The main challenge consisted of building the foundation for a viable Product Lifecycle Management tool that would reduce program administration costs for customers by consolidating their engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and end user data in a fully interactive 24/7 environment.
MBX already had a customer portal at the time which held some features of a PLM, but it hadn’t been updated for at least a decade. As we know, things are changing constantly and as you can imagine, the tool was pretty outdated and lacking vital features that help companies manage their software and hardware better.
Using a User Centered Design approach, the steps I took early on included user research and analysis. Hatch was anticipated to have users from a range of backgrounds including engineering, sales, manufacturing, and supply chain to name a few. It was vital to learn about and identify the specific types of individuals who will use the product and what they might use it for. Interviews and personas helped paint a better picture for the whole team as we uncovered ways in which users would like to use a tool like Hatch as well as current pain points our users were facing with current tools already on the market. Synchronously, I working closely with key stakeholders to uncover business goals that needed to be met. Stakeholder interviews were held to uncover these key goals.
It was learned early on that many of our target users had needs that weren't being met by the tools already on the market. A great deal of these users wished for features that they had yet to find accessible within their current toolset. It was through the user needs & desires that we were able to gain fuel for the framework that Hatch needed to embody:
This gave me insights into areas in which we can build a tool to truly help alleviate the daily pain our users faced. as well as the key features that were important to them. These interviews helped me understand the business goal needs that needed to be met. Through these interviews, I also gained better insight into the methods and tools currently being utilized by our end users. I looked into product demos for the tools utilized by our users as well as demos for tools outside of our competitors. Through this research I was able to uncover key features that would be beneficial for Hatch and the given customer data currently accessible in the databases.
After gathering and analyzing insights, the concept design phase started. Every new feature was mocked up and tested to ensure that the design was on the right track with meeting users' needs. Once wireframes had reached a state to proceed with high fidelity, prototypes were flushed out with interactions mimicking the final product. I tested these prototypes with users once more to ensure I was on the right track in creating a feature that would successfully meet the users' needs before sending the designs off to the developers.
During the implementation phase, I worked closely with the developers making sure to provide design aid when needed. When each feature's page had been completed, I looked through the design once more to make sure that it not only looked good, but also behaved and interacted properly. When all was well, I gave the green light to the product owner that it was ready to go live!
Each feature release to Hatch had been well received by our customers and internal teams. My team and I were so proud to have built a powerful tool that impacted the market and our customers' everyday lives.
Joining the MBX team was the first time that I worked with a huge database of customer data. I was so thankful to have been given the opportunity to help the team design from the ground up a software tool that impacted hundreds and brought in great revenue to the company. Hatch continues to grow and new feature releases are constantly being pushed out. The opportunities Hatch brings to the table are endless, and I can't wait to see all that it is going to continue accomplishing!
I'm a Product Designer based in Chicago with experience in delivering 0 → 1 products that meet business goals.
