The Problem

The purpose of the project was to create an app that would program iAssign® Tags, Beacons, or Smart Batteries using NFC technology for user and site tracking. This allows users to carry different gas monitors each day while still having a clear data record of who had an instrument when it went into alarm, their location, and their permission levels.

My Role

I was the UX designer on an Agile team comprised of 3 mobile developers, a product manager, and scrum master. I was responsible for the prototyping, UI of app, and research while collaborating with the rest of the team on ideation and user testing.

Proposed Solution

Usability acceptance testing showed:

  1. The Safety Mangers would do the programming for smaller batches of tags, while the Industrial Scientific Application Engineers would get involved for the bulk programming of 50+ tags.
  2. Bulk tagging is a tedious process taking 1-2 hours.
  3. The access level and site name fields are not used often.
  4. Safety Managers are confused by the difference of tags, beacons, and smart batteries.
  5. Tags are often assigned to one user for the duration of the project and are not shared.
  6. Visitor tags are needed for short term use.

How the Problem Was Solved

As a result:

  1. We are prototyping and testing better options for the Bulk write feature to make it easier for the Application Engineers.
  2. We changed the view and added Simple View and Advanced View to default in showing the fields that are primarily used with an optional drop down of additional fields used on special cases.
  3. We incorporated icons to help visually understand the representation of each field.
  4. We are making the process easier to read/write/and override tags for the single programming use.
  5. We are making the UI as simple and straight forward as possible to create better easy of use.

Challenges Faced

The issue with the original android only app was that Safety Managers are iOS users and Field Trial projects have been delayed due to not having access to an android device with NFC capabilities. We are solving this challenge by creating the features and functions of new app for iOS first then translate to android.

The other challenge was the Bulk write feature. The process for the current app makes you complete the entire bulk write in one sitting. If you get interrupted or have to take a break the data will be wiped and you will need to start over. We are working on a process that shows a check mark next to each complete tag saving the data and letting you stop at any time. We are still working on bulk features by prototyping and testing to solve all issues including the list creating process, 16-character limit issue, and a swipe left feature to delete a tag after its been written.

Effect of Business

Safety Managers and Application Engineers are able to use the app more efficiently and the bulk writing process has been drastically reduced. The saved time has resulted in an overall cost and time savings for the company. The app is also designed in a way to easily add sections for other customer needs creating an all-encompassing app for the user that will solve more pains.

What I Learned

I learned the importance of user testing and getting VOC to uncover the pains customers were having while using the app. Also, the value of prototyping and testing ideas before implementing them to explore all possible options in order to create the best experience.