Discovery & Research

Familiarization and Workshop

Understanding the product

I sat down with users of the desktop tool and got to know the product, its ins and outs, and a little introduction into the science of semiconductors. At this point I familiarized myself with the existing Graphical User Interface desktop tool and got to see it being used up close.

User Interviews

Finding the user pain points

I conducted interviews with several engineers to better understand their pain points. They came from several teams across the company and were more than willing to tell me about their experiences.

Key Findings

There was a lack of more modern features and tools
Much of the user interface was disorganized and many features were often grouped in the wrong categories creating inefficient workflows.
There was a strong consensus that the user interface looked highly outdated and needed a major visual overhaul especially as a tool that would be used by clients.

"We don't have the same capabilities that our competitors have"– Karl

"Our system's outdated and it definitely shows"– Ashley

"We have to jump around a lot to get our tasks done"– Raymond

Ideation

Information Architecture

Understanding the product

Testing for legibility for a high density data environment

Wireframes and Prototypes

Iterating early and testing designs

It can be beneficial to test out early ideas and iterations to make sure that you're on the right path. At this point I A/B Tested multiple layouts and started testing the most legible typography.

A/B Testing different navigation elements

Design

Styleguide

Easy contrasts and legible typography

With efficiency and ease of use a primary goal my testing with typography found that IBM Plex Sans was the most versatile and legible typeface in several instances.

Additionally, I chose a blue color palette to compliment the existing company colors. These colors were tested across multiple screens to ensure legibility and consistency.

Design System

Creating a guide for consistent design

I created a design system to maintain consistency and help create efficient workflows for the engineering team. I created a guide for them that can act as quick reference material and would allow the team to scale quickly.

Final Design

Search Feature

I designed a search feature to help aid locate other in-system features and their related functions. This would also help in discoverability allowing engineers to find related information in respect to other functions as well.

Dark Mode

I designed a dark mode that helps create legibility in a wider range of environments and across different screens. This feature was heavily requested by engineering teams and although my timeframe was short I was able to design a dark mode.

Lessons Learned

I learned a great deal as the sole designer on this client project. From the research process to creating a whole new design system from scratch I was able to wear many hats and as I continue my UX design career. Here's some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way.

Stay inquisitive— When thrust into something that you don't know very well it's ok to keep asking questions. I knew nothing about semiconductors and the science behind them but asking a lot of questions allowed me to empathize and understand with the users.
Be flexible— Working on a project with so many stakeholders and types of users kept me on my toes. Priorities often changed which often meant that design choices were continually tweaked and features were swapped out. This forced me to be able to design iterations quickly and modify them on the fly.

Alpha & Omega Semiconductor

Overview

Discovery & Research

Ideation

Design