Jeffery DeJong

Improving the experience of collecting parts from a smart locker

Overview

Smart lockers provided field service engineers timely access to critical parts, resulting in quicker problem resolution and meeting important service-level agreements. An app granted access, which was available in eight languages for both iOS and Android.

Research

A limitation of this project was not being allowed access to users. Instead, the product design team learnt about the user’s needs and behaviours indirectly. We watched video recordings, listened to feedback from other stakeholders, sat with support services, and performed the tasks ourselves.

Initial concerns

  • App was unintuitive and required costly training to learn how to use.
  • Users had to visit two different places in the app to collect a package.
  • Users were choosing the wrong action to complete tasks, resulting in inaccurate data on the system.
  • Users weren't always confirming collection of packages by scanning them out of the locker, resulting in unreliable inventory data.
  • Inaccessible to a diverse range of people.
  • Usability suffered in inclement weather conditions.

Observations

  • While sitting with customer support, I overheard an engineer struggling to describe which locker was causing a problem. There was no system for identifying a specific locker at a location, which may contain a hundred lockers or more.
  • Watching a video of an engineer collecting a package, I noted that the engineer had to place their phone in the locker or put it in their pocket so that they could use both hands to remove a package.

Task modelling

  1. Engineer
    • I’ve received notification of a problem and…
      • I’m told what parts I need and…
      • I know what parts I need and…
      • I don’t know what parts I need and…
    • I’m in the middle of fixing a problem and I realise I need a specific part and…
    Location
    • I’m at a location with a locker.
    • I’m at home.
    • I’m in a vehicle (moving).
    • I’m at a job site without a locker and can’t leave.
    • I’m somewhere else.
  2. Parts

    Find the correct parts on the system…

    Location
    • near to where I am now.
    • near to where I need to be.
    • enroute to where I’m going.

    Insights

    • Help the user find the correct part quickly—search by description (eg: 1/2” screw with hex head) or identify the part using computer imaging by taking a photo of it.
    • Don’t assume a location—provide smart options.
  3. Reserve

    Order the part at a specific location.

  4. Travel

    Find and travel to the locker (if not already there).

    Insights

    Connect with map/journey planning functionality.

  5. Unlock with phone

    Unlock the locker door using the phone app.

    Insights

    This is a point of failure. What alternative mechanisms are available? Could we remotely open a locker?

  6. Lockers

    Find the correct door.

    Insights

    Help the user find the correct door.

  7. Opened

    Open the door.

    Insights

    Accessibility needs (eg: can the user reach the locker?)

  8. Packages

    Find the correct packages.

    Insights

    Some lockers contain several identical-looking brown packages with white labels and barcodes on them. Users would benefit from assistance to find the correct one. Possible solutions include augmented reality to read the barcodes and identify the package.

  9. Package

    Remove the packages from the locker.

    Insights

    The height of the locker and weight of the package could affect an engineer’s ability to collect it—leverage information about the package and user to select an appropriate locker on delivery and alert the user if potentially problematic.

  10. Scan package

    Confirm receipt of packages.

    Insights

    How will the system handle damaged or missing labels?

  11. Closed

    Close the locker door.

    Insights

    What happens if there is no data connection to sync data?

User journey

Using BPMN, I mapped the user’s journey, including both happy and unhappy paths.

Understanding the journey enabled me to identify additional problems and opportunities to improve the user experience.

Unable to find lockersLockers foundI have a phoneI have the appI don't have a phoneI don't have the necessary appI've downloaded the appFind lockersOpen appDownload app

Considerations

Prepared an extensive set of factors that may apply at various stages of the task.

Environmental conditions

Weather
Dry
Light rain
Heavy rain
Rained
Snowing
Snowed
Temperature
Very hot
Hot
Mild
Cold
Very cold
Noise
Quiet
Loud
Light
Sunlight/bright
Overcast
Sunrise/sunset
Dark/poorly lit
Wind
None
Mild
Windy
Very windy
Area
Wet floor
Icy ground
Sandy
Animals
Geckos
Bears
Monkeys
Insects
Cockroaches
Mosquitos
Flies

Locker

Dimensions
Height
Width
Depth
Access
Blocked
Site Access
Open
Restricted
Blocked
Door
Damaged
Jammed
Won’t open
Others
Above
Below
Beside

Device

Type
Mobile
Tablet (Kiosk)
Alternative Access
Data
None
Mobile Patchy
Mobile Strong
Mobile Problem
WIFI
Battery
Okay
Low
Empty
Condition
Okay
Damaged screen
Unusable
Bluetooth
None
Off
On 3
On 4 LE / 5

User

Dimensions
Very short
Average height
Very tall
Obese
Assistance
Glasses
Crutches
Walking frame
Wheelchair
Support animal
Hearing
Okay
Impaired
Deaf
Sight
Far-sighted
Colour blind
Impaired
Use of Hands
Both
One
None
Handedness
Right
Left
Cross-dominance
Ambidexterity
Cognitive
Memory limitations
Reading
Dyslexic
Illiterate
Language
Same as default
One of alternative options
None of the available options

Package

Dimensions
Height
Width
Depth
Weight
Kg
Identifier
Unique (serialised)
Not-unique (non-serialised)
Condition
Good
Bad

Locker identification system

D212345ABCDE

Wireframes

  • Explored different options.
  • Presented select wireframes to stakeholders.
  • Iterated further based on feedback.

Mockups

  • Prepared detailed designs using elements from a growing pattern library and initial design system.
  • Worked with an illustrator to create bespoke icons.
  • Collaborated with a motion designer to produce animations and transitions.

Production

  • Defined specifications, including responsive behaviour.
  • Prepared assets—optimising SVG and PNGs for smaller and faster downloads.
  • Worked with a product owner to slice and create user stories.
  • Worked with developers in sprints to implement the design.

Training videos

Provided creative direction for a series of animated training videos.

Finger movement overlays

Over
Tap
Swipe up
Swipe down
Swipe left
Swipe right

Screen styles

Intro—logo and nameGetting started—installation and setupAccess code—check your emailApp Store—Search for 'Box Konnect'App Store—Install the appSetup—Open the appSetup—Tap new userSetup—New user buttonNew user—enter your activatio codeActivation code

Acknowledgements

Most of the thought and work that went into this project was done while I was the lone UX/UI designer. However, after building a more diverse design team, we were able to further refine many elements together.

Special thanks to Sophie Pilley (UX/UI/Motion), Kirstin Clark (UX/Illustration), Toby Weinel (Animation) and Richard Shapiro (Product Owner).