Alert fatigue
High volume of alerts
High volume of alerts without much information feels overwhelming and redundant
InQntrol SaaS platform
Increased alert response time by 40%
In facility management, technicians spend most of their time - a whopping 85% - locating problems, instead of fixing them upfront. This issue gets even worse with the increasing number of sensors in facilities that send thousands of alerts from all over, making it even harder to make sense of the root cause of the problem.
Role
Product designer
Duration
08 Months
Team
UX researcher, 3x Product designers and a Software developer
Deliverables
Stakeholder interviews, UX design, Ui design, information architecture, user flows
Client
InQ Services
InQntrolIndustrial IoT SaaS software for facility managers & technicians
FLEUR V3
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Designed for Space exploration
01
Prioritisation
Improving the process of elimination by risk assessment strategy
02
Sense making
Grouping related indicators to make sense of the situation
03
Communication
Cuts discussion time by providing context and information
04
Consensus
A wholistic view of the rover's health aligns with the team and improves decision making
The Problem
Proactive sensor alerts, reactive maintenance work
Today, with advanced technology and hardware innovation, facilities management has the capability to monitor every piece of equipment on the campus and predict its maintenance, but still, it has a reactive approach to fixing problems.
User Research
Stakeholder Interviews
JTBD
It's not a human problem, it's a tech problem
Three Reasons why this happens
Lack of Interoperability
30+ legacy platforms
These platforms have been in operation for decades and don't work well with each other
LACK OF NATURAL MAPPING
Textual mapping of space
You have the address but not the location of the problem
Literature review
Stakeholder Interviews
JTBD
How might we make sensor alerts accessible for technicians in digital and physical space?
Ideation & Testing
Low-fidelity prototypes triggered hidden emotions
Through the use of paper prototypes, candid dialogues were ignited with technicians, unearthing emotions and aspirations previously concealed. These insights organically surfaced as technicians engaged with the prototypes.
Technicians and facility managers testing paper prototypes and sharing feedback and opinions
"If you tell me how to do things I will do it exactly how you told me to do it, nothing more"
Technician @UPMC Hospital
"Fixing a problem is like solving a puzzle, If you remove curiosity from my work, there is no fun in the work"
Facility manager @Carnegie Mellon University
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Design opportunities to increase response time of operators
1. Help prioritise failure modes
2. Auto correlate indicators with other active indicators
3. Knowledge sharing & wholistic view to increase consensus and preparedness
4. Context over recall for communication between operators
Ideation
Paper prototypes
Translating human emotions to guide design principles
I realised that current systems are designed for the hardware and not the user of the system. I started mapping out insights based on the user's functional, emotional and social needs to create wireframes and userflows.
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Design opportunities to increase response time of operators
1. Help prioritise failure modes
2. Auto correlate indicators with other active indicators
3. Knowledge sharing & wholistic view to increase consensus and preparedness
4. Context over recall for communication between operators
Wireframes ➚
Information architecture
User flow/task flows
Wireframes
Guiding principles
1
Designing for curiosity
The spatial tagging feature is purposefully crafted to pique curiosity, offering easy access to other equipment, while simultaneously instilling a sense of control by mapping them over digital floor plans
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Design opportunities to increase response time of operators
1. Help prioritise failure modes
2. Auto correlate indicators with other active indicators
3. Knowledge sharing & wholistic view to increase consensus and preparedness
4. Context over recall for communication between operators
Iterations & prototypes ➚
2
Designing for spatial context
3D floor plans proved to be the most desired but the least practical compared to their 2D counterparts. This observation stemmed from the fact that technicians, who frequently rely on floor plans in their daily tasks, found 2D versions more familiar and user-friendly
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Design opportunities to increase response time of operators
1. Help prioritise failure modes
2. Auto correlate indicators with other active indicators
3. Knowledge sharing & wholistic view to increase consensus and preparedness
4. Context over recall for communication between operators
Iterations & prototypes ➚
3
Designing for accessibility in physical space
Technicians visit locations for repairs and maintenance, however, they spend most of their time locating the problems. I designed an AR mode that helps them make sense of the physical space and saves time by easily locating the equipment for repair.
"Sometimes we spend half a day to find the equipment before we start fixing it"
Technician @Carlow University
Building trust through Transparency
Trust and Accuracy are important for spatial tagging in AR mode, however, it's not possible to achieve accuracy with data from floor plans and BIM models. Therefore I focused on transparency to build trust in the system.
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Design opportunities to increase response time of operators
1. Help prioritise failure modes
2. Auto correlate indicators with other active indicators
3. Knowledge sharing & wholistic view to increase consensus and preparedness
4. Context over recall for communication between operators
Iterations & prototypes ➚
4
Ease of access to legacy platforms
While legacy platforms are designed with specific purposes and are exceptionally effective within their domains, their compatibility with one another often falls short. This feature offers technicians a valuable tool to navigate and comprehend their facility's sensor ecosystem in one place.
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Design opportunities to increase response time of operators
1. Help prioritise failure modes
2. Auto correlate indicators with other active indicators
3. Knowledge sharing & wholistic view to increase consensus and preparedness
4. Context over recall for communication between operators
Iterations & prototypes ➚
User Testing
Simulating design to monitor technicians in action
Tested our designs with facility managers and technicians to monitor their performance in the real world. We found technicians expect at least a 40% reduction in troubleshooting time if the system gets implemented at their facility.
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
Data Analysis ➚
A/B Testing
User testing
Data analysis
Developer handover
Design system created for smooth developer handover and development
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
What I learned?
Humanising tech!
In the realm of IoT, hardware often takes center stage, with platforms primarily designed to support equipment functionality rather than catering to the end-user's needs.
However, embarking on this project was a revelation in itself, teaching me the paramount importance of placing the user at the heart of the design process. It underscored that successful IoT solutions don't just excel in hardware compatibility but also in addressing the user's needs, making their experience seamless and intuitive.
This lesson has profoundly influenced my approach to IoT projects, emphasizing the need for a harmonious balance between hardware and user-centric design
However, embarking on this project was a revelation in itself, teaching me the paramount importance of placing the user at the heart of the design process. It underscored that successful IoT solutions don't just excel in hardware compatibility but also in addressing the user's needs, making their experience seamless and intuitive.
This lesson has profoundly influenced my approach to IoT projects, emphasizing the need for a harmonious balance between hardware and user-centric design
Redefine goal: Reduce troubleshooting time Increase response time of operators
