Nuclear power plants operate within strict regulatory frameworks and require scheduled shutdowns for critical maintenance and upgrades. The existing system, involving a complex interplay of schedules, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder approvals, presented challenges in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and adherence to safety protocols. This project involved analyzing the existing system, identifying key pain points, and developing a comprehensive strategy for improvement. We helped the plant optimize their maintenance schedules, reduce downtime, and enhance overall operational efficiency and safety.
To ensure a focused and impactful project, we collaborated closely with the client to define the project. Through a collaborative workshop utilizing an affinity mapping exercise, we prioritized identified challenges and opportunities. This process enabled us to clearly define the scope of the project, focusing on the most critical issues for immediate resolution while acknowledging and prioritizing potential future enhancements.
SCOPE TARGETS: This deliverable clarified what the project would focus on.
To understand the language used by our target audience, we conducted a keyword exercise. We started by brainstorming a list of relevant terms related to the project. We then analyzed these terms to identify key themes and patterns, ultimately refining the list to a core set of keywords that accurately reflected the client's goals.
KEYWORDS: These are the terms agreed upon for the future design of the project.
To clarify the desired product vision, we presented the client with a spectrum of adjectives representing different product philosophies, such as 'innovative,' 'robust,' 'user-friendly,' 'efficient,' and 'secure.' We then conducted a voting exercise with key stakeholders, asking them to rank the adjectives based on their importance for the success of the project. This collaborative exercise facilitated a productive discussion about the desired product characteristics and helped to build consensus among stakeholders. The results of the exercise provided valuable insights into the client's priorities and guided subsequent design and development decisions.
CONTINUUMS: These indicate the feel the stakeholders wanted for the product.
To ensure that we explored a diverse range of design possibilities and avoided premature consensus, we implemented a technique to encourage divergent thinking and prevent groupthink. We did this by:
CONCEPT CARDS: These demonstrated some design thinking we identified in a brainstorm exercise.
Once we had established the business direction, we focused on a key user types who frequently interacted with the system. The goal of this journey map was to understand interactions with the system at every stage, identify pain points and opportunities for improvement, and ensure that the design solution effectively met the needs and expectations of the users.
JOURNEY MAP: This map was used to understand the user's interactions with the product.
Storyboards are a valuable tool for visualizing basic design concepts and interactions to stakeholders. I often extend the storyboard process by developing wireflows, which combine the visual clarity of wireframes with the dynamic flow of user interactions. Wireflows effectively communicate the sequence of screens and the user's actions within the application, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the user experience and facilitating smoother transitions between different screens and states.I utilize storyboards and/or wireflows iteratively, gathering feedback from stakeholders to solidify the unified vision and design direction.
STORY BOARD: These small wireframes combined with the journey map help clarify what types of interactions this project was capturing.
The existing information architecture of the product was complex, characterized by inconsistent navigation, poorly organized content, and a lack of clear user pathways. To address this, I reviewed user research to understand how users currently interacted with the system and identified their information needs. Based on these insights, I developed a new information architecture that was more intuitive and aligned with user workflows. This process involved multiple iterations, with each iteration informed by stakeholder input. The resulting information architecture provided a solid foundation for the design and development of a more user-centered and efficient product.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE: Clarifies the structure of the product.
Once the information architecture and high-level interactions were established, the next step was to translate these concepts into concrete design solutions through the creation of detailed wireframes. Given the evolving nature of the project and the potential for future enhancements and customization, it was critical to create a flexible and adaptable design system. I utilized Sketch to create the initial wireframes, and today I would likely have used Figma due to its prototyping capabilities.
WIREFRAMES: Creating the details of the pages before visual design.
To bring the interaction flows to life and effectively communicate the experience, I created an interactive prototype that simulated real-world user interactions. Prototyping was crucial for identifying usability issues to iteratively refine the user experience to meet the needs and expectations of the target audience.
INTERACTION FLOW: These, combined with the wireframes, clarify the details of the page interactions.
This project was considered successful because:
