The Critical Role of Human-Centric UX/UI Design on the Factory Floor

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[A: 00:08.0]
Welcome back, everybody. Today we're going to be doing a deep dive into something that's super important in manufacturing, but I feel like doesn't get talked about enough, and that is user interface design. Specifically on the factory floor and how it can really impact operations.

[B: 00:23.4]
Yeah, you know, it's funny. UI design is one of those things that sort of gets pushed to the back burner when we talk about, you know, advancements in technology.

[A: 00:31.1]
Right.

[B: 00:31.5]
But I think it's becoming more and more clear that especially in today's, like, fast paced production environments, you need to have an interface that people can use quickly and efficiently.

[A: 00:43.6]
Exactly. But it's way more important than people realize. We're not just talking about making screens look pretty. This is about making work better.

[B: 00:52.5]
Absolutely. I mean, the human element is still key. Right. In any factory, no matter how automated it gets.

[A: 00:57.9]
Totally. And how people interact with the systems, the machines, the processes it can make or break, efficiency, safety, everything.

[B: 01:05.7]
No doubt. And to really get why this is so important, we need to take a hard look at what's happening on a lot of factory floors right now.

[A: 01:12.3]
Okay, paint me a picture. What's the current state of things?

[B: 01:15.7]
Well, some research out of Tampere University of Technology in Finland. They interviewed 25 different manufacturing companies, and what they found is, well, pretty surprising, actually.

[A: 01:27.0]
Really? What did they find?

[B: 01:28.9]
A lot of companies, they're still using, get this, paper based systems.

[A: 01:34.0]
Paper!

[B: 01:34.7]
Seriously.

[A: 01:35.5]
Seriously! We're talking work orders, scheduling, quality checks, even just tracking time on tasks, all on paper.

[B: 01:43.5]
Wow.  I could already see where this is going. Not exactly the picture of efficiency.

[A: 01:46.7]
Not even close

[B: 01:47.8]
And the potential for mistakes has gotta be huge with paper. Huge. And that's one of the biggest reasons companies are going digital. Of course. But. And this is a big but. A lot of those digital systems, they're not much better.

[A: 02:01.3]
Oh, so they're trading one problem for another?

[B: 02:04.1]
Kinda, yeah. A lot of the interfaces are clunky, hard to use. They weren't designed with the people who actually use them in mind.

[A: 02:11.7]
So it's like trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

[B: 02:14.8]
Perfect analogy. You're trying to make people work in a way that just doesn't make sense. And that leads to frustration, mistakes, people resisting the technology altogether.

[A: 02:23.3]
Oof. That's recipe for disaster. And that's where good UX/UI design comes in, I guess.

[B: 02:28.2]
Bingo. It's all about understanding the needs, the workflows, even the way people think. And then designing an interface that feels natural, intuitive, like it was made for them.

[A: 02:38.7]
It's really human centered design. Even in a high tech factory.

[B: 02:41.8]
Exactly. And when you get it right, the benefits are huge. So streamlined tasks, fewer errors, even happier workers.

[A: 02:49.1]
Happier workers. Now that's something I want to hear more about.

[B: 02:52.0]
This research, it showed that good UI can sometimes cut the clicks needed for a task by 50%.

[A: 02:58.0]
50%? That's gotta save a ton of time.

[B: 03:00.5]
Oh yeah, and in manufacturing, time is money. Right, but it goes beyond that too. When people are wrestling with a clunky system all day, they get frustrated.

[A: 03:10.3]
Totally. Makes sense. I mean, nobody wants to be stuck with a tool that makes their job harder.

[B: 03:14.9]
Exactly. It leads to mistakes, less productivity, even people quitting. But when they have tools that are easy to use, tools   that help them do their jobs well, they feel good.

[A: 03:26.1]
Okay, so it's good for morale, good for business.

[B: 03:28.5]
Win, win.   And think about attracting talent, especially the younger generation. They've grown up with sleek tech. They expect it everywhere. True.

[A: 03:36.2]
They're not gonna put up with clunky systems.

[B: 03:37.8]
Yeah.

[A: 03:38.2]
So good design makes manufacturing jobs more appealing, more competitive.

[B: 03:42.1]
Absolutey. So we've talked about the bad, but what about the good? What does good UX/UI design actually look like on the factory floor?

[A: 03:49.8]
Yeah, I'm all ears . Spill the secrets of good design.

[B: 03:53.0]
Well, one of the big things is what we call speaking the user's language.

[A: 03:56.7]
Okay, intrigue me. What does that even mean?

[B: 03:59.1]
Simple. Use terms and symbols that the workers already know. Ditch the jargon, ditch those abstract icons. Make it clear, concise, easy to understand.

[A: 04:08.0]
Got it. Keep it simple, stupid. Right.

[B: 04:10.6]
Basically, you want to reduce that mental  load, make it easy to process information quickly, especially on a busy factory floor.

[A: 04:17.7]
Makes perfect sense. So speak their language. What else?

[B: 04:21.3]
Clear feedback. Gotta let users know what's happening every step of the way.

[A: 04:26.5]
Like, is the task running? Did it work? Anything like that?

[B: 04:29.0]
Exactly. Progress bars, confirmation messages, clear error alerts. Those little things make a huge difference.

[A: 04:35.5]
I bet. Makes people feel confident, like they're in control.

[B: 04:38.5]
And on the factory floor, where safety is so crucial, you don't want people guessing, right?

[A: 04:42.7]
Oh, absolutely. But how do you actually implement all this stuff? It seems like taking those design principles and making them work in the real world on a factory floor, that's got to be tough.

[B: 04:52.7]
Oh, it definitely takes planning and effort, but there are companies out there doing it really well.

[A: 04:58.0]
Oh, I bet. So what's their secret?

[B: 05:00.1]
One big thing is getting the workers involved, like from the very beginning.

[A: 05:03.9]
Ah. So don't just assume you know what they need. Ask them.

[B: 05:07.4]
Exactly. Observe them, understand their challenges, get their feedback on designs.

[A: 05:12.3]
Sounds like a lot of collaboration, a lot of empathy.

[B: 05:14.6]
Absolutely. But it goes beyond just talking. You got to gather data on how they're using the system track eye movements, click patterns, how long it takes them to do stuff.

[A: 05:23.8]
Okay, so get the data to back up your design choices. No more guesswork.

[B: 05:27.8]
Right. And then you use that data to make things better. Tweaking the interface, making it smoother, more efficient.

[A: 05:33.0]
A constant improvement cycle. Kind of like in lean manufacturing.

[B: 05:36.6]
Exactly. Good UX design and lean manufacturing, they actually have a lot in common. But both focused on cutting waste, boosting efficiency, streamlining everything.

[A: 05:45.4]
Both looking at the whole picture and how to make the human element work best within that picture.

[B: 05:50.5]
You got it. Which brings us to another critical piece of the puzzle. Real time data.

[A: 05:55.9]
Ah, real time data. The lifeblood of any modern operation, especially in manufacturing. Right?

[B: 06:01.6]
Huge. Yeah. In the past, managers had to rely on reports that were like ancient history, days or weeks old.

[A: 06:08.2]
Ouch. That's going to make it tough to make good decisions.

[B: 06:11.0]
Tell me about it. But with real time data, you've got your finger on the pulse. You see production, machine, performance, inventory, everything updated constantly.

[A: 06:20.5]
That's going to be so valuable. No more flying blind. You actually have the information you need when you need it.

[B: 06:26.4]
Exactly. Makes for faster, smarter decisions. Like imagine a machine breaks down. You see the impact instantly and can react right away.

[A: 06:33.5]
Proactive, not reactive. You're heading off problems before they become disasters.

[B: 06:37.5]
You got it. And that agility, that's a huge advantage in today's world.

[A: 06:41.0]
Big time. I'm also thinking about quality control, waste reduction. If you can see trends, see problems in real time, you can stop them before they become big issues.

[B: 06:51.8]
Absolutely. Real time data. It empowers everyone from operators to managers to make ton choices to work smarter.

[A: 06:59.4]
Like having a crystal ball, but instead of magic, it's powered by data.

[B: 07:03.2]
Haha. I like that. And speaking of real world examples, there's this company that just revamped their entire Manufacturing Execution System and it's like the perfect example of what we're talking about.

[A: 07:14.1]
Oh, really? Tell me more. What did they do?

[B: 07:16.3]
Well, they took the system. It had been around for a while and frankly it was a bit clunky. Not very user friendly.

[A: 07:22.0]
Yeah, we've all been there. That software that makes you want to pull your hair out.

[B: 07:25.0]
Exactly. But they took this clunker and gave it a complete makeover. Focused on the user experience, made it actually enjoyable to use.

[A: 07:33.7]
Okay, I'm hooked. Tell me everything.

[B: 07:35.5]
All right, so first they modernized the whole look and feel, made the navigation intuitive. But the really cool part is how they simplified the workflows.

[A: 07:45.8]
Okay, tell me about those workflows.

[B: 07:47.7]
So one example, configuring a work in progress workflow, they cut the number of clicks in half.

[A: 07:54.0]
Half? That's huge. Those little clicks, they add up over time, you know.

[B: 07:58.6]
Oh yeah, and it's not just about speed. They made the whole system way more responsive. Data updates in real time, no more lag.

[A: 08:06.5]
So you can really see what's happening right as it happens. That's gotta be a game changer.

[B: 08:09.8]
Totally. And get this, they made it mobile friendly. Tablets, smartphones, you name it.

[A: 08:14.3]
Wow. So no more being chained to a desktop. You can access information from anywhere on the factory floor.

[B: 08:19.9]
You got it. And they added things like zoom functionality so you can enlarge text without it getting blurry.

[A: 08:26.6]
That's fantastic. Especially for accessibility. Not everyone has perfect vision and being able to adjust the display is so important.

[B: 08:34.4]
Totally agree. It shows they were really thinking about the user. Every user.

[A: 08:38.8]
This whole update, it's a perfect example of what we've been talking about. Putting the user first, making work better, not just prettier.

[B: 08:45.9]
Couldn't have said it better myself. And you know, it's not just about the individual good UX/UI design. It impacts the whole organization.

[A: 08:52.7]
It's the chain reaction.

[B: 08:53.7]
Right?

[A: 08:54.2]
People are happier, they're more productive, the quality goes up, the whole business wins.

[B: 08:58.0]
Exactly. It's a win win for everyone.

[A: 09:00.1]
This has been a fascinating deep dive. It's amazing how something like UX/UI design, which you don't always think about in a factory setting, is, can be so impactful.

[B: 09:08.6]
It's definitely an often overlooked area, but it's crucial for creating a modern, efficient and human centered workplace.

[A: 09:15.9]
Well said. And as technology keeps evolving and manufacturing gets more complex, the role of good design is only going to become more important.

[B: 09:24.7]
No doubt about it. It's an investment that pays off in so many ways.

[A: 09:28.1]
Absolutely. Now, before we wrap up, a big thank you to our sponsor for making this episode possible.

[B: 09:33.4]
Yes, thank you to MASS Group. They're a leading provider of, you guessed it Manufacturing Execution and Asset Management software.

[A: 09:42.3]
And speaking of MASS group, they just released a major update. You might have heard of it.

[B: 09:46.8]
It's called TME® 8.0.

[A: 09:49.4]
The one we've been hinting at this whole time?

[B: 09:51.5]
The very same. It's a total revamp, focused on the user experience, streamlining all the features.

[A: 09:57.5]
If you're in the market for a system that's both powerful and easy to use TME® 8.0 is definitely worth checking out

[B: 10:04.5]
For sure.

[A: 10:05.2]
And for our listeners, we want to hear from you What aspects of UI design are most important in your work?

[B: 10:10.6]
Yeah, share your thoughts in the comments.

[A: 10:12.1]
We love hearing your experiences. Until next time, keep diving deep.

[B: 10:16.1]
See you all next time.