Aispeco
B2B startup
Real project
Full time
Remote
Web-app
One designer (me)
Mentor
CTO / co-founder
Chief product officer
Operator
Aispeco's outdated flight management system impedes the effectiveness of its physical product and hurts productivity of it's users. With each flight carrying a price tag of thousands of euros, the existing system's UI flaws may necessitate additional operational costs. To optimize productivity, mitigate expenses, and reinforce market competitiveness, Aispeco wants a modernized digital platform that streamlines operations and maximizes cost-effectiveness.
The redesigned flight management system not only potentially saves clients thousands of euros in flight costs by making it more user-friendly, but also strengthens Aispeco’s competitive edge in the market. By fully leveraging Aispeco's hardware capabilities and enhancing system usability with additional features, it enables a smoother and faster workflow in the air. This potentially results in less errors and fewer flights per mission, maximizing cost savings and minimizing carbon emissions.
Stakeholder interviews
Product analysis
Competitor analysis
User scenarios
Wireframes
Usability testing
High-fidelity UI
I was chosen as one of only 15 young designers nationwide to participate in a project called "Design Wings". Through this project I got my third UI/UX job for 5 months terminated contract.
Aispeco products help collecting geospatial data. They sell a physical product to which various sensors are attached. This product is then mounted on an aircraft (helicopter or airplane).
During the flight, these sensors collect information about various infrastructure objects, such as hundreds of kilometers of sprawling power lines, to assess their condition.
But to collect this data pilot has to fly a specific way and for that a specialized software is required which is a flight management system, the design of which I created.
I confess, this project presented a level of complexity that genuinely intimidated me. With no prior experience in aviation, I found myself facing an entirely unfamiliar landscape.
Naturally, my initial focus was on understanding the current situation, expectations, business objectives, and user goals to the fullest extent possible.
Why?
Outcome:
Because I have no prior experience to aviation or this type of product my first mission was to get solid grasp of the product to be able to discuss and understand my client. I decided to do that by deconstructing their product and filling the missing information gaps.
Why?
Outcome
Initially, I planned to conduct usability testing with their existing product to uncover any issues. However, my client explained that this wasn't feasible due to the high cost associated with each flight, amounting to thousands of euros.
Instead, we pursued a different approach. Leveraging my client's firsthand experience in flying and conducting missions, we facilitated collaborative feedback sessions. These sessions allowed us to iteratively refine new interface designs based on feature requirements, known customer complaints, and insights. To visualize our ideas, I utilized a UI kit to create wireframes.
Why?
Outcome:
Despite the impossibility of testing the old system, during the redesign process, I discovered that there were operators within our company who had not yet been exposed to our redesign efforts. Recognizing this opportunity, I decided to conduct testing with these operators to gather valuable feedback.
I successfully persuaded stakeholders to allow us to conduct usability testing with operators. Despite being given a very small window of time, I quickly connected my wireframes into a functional prototype and prepared the necessary tasks for testing.
Why?
Outcome:
The "Design Wings" project, as mentioned earlier, mandated all 15 designers to create an Instagram Reel videos showcasing our process approximately three months into the project.
After I fixed the issues which we discovered during usability testing, the final step was to improve upon visual design which I did using by customizing Untitled UI kit.
I proposed the idea of implementing a more visually appealing UI design. However, my client declined the suggestion, emphasizing that as a very specific B2B product, aesthetics play no role in the purchasing decision. They asserted that the current UI design is more than adequate for the product's purpose and beauty isn't something they want to invest in right now.
Outcome:
This project presented the greatest challenge I've encountered thus far in my career. Initially, I feared failure was inevitable. However, to my surprise and delight, I received not one, but two positive reviews from the company upon completion of the project and its currently in the process of development.
"It's nothing, but pleasure to work with David!"
When resources are limited, collaboration often becomes essential for project completion. However, it's important to recognize the potential risks of blindly trusting client knowledge. While it may not be within your power to change the resources available, it's crucial to leverage what you have effectively. Sometimes, even with limited resources, it is possible to deliver value by maximizing collaboration and making the most of available expertise.
During the project, we engaged in a series of back-and-forth exchanges of design ideas to address known user problems. The company found it challenging to commit to a single decision initially, which sparked disagreements. However, once we tested our design decisions, it brought clarity and rationale, leading to a high level of alignment within the team.
Our redesigned system effectively tackles well-known usability issues and was tested in office conditions using a simple prototype, garnering positive feedback. Anticipated outcomes include enhanced ease of use, decreased need for excessive clicking, reduced error rates through improved contrast and more accessible buttons, and overall heightened comfort and usability of the tool. These improvements are expected to contribute to shorter time in the air, resulting in lower costs per flight.
However, the actual impact of these enhancements will only be observable once the product is fully developed and implemented.