22 -Internship

Rapid Link X  VFDs System

Design type:

Web Design

Role:

Product designer

Duration:

8 Months

Go to Deck

22 -Internship

Rapid Link X  VFDs System

Design type:

Web Design

Role:

Product designer

Duration:

8 Months

Go to Deck

Summary

The Eaton Studio Blue team aims to redesign the over 10-year-old PC interface for the Rapid Link X series IoT platform. This update will help engineers worldwide manage hardware issues more efficiently and save time on monitoring and debugging. By streamlining repetitive operations and addressing various scenarios, the redesign will meet the diverse needs of airport engineering environments. It will continuously check for and alert any anomalies or potential faults without requiring constant manual intervention.

The Eaton Studio Blue team aims to redesign the over 10-year-old PC interface for the Rapid Link X series IoT platform. This update will help engineers worldwide manage hardware issues more efficiently and save time on monitoring and debugging. By streamlining repetitive operations and addressing various scenarios, the redesign will meet the diverse needs of airport engineering environments. It will continuously check for and alert any anomalies or potential faults without requiring constant manual intervention.

This is a top priority initiative for the team, and I am the product designer and user research.It has been implemented in Q3 2023.

This is a top priority initiative for the team, and I am the product designer and user research.It has been implemented in Q3 2023.

Core Experience

Parameter Editing Overview Page

Real-time Write in(Action)

Seamless Real-Time Updates

Automated seamless integration reduces steps and simplifies operations, allowing users to view write-in status in real time.

Previous solution:

Users face long, uncertain wait times for real-time write-in, compounded by the need to navigate multiple pages to complete the workflow.

Manual Write in

Streamlined Batch Writing Process

Users can streamline batch writing with a popup component that provides clear feedback, ensuring transparency and confirming the success of the write operation.

Previous solution:

Users were often unable to track the batch data write status or understand the reasons for any failures.

New- Comparison Mode

Empowering Decisions with Side-by-Side Insights
Empowering Decisions with Side-by-Side Insights

Comparison Mode provides side-by-side data views, enabling users to intuitively compare historical and current data, enhancing analysis accuracy and decision-making efficiency, reducing time and error costs, and enabling more efficient workflows and faster solution development.

Comparison Mode provides side-by-side data views, enabling users to intuitively compare historical and current data, enhancing analysis accuracy and decision-making efficiency, reducing time and error costs, and enabling more efficient workflows and faster solution development.

New- Comparison Mode

Enhancing User Control and Component Functionality
Enhancing User Control and Component Functionality

· Auto-Pin Favorites: Quick access to key parameters.

· Multi-Select: Efficient batch operations.

· Change Indicators: Track modifications easily.

· Real-Time Sync: Monitor status instantly.

· Auto-Pin Favorites: Quick access to key parameters.

· Multi-Select: Efficient batch operations.

· Change Indicators: Track modifications easily.

· Real-Time Sync: Monitor status instantly.

The hardware designer of Rapid Link X informed us

"Our application has been in use for nearly ten years.

As competitor products have continuously evolved and improved, we face the challenge of completely overhauling a product that was designed almost a decade ago to meet modern standards. Our goal is to significantly enhance the work efficiency of customer engineers, improve the overall usability of the product, and create compelling selling points."

Core Experience

Fault Waveform Monitoring Overview Deep Dive

Core Experience

Fault Waveform Monitoring Overview Deep Dive

Recorded Sessions

Get Real-Time Feedback!

Our recorded session experience is designed to consolidate scattered recording operations into the left-side workspace. Once the left-side operations are completed, the waveform panel begins real-time recording.

Oscilloscope Feature

Optimize Your Workflow!

Create Seamless Waveform Channel Card Components and Oscilloscope Panels to Minimize Context Switching

Erro Page

Instant Fault Alerts

When a VFD malfunction occurs, the system will first navigate to the error page, prompting you to check for any fault alarms. It provides detailed fault information and potential solutions.

Research

Context:

At the start of the Rapid Link X redesign, our UX process was aligned with the hardware design and production phases, requiring careful synchronization—a complex and lengthy task. Working closely with product and engineering teams, we customized components using Eaton's Brightlayer design system to present critical data better. Our goal was not only to modernize a decade-old, UX-lacking product but also to ensure its integration with the new products in the series under development.

At the start of the Rapid Link X redesign, our UX process was aligned with the hardware design and production phases, requiring careful synchronization—a complex and lengthy task. Working closely with product and engineering teams, we customized components using Eaton's Brightlayer design system to present critical data better. Our goal was not only to modernize a decade-old, UX-lacking product but also to ensure its integration with the new products in the series under development.

So, what exactly is the problem?

With the pandemic restrictions in 2020 limiting our access to experts, we turned to online secondary research and collected insights from stakeholders during workshops to better understand our target audience. Along the way, to tackle current challenges, explore new design opportunities, and sharpen our product strategy, we carried out a range of research activities like field testing, identifying pain points, and creating storyboards:

With the pandemic restrictions in 2020 limiting our access to experts, we turned to online secondary research and collected insights from stakeholders during workshops to better understand our target audience. Along the way, to tackle current challenges, explore new design opportunities, and sharpen our product strategy, we carried out a range of research activities like field testing, identifying pain points, and creating storyboards:

Research Finding

Based on this research finding, I summarized 3 pain points that we believe should be primarily considered during the design phase.

Based on this research finding, I summarized 3 pain points that we believe should be primarily considered during the design phase.

Defining Key Functional Workflows from Research Insights

Through in-depth user research, we identified the current version's key pain points and defined the new design's core features.


The diagram below outlines these workflows, with each task representing a critical user action or feature aimed at optimizing the user experience. We prioritized these features to ensure the most important and frequently used functions are easily accessible. Close collaboration with the hardware development team also ensured smooth integration of these new features, making the new design both user-centric and compatible with the new hardware under development.

Through in-depth user research, we identified the current version's key pain points and defined the new design's core features.


The diagram below outlines these workflows, with each task representing a critical user action or feature aimed at optimizing the user experience. We prioritized these features to ensure the most important and frequently used functions are easily accessible. Close collaboration with the hardware development team also ensured smooth integration of these new features, making the new design both user-centric and compatible with the new hardware under development.

Rapid Link X Parameter Editing workflows

Rapid Link X Monitor workflows

Reflecting on Research

How might we transform an outdated, UX-lacking product into an intuitive solution that enables airport engineers to rapidly detect and resolve hardware issues, minimizing downtime and maximizing operational efficiency?

Reflecting on Research

How might we transform an outdated, UX-lacking product into an intuitive solution that enables airport engineers to rapidly detect and resolve hardware issues, minimizing downtime and maximizing operational efficiency?

Design Exploration

Design Exploration

Integrate features and iterate the information architecture

To reevaluate the previous version's information architecture and align with the hardware development team, I iterated multiple user flows, integrated features from internal tools, and refined the architecture based on hardware updates. This process taught me the dynamics of intensive cross-department collaboration and synchronizing hardware and software development.

To reevaluate the previous version's information architecture and align with the hardware development team, I iterated multiple user flows, integrated features from internal tools, and refined the architecture based on hardware updates. This process taught me the dynamics of intensive cross-department collaboration and synchronizing hardware and software development.

Redefining User Interactions with a Modular Layout

Following Eaton's design system, we implemented a modular and multi-layered layout to optimize multitasking efficiency. Key functions are placed in the central visual area, reducing unnecessary steps and page switches, and addressing the frequent navigation issues of the previous version based on user research. The flexible design enhances current functionality while supporting future expansion and upgrades.

Following Eaton's design system, we implemented a modular and multi-layered layout to optimize multitasking efficiency. Key functions are placed in the central visual area, reducing unnecessary steps and page switches, and addressing the frequent navigation issues of the previous version based on user research. The flexible design enhances current functionality while supporting future expansion and upgrades.


Design Issue


Other Design Issue

Parameter editing
Design System Consistency
Parameter editing
Design System Consistency
Parameter editing
How can we help users clarify workflow goals and adjust task priorities?
Parameter editing
How can we help users reduce operation time for frequently used functions and prioritize tasks?
Parameter editing
How can we enhance parameter transparency to help users manage them better?
Monitor
How can the waveform panel be improved to help engineers quickly spot errors for troubleshooting?
Monitor
How to optimize the layout for users to complete their workflows within a focused area?
Monitor
How to improve CHANNEL recognizability?

Development Challenge

Development Challenge

After an 8-month project cycle, I independently collaborated closely with the development team, leading the design and workflow for the entire PC delivery. To address the growing communication needs with contract developers unfamiliar with the Eaton design system, we established structured communication protocols. Additionally, we implemented phased annotation processes to enhance clarity and facilitate effective communication. Here are several annotated versions.

After an 8-month project cycle, I independently collaborated closely with the development team, leading the design and workflow for the entire PC delivery. To address the growing communication needs with contract developers unfamiliar with the Eaton design system, we established structured communication protocols. Additionally, we implemented phased annotation processes to enhance clarity and facilitate effective communication. Here are several annotated versions.