Design Process
As we entered the summer semester, we transitioned from analysis and gathering data into the design phase of the project. This began with planning our schedule for the entire summer in order to ensure that we would be able to fit ideation, refinement, prototyping and testing into a relatively short time period.
As part of our schedule, we traveled to Eaton’s corporate headquarters once a week to do on-site work and interact with the client team. One of the first exercises we conducted was to compile a mood board and let the Power Xpert development team and other interested individuals provide feedback. We also put together a brand pyramid exercise and received input from the team about the goals and message of the product. From that point forward, we spent much of our time at Eaton discussing the project’s progress and bouncing ideas off of the people we met there.
Some of the other design tools we employed included coming up with scenarios from which we could design ideal work processes and conducting visioning about what the application is and could be. We also had six class critiques throughout June and July, during which we were able to present our current designs and ideas, and receive comments and constructive criticism from our peers. During one of those critiques, we organized a make tools session, which is a method of participatory design that allows individuals outside the team to produce tangible concepts related to our problem space.
In an effort to continue gathering as much information as possible, we contacted members of Eaton’s marketing team for some insights about Power Xpert from a more customer-based perspective.