The User Experience of Manufacturing Factory Screens
The aim of my master's thesis was to explore the user experience of manufacturing factory screens in a Swedish battery manufacturing company. The main users of these screens are manufacturing machine operators, who wear special personal protective equipment (PPE) that restricts their ability to effectively interact with interfaces. My design process started with delving into their workflow directly at the production line and identifying their needs for the factory screens. The research process consisted of user interviews with 6 operators, 1 shift manager, and 1 production engineer, as well as 4 co-creation sessions with 6 operators in total. This was followed by design and in-context testing of prototype screens with 19 operators, to finalize the best practices and test out emerging design patterns. The final findings were abstracted into 7 design principles for manufacturing screens.
User interviews and co-creation sessions
Through the in-context user interviews, I was able to identify several key areas of user needs, which could then guide the co-creation session materials. The following key user needs were identified: The ability to identify status and production data easily; The request to see downtime data, alerts, and any issues with machines or processes quickly; and lastly, the ability to see shift-related information, such as tasks and shift handovers. The co-creation sessions then gave the operators the option to build their "dream factory screen", utilizing several functionality cards I designed from the input I received in the user interviews (e.g. production visualization, status, task lists). Users could further create their own cards which would help me understand what is important for them and steer my design process.
Through the in-context user interviews, I was able to identify several key areas of user needs, which could then guide the co-creation session materials. The following key user needs were identified: The ability to identify status and production data easily; The request to see downtime data, alerts, and any issues with machines or processes quickly; and lastly, the ability to see shift-related information, such as tasks and shift handovers. The co-creation sessions then gave the operators the option to build their "dream factory screen", utilizing several functionality cards I designed from the input I received in the user interviews (e.g. production visualization, status, task lists). Users could further create their own cards which would help me understand what is important for them and steer my design process.
Design and testing of screens
After the co-creation sessions, I identified several patterns in what the users wanted to see and how they wanted to interact with the screens. It was crucial to create screens that fit perfectly into the workflow and the thought process of the operators, which is why different functionalities were grouped into three main areas: information to see when things are going well; information to see when there are issues; and information to see at the start and end of the shift. The use of clear colors was emphasized, as it enables users to identify the state at a glance, and the use of plenty of white space and various font-sizes help guide the user to the most important information.
After the co-creation sessions, I identified several patterns in what the users wanted to see and how they wanted to interact with the screens. It was crucial to create screens that fit perfectly into the workflow and the thought process of the operators, which is why different functionalities were grouped into three main areas: information to see when things are going well; information to see when there are issues; and information to see at the start and end of the shift. The use of clear colors was emphasized, as it enables users to identify the state at a glance, and the use of plenty of white space and various font-sizes help guide the user to the most important information.
Design patterns for the UX of manufacturing screens
After concluding my research-through-design process, I used the gathered knowledge to create a set of 7 design patterns that are applicable to the wider context of manufacturing and the UX of Industry 4.0. These patterns seek to aid designers of manufacturing screens in ensuring the best possible experience for a highly technical user. Their actionable nature makes them useful when developing the content, interaction, and layout of the screens - as each provides a description, design implications, and points to consider when testing a prototype. The following are the 7 patterns: Overview first, details on-demand; Informing state is crucial with one glance from afar; Splitting data based on contextual relevance; Production statistics represent total individual units; User guidance and automation; Notifications and attention-grabbing; Communication enabling and flexibility.
