design team. This forced me to become much more aware of the process and administration that is required to run a successful project. There was a signifigant learning curve for me in this new environment, and because of that I am more equipped for the future.

A New Industry

I also have mostly worked in the tech space on fully digital products, with the exception of one internship working on consumer goods. Working on heavy industrial tools meant for heavy construction, not consumers, was a whole new world to work in.

Opportunity of Physical UX

Although I didn't get to work on physical interfaces during my time at Enerpac, we as a design team talked a lot about how UX could fit in to the physical interfaces present on many industrial level tools, and how that opportunity is very neglected in the marketplace as a whole. This is an interesting space for a UX designer with education in Industrial Design like me.