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How can we improve operator usability while also attract the future generation of operators?
Timeline
April - August 2023
My Role
UX Researcher
UX Designer
Project Manager
Service Designer
Client
Oak St Health
Art Center College
Addy Fu
Amy Kim
Vanessa Huang
Team
Overview
Design
Modularity
Synchronization
Endurance
Research
Understanding Market
To better understand the world around this challenge, I conducted market research as well as competitive analysis and SWOT assessment of leading construction equipment brands. This helped uncover strengths, gaps, and opportunities in the current market. I also explored emerging technologies—like automation, electrification, and sustainable materials—to identify how innovation is shaping the future of the industry and where design can play a meaningful role.
Our Challenges
Before interviewing operators working with Volvo machinery, our team took time to deeply consider the day-to-day realities, pain points, and mental models of those in the field. We brainstormed potential challenges operators might face from physical fatigue and environmental stressors to cognitive overload and inconsistent interfaces across machines. This upfront thinking helped us frame more relevant, empathetic research questions and identify gaps we might otherwise overlook. It also allowed us to approach interviews with a foundational understanding, enabling richer conversations and more actionable insights throughout the research phase.
What are operators’ needs and priorities during active operation?
How can technology better support operators to stay alert, comfortable, and energized throughout their shifts?
What tools or systems would enhance the operator experience during tasks?
Onsite Interviews
To better understand the operator experience, we conducted on-site interviews directly in the wheel loader cab. Sitting alongside operators while they worked gave us a firsthand look at their environment. We go to see the layout of controls, the visibility challenges, and the physical demands of long hours on the job. Being in the cab allowed us to observe real-time behaviors, ask context-specific questions, and build rapport through informal conversations. This immersive research helped uncover nuanced insights that wouldn’t have been captured in a traditional interview setting.
Conceptualization
Focus Points
From our research, we identified three key focus areas to guide our design direction:
Uptime & Cost – minimizing downtime and operational expenses through smarter systems
Connecting Operators – enhancing communication between operators, machines, and teams
Efficiency & Safety – streamlining workflows while reducing physical and cognitive strain
Operator Personas
I created two distinct personas to guide our design. While one of our primary focuses was on the next generation of operators, I felt it was equally important not to overlook the current operators who actively use these machines. Through our research and interviews, it became clear that their needs, habits, and goals still play a vital role in shaping the direction of future designs. In fact, understanding the current operator helped us more accurately future cast our next gen persona, ensuring our solutions remain grounded in real user behavior while looking ahead.
Design Process
Design Focus
As the sole product designer on this project, the entire mobile and in vehicle operator experience was in my jurisdiction. Working alongside the transportation designer and industrial designer we were able to design a wheel loader from scratch that we felt solved a lot of the issues we uncovered through our interviews.
Main Design
OS System
Head Up Display
Operator App
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