Digital Clone WMS
Digital Clone is the project name for a Warehouse Management Software application I made for a quality assurance company. I had personal experience working in warehouses before this but I was not familiar with WMS. The big challenge I faced for this project was learning what WMS was and all of its many facets.
Customizing Warehouse Layout Screen
Warehouse Layout Reset Screen
Research
Administrator Persona
Next up was the competitive analysis. Now that I understood the basics of warehouse management, I needed a deeper, more technical understanding. I looked at what other similar products were offering in the industry. Through this I was able to see how different applications approached the same problems and what they found necessary to include. This informed my design decisions later on. I also created personas to help define the needs of each type of user.
Not having any experience with WMS I had to start by learning all about what went into making one. I started brainstorming and compiled an extensive list of potential features we could include in the application. Then, I put together a research outline and timeline. I sat down with the stakeholder discussed everything to make sure we were on the same page. It was important to get his input and approval right from the start.
Architecture and Design
After that, I started thinking about the user. What would their experience be like? I created detailed task flows for each of the features we were planning. I listed out every action a user might take within the app. My background in manufacturing and automotive helped a lot with this, as I already had some insight into the processes. To make sure I wasn’t missing anything, I also did some online research and looked at task flows in other comparable products.
Warehouse Management Task Flow
We had a great discussion, and the stakeholder gave me some really valuable feedback and suggestions. With his input, I moved on to the high-fidelity wireframes. I wanted to show him what the complete product would look like, all the pieces coming together.
Then came the fun part, designing. I started with low-fidelity wireframes. I wanted to get the stakeholder’s feedback early on, so I designed some key screens that I felt represented the core functionality of the app. I showed these to him first. Before our presentation I also created a style guide. I thought it was important for them to see the overall vision for the project, the look and feel I was going for, not just the wireframes.
Finished Designs and Prototype
Finally, I presented the finished high-fidelity wireframes and an interactive prototype of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to the stakeholder. He was really happy with the work. He said that once they got the development team in place, he’d want me to continue designing the rest of the application. That was a great feeling.
Hifi Prototype Walkthrough
This project was an amazing learning experience. It helped me further develop my UX design process for technology I did not have much experience with.
Key Takeaways:
Research is Key: Thorough research is absolutely essential. The competitive analysis and task flow mapping really shaped the direction of the project.
Early Feedback is Invaluable: Presenting low-fi wireframes and a style guide early on ensured we were aligned with stakeholder expectations and saved time in the long run.
Prototyping Brings Designs to Life: Even a basic prototype can make a huge difference in communicating how an application will function.
Communication is Crucial: Regular communication and collaboration with the stakeholder were vital to the project’s success.
It was so rewarding to see this project go from just an idea to a fully designed MVP. I’m really looking forward to the possibility of continuing to work on it in the future!
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