Siemens: Software Design Transformation Project
Disclaimer: Due to confidentiality, I am not permitted to disclose certain information, nor show my final deliverables. All Siemens visuals shown in this case study come from the Siemens iX Design System, which is publicly accessible at this link: ix.siemens.io
Role: User Experience Intern, full remote
Domain: Product Lifecycle Management Software
Tools: Figma, Axure
Timeline: May 2024 - August 2024
Final Results:
Hi-fidelity prototypes of our software adopting the iX design system.
Documentation on the transition to the iX design system.
Overview: Jump-started product transformation initiative using the cutting-edge Siemens iX Design System to modernize our software experience.
Early Stages
I knew nothing about Product Lifecycle Management Software going into this project...
...and was tasked with redesigning one using a new design system. I worked closely with mentors and product managers to actively learn the software and design system I was tasked with.
Requirements
Quickly learned the contents and purpose of the/ iX design system and other relevant product libraries
Broke down the current UI to its atomic parts, and translating those parts to what they would be in the iX design system
Design
Design Approach
V1
Translating colors to match iX
V2
Fonts and navigation menus
V3
Leveraging all components and guidelines
Axure RP: I had never used Axure prior to this project. This project pushed me to learn to design in unfamiliar software that catered to our team’s specific design needs.
Figma: The iX Design System is held in Figma, where I leveraged to component properties and design guidelines to streamline my Axure designs.
Deliverables
Completed 16 mockups to demonstrate a software transformation.
Showcased designs to leadership, influencing key design initiatives for the team and Siemens Digital Industries as a whole.
Executed an in-depth alignment analysis between the current pattern library and the iX design system to identify gaps that the team would need to close when prototyping.
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Conclusion
Things I've Learned
Communicating Design Rationale. Throughout the project I had to make design decisions based on my own judgment, and I learned the importance of communicating the reasoning behind my designs.
Working under pressure. When informed of a shortened deadline, I learned to work quickly and decisively with my team to plan tasks and deliver stunning designs
Valuing feedback. I am still a student. I was working with people who have 20 times more experience than I. By keeping an open mind, I was able to use the feedback I got to align my designs with company goals, while also rapidly improving my craft as a designer.
Design tool ≠ lifestyle. I LOVE using Figma, but quickly learning to use Axure on the fly helped me realize I should not constrain myself to one tool for design.
If I Had More Time…
More Mockups. 16 Mockups does not nearly cover the number of activities our software supports. With more time, I would have continued learning how our software could be designed in iX to offer a more holistic representation to leadership.
Interactivity. Many iX components have interactions designed in the Figma library. With more time, I would have implemented these interactions in Axure to provide a higher-fidelity representation of our software in iX.