The Problem

The existing system was very complex and didn’t follow AutoCAD patterns making it difficult for AutoCAD users to learn the system quickly.

The interface was primarily driven by icons which were small and non descriptive. Icons were not organized by task frequency or order.

The Team

Intergraph is large, traditional software company so the team was fairly large.

Product Owner

Developers

• Team dispersed across the US and Vietnam

Design

• User experience - my role

• Research - my role shared with the researcher

• Visual - 1 designer

Researcher

Business Development

Subject Matter Expert

Design & Technology

This tool is an AutoCAD plugin and has dependencies with AutoCAD controls, keystrokes, and patterns. The goal of this design was to create a familiar interface that matches existing AutoCAD patterns and organization.

We conducted task analysis studies and built affinity diagrams to assist in prioritizing and organizing actions on the ribbon bar. I started designing by sketching in notepads and whiteboards then moved on to low-fi wireframes. From there, I built a full click-through prototype using Axure. I requested graphics and icons from the visual design team and provided oversight and approval.

This tool was designed to accommodate both light and dark themes in AutoCAD.

The Process

This was a very established company with standard processes which was very beneficial.

Discovery

• Review project requirements and scope

• Product training

• Review support issues

• Meet with subject matter experts

Research

• User interviews

• Persona creation

• Contextual inquiry with key customers

• Competitor analysis

Ideation

• Document workflow ideas

• Sketch and wireframe

Design

• Hi-fi mockup creation

• Click-through prototype creation

• Request visual design

Validation

• Usability testing for discoverability and learnability from prototype

• Usability testing for efficiency and discoverability from beta version

Challenges

User access

The design team had limited access to users. Sales and business development had to be consulted to schedule calls and visits.

Time

This project moved fairly quickly for this company. We had less than one year to design, test, develop, and release the updates.

Team

The team was distributed across the globe with many developers working in Vietnam. There was a significant time difference and language barrier.

Culture

User experience was a new concept for the company and at times getting buy-in was difficult.