Printing presses are intricate machines composed of multiple interconnected subsystems (e.g., ink management, paper feed, print heads, pressure control, etc.).

Designing the UX for the operating system of an industrial printing press requires an in-depth understanding of both the technical and human factors involved.

The system is displayed across three 43-inch screens, one of which is a touch screen that operators use to manage the press and monitor various subsystems.

The primary challenge is to simplify this complex system and ensure that operators can quickly interpret and respond to the data presented. This requires balancing advanced technology with usability, enabling seamless interaction between the digital interface and the physical machinery while reducing cognitive load.

The design must accommodate operators with varying levels of technical expertise, especially those transitioning from traditional offset presses, which can be overwhelming given the high-tech nature of the digital press. Achieving this requires close collaboration with subject matter experts, such as engineers, to ensure both digital and physical components work together effectively to optimize performance and print quality.

• Steep Learning Curve: Operators face difficulties with time-consuming and complex training processes due to the technical nature of the system and its many interrelated subsystems
• Over-Reliance on Support: There is a frequent need for external field service support, which increases downtime, costs, and operational inefficiencies.
• Cognitive Overload & Fear: Many operators, especially those new to digital presses, feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the technology, leading to actual fear and potential errors.
• Optimize Press Performance & Reduce Downtime: The interface must help operators minimize downtime by monitor the press and quickly address issues to ensure optimal efficiency and quality.

Create a unified and intuitive user experience that streamlines the workflow and empowers operators to perform tasks with ease and confidence. This involves:

• Intuitive Visualization: Presenting data in a clear and concise format, using visualizations that make it easy for operators to monitor various subsystems at a glance.
• Integrated Help and Guidance: Embedding real-time help and step-by-step guidance within the interface to provide operators with immediate assistance, reducing the need for field service.
• User-Centered Design: An iterative design process, informed by continuous user research and feedback from subject matter experts, to ensure the system is both effective and intuitive for a range of operators.
• Task-Based Design: Designing the interface around tasks and workflows, allowing operators to quickly access information and perform necessary tasks with minimal effort.

The design process followed several key steps to ensure alignment with both user needs and technical requirements:

• User Research: Initial research was conducted through interviews and observations with operators and subject matter experts to identify pain points and challenges involved in operating the press. This information formed the foundation of the design.
• Prototyping & Iteration: Based on the research, low-fidelity prototypes were developed to explore potential solutions.
• Stakeholder Review & Approval: Once the design concepts were refined, it was presented to multiple stakeholders, including engineers, product managers, and operations teams, to ensure the design met technical, functional, and business requirements.
• Design Documentation & Handoff: After approval, detailed design and specifications were compiled into a comprehensive design document. This document included specifications for all use cases, interactions and visual elements. It was presented to the development team and handed off to work.
• UX QA (Quality Assurance): After development was completion, a UX quality assurance process was performed, (unrelated to the standard software QA). This involved verifying that the development matched the design and that user interactions were intuitive and seamless.
• Post-Release & Knowledge Transfer: After the feature was released to the presses, a large-scale presentation was conducted as part of the version release to introduce operators to the new functionalities. We then worked with the knowledge management team to create learning materials and training resources.
• User Feedback & Iteration: Following the release, we visited operators on-site to gather feedback on the new features. This feedback was used to further iterate on the design, improving user experience and resolving any issues that arose post-launch.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the new design, the following success metrics were established:

• Reduced Training Time: Tracking how quickly new operators could become proficient with the system compared to previous trainings.
• Decreased Need for Field Service Support: Monitoring field service support before and after implementation, aiming to reduce reliance.
• Lower Downtime: Analyzing press uptime and the time taken to resolve operational issues post-implementation.
• Improved Operator Satisfaction: Measured through surveys and feedback, with a focus on ease of use and confidence in managing the system.

Continuous Printing enables non-stop production by eliminating downtime between jobs, ensuring maximum efficiency and making short-run production faster and more cost-effective.

To support this new capability, the main page was completely redesigned.

The previous interface was not designed to handle multiple jobs in a continuous sequence. Additionally, the print control panel had a confusing layout with many disabled actions, making operation confusing for users.

As UX Lead, I played a key role in defining the vision, experience, and execution of the main page redesign. This involved:

• Design Direction: Led the conceptualization and refinement of the new workflow.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with product managers and system engineers to align the design with technical feasibility.
• Problem Solving & Simplification: Addressed existing pain points by removing unnecessary actions, and modernizing the interface for better adoption.
• New Feature Innovation: Led the introduction of new elements allowing users to control continuous runs.

• Timeline - Added Since the feature results in shorter runs and more jobs in queue, the timeline was added so a preview of the next jobs will appear. This helps the operator to plan ahead. The stopper element was added to the timeline to allow the operator to stop the continuous sequence.
• Info Panel - Added The info panel was added to provide a quick overview of the current sequence and how long it will take to complete.
• Print Control - Optimized The print control was redesigned and defined to display relevant actions only.
• Job Cards - Optimized The Job cards were updated to be more informative and easier to understand.
• Locking Mechanism - Added Due to the high speed of the press and the way jobs were streamed in advance, a technical limitation prevented certain jobs from being stopped or modified once they entered production. To address this, a locking mechanism was introduced, ensuring that once a job reaches a certain stage, it is secured against edits or interruptions to maintain system stability and prevent errors.