Interactions across multiple products

Future On screen-interaction for AGVs

Client
Toyota Material Handling Europe

Duration
April, 2023- December, 2024

My role
UX/UI- designer, UX- researcher. Led most of the design work.

Impact
The outcome enabled informed decision-making and a deeper understanding of UX, along with a concept for future on-screen interactions across multiple products.

Creating Intuitive AGV interactions for Enhanced Operational Reliability

The client needed an interaction framework for screens with future autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), focusing on safety, minimal downtime and remaining in the correct location within the warehouse. This is critical to maintaining productivity and minimizing financial losses. The challenge was to create a seamless, intuitive interface that is in line with these requirements and supports users while ensuring efficiency and reliability in AGV operations.

Complex systems | User studies | Customer Journey | Material handling

Making user studies continuously

This project involves several user groups with varying responsibilities and education, so a holistic approach to user studies is essential. My research focused on Application Engineers and Service Technicians, who handle complex tasks under tight time constraints. Being close to the Gothenburg workshop allows me to quickly gather feedback through small tests and direct conversations with users, informing my design decisions and building user relationships.

Early site observations were crucial for understanding forklift operators in their fast-paced, sometimes noisy environments. Despite existing research, these visits helped deepen my understanding of the context and problem space

Customer journey to uncover new opportunities

As a UX- designer, creating a customer journey was a way to synthesize the findings from user research to uncover new opportunities for innovation and to make data-driven design decisions. We developed two customer journeys—one for Periodic Service and one for Troubleshooting. These represent the primary tasks of Service Technicians, and through our analysis, we identified them as areas where we could make the most significant improvements to the user experience.

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Map of interactions

Due to confidentiality, this is not the actual map

From past experience, I know the challenges of understanding complex systems, so I created and regularly update a map of interaction patterns (inspired by Information Architecture) based on user needs to ensure consistency.

When a technical change required rethinking the installation process, the map helped me quickly see how the new conditions affected the system and where adjustments were needed.

Highlighting the business value of UX design

During the project, I tested the concept in the office. This was to gather insights about the current concept and shine a light on what UX work is to people in the office who aren't designers. This was a great experience, and I learned that they were interested in what we were doing and understood better how it could contribute to creating a lasting, meaningful impact on people's experiences and businesses.

Empowering Stakeholders with Data-Driven Insights

User research was at the core of the design process, driving informed decisions that truly resonate with user needs. By fostering transparent communication, I built strong trust with stakeholders, ensuring alignment throughout the project. Through knowledge-sharing sessions with the extended design team, I facilitated collaboration. Additionally, I thoroughly documented the research to guarantee a seamless handover, paving the way for continuous, impactful progress.

The concept included screens designed to communicate the autonomous forklift's intent to warehouse workers, as well as a framework to support the core tasks of Application Engineers. It also featured high-level error handling intending to shorten the time the AGVs stop time. The concept prioritised accessibility and sustainability while aligning with the current brand communication. Interactive prototypes were created to illustrate user flow and gather feedback for refinement.

Outcomes

  • Concept to communicate the AGV’s intent to warehouse workers.

  • Framework to support the core tasks of Application Engineers.

  • Documented research for a seamless handover.

  • The concept prioritised accessibility and sustainability

  • Interactive prototypes to illustrate user flow and gather feedback for refinement.

Collective concept

(4 weeks)

I collaborated with a UI/graphic designer and another UX- designer to challenge my initial concept and generate new ideas. Taking the lead, I shared insights to guide the process. We developed 2-4 individual concepts, then streamlined them into a single collective design.

The work made me realise that we don't understand enough about the installation of a forklift. 

Due to confidentiality, this is not the actual screens