Finish complex multi-year projects in time
Goal
Client is a huge and most progressive architectural corporation in Ukraine. Overall the corporation has participated in more than 120 projects with 50 of them as a general contractor in such complex projects as an International Airport construction.
I was invited here as the UX / UI designer to transfer their project business experience into ERP. I started my Research with a stakeholder's interview to define business Goal.
I was invited here as the UX / UI designer to transfer their project business experience into ERP. I started my Research with a stakeholder's interview to define business Goal.
Construction of complex infrastructure facilities for general contracting in time is nearly to impossible.
Just imagine that 100 people have been designing an airport down to the wire for 5 years, and starting from the 2nd year another 500 people are implementing these drawings, this is not counting the Chief Engineer, Top Managers, Customers, lawyers, etc.
Things just can't go right, so 90% of the drawings go through more than 5 iterations of development, and 50% - more than 10. Imagine that the customer decided to change something. The relevant documents are sent for revision, but they forgot to tell the builders about it. And the company usually has 2-3 such projects at a time.
Just imagine that 100 people have been designing an airport down to the wire for 5 years, and starting from the 2nd year another 500 people are implementing these drawings, this is not counting the Chief Engineer, Top Managers, Customers, lawyers, etc.
Things just can't go right, so 90% of the drawings go through more than 5 iterations of development, and 50% - more than 10. Imagine that the customer decided to change something. The relevant documents are sent for revision, but they forgot to tell the builders about it. And the company usually has 2-3 such projects at a time.
Research
There was a dream place was for research since:
1. Stakeholders, developers and target users were in same building.
2. I had ability to test product on real projects with real users, look up behind their backs and collecting feedback.
I divided our target users between segments:
- Chairman, Chief Project Architect, Top managers, Lead Engineers, Clients
- Regular Managers, Construction Engineers
- Offline users, such as Foreman.
1. Stakeholders, developers and target users were in same building.
2. I had ability to test product on real projects with real users, look up behind their backs and collecting feedback.
I divided our target users between segments:
- Chairman, Chief Project Architect, Top managers, Lead Engineers, Clients
- Regular Managers, Construction Engineers
- Offline users, such as Foreman.
Use Case: Create an Project’s 2D / 3D model in AutoCAD
According to the business logic, the Chief Engineer created a high-level Gantt chart plan of development AutoCAD documentation, appointed responsible persons for each level, they divided levels into sublevels and assigned a responsible person to each and the last ones divided them into tasks.
All daily problems were solved at meetings. Top managers could have 10 meetings a day, each of which was summarized in a task protocol, with a deadline and a responsible person.
According to the business logic, the Chief Engineer created a high-level Gantt chart plan of development AutoCAD documentation, appointed responsible persons for each level, they divided levels into sublevels and assigned a responsible person to each and the last ones divided them into tasks.
All daily problems were solved at meetings. Top managers could have 10 meetings a day, each of which was summarized in a task protocol, with a deadline and a responsible person.
UI design
Every module is needed in users, so we decided to start development with Contacts module. Then we go through the meetings and tasks to the Gantt charts module. And that we defined as MVP.
I create the MVP wireframe prototype which was tested by stakeholders, Lead Engineers and developers. I collected a lot of feedback from all of them, analyze it, fix the problems and come up with UI concept based on Material Design components for Angular.
Since we tried to develop a project management tool, I suggested to manage development as a similar "project" in same ERP so we could dive into user experience as a target users.
I create the MVP wireframe prototype which was tested by stakeholders, Lead Engineers and developers. I collected a lot of feedback from all of them, analyze it, fix the problems and come up with UI concept based on Material Design components for Angular.
Since we tried to develop a project management tool, I suggested to manage development as a similar "project" in same ERP so we could dive into user experience as a target users.
Turning point
When TL was already as a huge ERP we still have a problem with offline part, such as control tasks on construction, e.g. Foreman needs to know his everyday tasks, mark them as ready, check their actuality, so on. Mobile app development was quite expensive for this reason, responsive web couldn’t be comfortable to use. I suggested another option which became a turning point in Timeline evolution.
A telegram bot.
Users love this bot, they use it for login, receive invites, notifications, meeting minutes, assign and get tasks and much more.
A telegram bot.
Users love this bot, they use it for login, receive invites, notifications, meeting minutes, assign and get tasks and much more.
I became more than an designer
timlin.app
It's hard to overestimate my contribution to this app. As a part of a project I researched insights, developed strategy, designed UX and UI, tested, managed development closely communicating with stakeholders, developers and users.
Today TL has 8 modules along with a landing page, telegram bot, export Gantt charts & meeting minutes to pdf, multiplayer pdf documents editor, integration with calendars. Now Timeline helps on another Airport constraction.
I not only transfered business logic to a digital but improved it.
I will always lovely remember that place, where I became much more than a designer. Here I became an architect.
Today TL has 8 modules along with a landing page, telegram bot, export Gantt charts & meeting minutes to pdf, multiplayer pdf documents editor, integration with calendars. Now Timeline helps on another Airport constraction.
I not only transfered business logic to a digital but improved it.
I will always lovely remember that place, where I became much more than a designer. Here I became an architect.
