BEFORE
Finish the flow, then discover the issue.
Limited visibility into earlier steps made it difficult to understand what had happened.
FACTORY SYSTEM TOOL · PRODUCT DESIGN
Clear tasks. Visible progress.
Actionable error feedback.
I translated operator and production supervisor needs into a factory interface—helping operators understand each station’s tasks and progress, recognize errors, and report them clearly.
Launched · Factory operationsExplore the design decisions ↓
01 / OVERVIEW
One system for production tasks,
testing and records.
Factory System Tool (FTS) brings manufacturing, production records and product testing into a work order system. It was developed in the context of incompatible equipment systems across subcontractors and difficult technical handoffs.
As Product Designer, I interviewed operators and production supervisors, translated their needs into the main screen, and worked with the Product Manager on requirements and specifications.
- Role
- Product Designer
- Timeline
- March 2021 – February 2022
- Users & platform
- Factory operators & supervisors · Raspberry Pi
- Collaboration
- Product Manager, frontend & backend engineers
02 / THE PROBLEM
Errors surfaced late.
Earlier steps were hard to verify.
Previously, operations were centralized on two computers. A station error often became apparent only after the entire flow had finished. Operators could also struggle to confirm whether a previous step had been missed or its data was correct.
DESIGN FOCUS
Understand the task, progress and error.
Give operators a clearer view of station work and the information they need to report a problem.
03 / FIELD INSIGHTS
Design for operators
who move between stations.
Operators may be assigned to a different station each day. Interviews with operators and production supervisors helped me identify the information the main screen needed to prioritize: the station’s task, clear step progress, and access appropriate to each role.
04 / DESIGN DECISION 01
Make the current task
and its progress visible.
I designed the main screen around the needs identified in the interviews, bringing station tasks and step progress into a shared view. The aim was to help operators orient themselves when moving between stations and communicate issues with clearer context.
Station task
Understand what work is being performed at the current station.
Step progress
See where the operation is within its sequence.
Error context
Understand the reported error and explain it when escalating.
05 / DESIGN DECISION 02
Surface the error.
Keep independent tests moving.
Not every product requires a continuous sequence of dependent tests. When an error does not affect the next test, FTS displays an error message and allows the remaining tests to continue.
FOR ERRORS THAT DO NOT AFFECT SUBSEQUENT TESTS
- Show the errorMake the issue visible to the operator.
- Complete remaining testsContinue where the error does not affect later testing.
- Return and retestRepeat the test at the affected station.
Retest passes
The issue is resolved at retest.
Retest still fails
Set the product aside for an engineer to inspect.
The interface needed to communicate the error without treating every failure as a reason to stop all remaining tests. Clear feedback also gives operators the context to report unresolved issues.
View the original UI flow and error states
06 / CONTRIBUTION & REFLECTION
Turn production complexity
into an understandable workflow.
My contribution was to connect what operators and supervisors needed with the interface the team built: clearer station tasks and progress, understandable error feedback, and controls matched to each role.
The project reinforced the importance of understanding how work happens on the floor. A useful factory interface needs to support both the expected sequence and the decisions people make when a test fails.
Clarity means knowing what to do now and what to do when something goes wrong.
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