Tool Configurator
As part of Autodesk's POC with Caterpillar, we created a full desktop and mobile experience that allowed customers to engage with the company's products in 3D, assemble their own tractors, view technical information, and "drive" it using VR.
ROLE
UX Designer
Client engagement, Requirement gathering, wireframing, prototyping, QA, Presentation
Desktop, Mobile, and VR
DURATION
April - August 2016
THE DREAM TEAM
Visual Designers - Noa Tomer, Hagar Ben Yishay
UX Lead - Einav Kivshany
Product Manager - Itamar Berger
Dev Lead - Avihay Assouline
Overview
Goal.
Caterpillar wanted to equip their sales team with visual tools that can enhance sales and allow their client to assemble a tailored product.
Process.
I flew from Tel Aviv to Rapid City, South Dakota to meet the team personally, understand their needs and goals, and translate it into MVP requirements. Back in Tel Aviv, I worked with my team to deliver an experience that enables purchasing and promoting CAT's products online, making them accessible and interactive.
Result.
Full Engaging Desktop and mobile interface that allows the customer to experience the different parts in 3D, assemble different types of vehicles, getting pricing quotes, and "driving" it using VR technology.
Meeting the Team
Flying to meet the team in South Dakota by myself was one of my personal highlights in this project. It was their first time meeting a designer, and my first time meeting cowboys.
Requirements Gathering
My goal for this meeting was to cover all my questions and leave with a focused MVP plan.
Goal Definition
“Caterpillar is looking to equip its sales team with visual tools that can enhance sales and allow the client to assemble their own product.
By creating an interactive and realistic tool, we can simplify the technical aspect and create an accessible and positive experience for our clients.”
What's in Scope for MVP?
1. Hotspots - Viewing information about selected parts.
2. Ghosting - Allowing the user the hide selected parts of the tractor.
3. Assembly - Build your own Tractor from selected parts.
4. Camera - Viewing the vehicle from different angles.
Keeping our Two Users in Mind
We're designing for the builder experience (the Caterpillar team) and for the shared experience (customer).
The builder defines all the tools, decides which models and parts to upload, and shares them with the viewer. The viewer plays with the predefined parts and views all the information that was inputted by the builder.
BUILD MODE VS SHARED MODE
Hot Spots Feature
Allowing the user to learn technical details about the different parts.
HOT SPOT - DESIGN PROCESS
HOT SPOT- WEB DESIGN FOR BUILDER MODE
HOT SPOT- WEB DESIGN FOR SHARED MODE
HOT SPOT - MOBILE DESIGN
Hide and Show Capability
Allowing the user to hide certain parts of the tractor in order to see the interior, the engine, and how the core parts are connected.
EXPLORATIONS
UX DOCUMENTATION
Final Design
Tool Configurator
Allowing the user to replace the main tool in the vehicle, feel the tool in action, and get a quote.
BUILDER MODE
The builder was able to upload the different parts and add a thumbnail before sharing it with the client.
SHARED MODE
The customer can switch between the offered tools and experience the live animation for each one.
Virtual Ride
It was our first experience designing for VR/AR, so we turned it into a creative exploration by initiating team challenges and work sessions.
The biggest challenge was moving around the real-scale vehicle when you actually have very little space in real life.
TEAM VR/AR EXPLORATIONS
