Overview

OTI (Operating Technology Integrators) is a MSI - master systems integrator, and building automation specialist for commercial real estate and data centers in California, NYC and South America. OTI programs, installs and integrates building automation systems for retrofit projects and new constructions.

My Role

I was an in house UX designer that facilitates user interface design through visual design (build tables to display data), user interaction (Design interactive dashboard) and usability testing. Due to NDA reasons, I can’t show all of my work I did at OTI as I worked on more than 10 different projects for nearly two years.

Tools

DgLux5, Photoshop

Challenge

The Building Automation System (BAS) core functionality is to keep building climate within a specified range, light rooms based on an occupancy schedule, monitor performance and device failures in all systems and provide malfunction alarms. Faced with ever increasing operating costs and decreasing net operating income due to lack of data visibility, it's more important than ever for building managers to implement intelligent control of building systems to simplify operations, reduce energy use, lower maintenance costs, prolong equipment life, and save money.

GOAL

• Create value by increasing data visibility,

• Increase net operating income and enhance user experience

• Integrates systems that work together - (Building are more efficient, Decisions are more informed and User experience is more pleasant)

Solution

• Create an integrated building automation management system fiber backbone that includes HVAC control system, electrical power monitoring, access control, water, and a unified user experience for monitoring and control using standardized technologies

• Build Dashboard that can provide visibility into the data across all system

• Reduce operational cost

Approach

Kick off meeting: Before starting any project design work, we work closely with the Designer head and product manager to make sure we are all aligned on the goals of the project, the timeline we are working with and what is within scope

Process

Discovery & Planning

I conducted some upfront user research and a content inventory on each existing building or site project to get a sense of what kinds of improvements the stakeholder is envisioning and give us a good place to start.

Some of OTI  stakeholders common themes were:

• What is the user's existing platform workflow and how will the new platform change that process?

•  What does this user want to achieve by using the OTI system?

Design

Defining the requirements

Once we consolidated our findings, an accord is reached with stakeholder in order to align with project requirements:

• Design building floor by adopting color scheme

• Connected systems to enable data collection, storage and analysis across multiple systems and over long periods of time.

• Be responsive

We review the requirements with the PM designer lead, make sure everything checks out and as a designer we got assigned tasks so we can build the prototype in tandem.

Delivery

Visual Design

The visual design is all created within a platform called DGLux being used for creating, enabling and visualizing IoT applications and dashboards. Additionally, the platform is used to process data before attaching it to graphics and uses  creative functionality for user experience. 

My UI/UX  role was to create a structure for how to package that data together, be it by system, by device type, by location, by building type. This data informs strategies for energy savings, system updates or other cost-saving efforts.

• I created custom, pre-rendered 3D images of Buildings, Floor Plans, Rooms , equipment that provide context to data and can be monitored on dashboard and stakeholder web based platform 

• Visualizing data from various building systems including HVAC, lighting, energy monitoring and central plants

• Help build out stakeholders IOT based facility management system's user interface/ dashboards” that make it easier for the users to interact with the  information  received  by the  different  sensors  and  other equipment that are connected to the network.

• I Created central plant graphic from scratch by using DataFlow binding with DgLux platform as tool, and have it show up inside of a stakeholder web or mobile platform

• Connect building systems data into a single, unified platform including HVAC, lighting, security, fire safety, and work order management system

Usability Testing

Test objectives:

• Ensure full functional areas act

• Ensure the web based application is user friendly and easy to use

• Ensure the web user  meets its performance requirements

• Ensure the web user application  can handle crash reporting and exceptions

• Ensure user experience and user interface with different devices (web, mobile app)

• Bug fixes

Conducting user testing and evaluating users feedback at various stages helped me to discover and eliminate pain point at early stages

Learning

1. Be Resourceful - To overcome whatever is blocking

Seek out the people, tools, knowledge, and resources you need to overcome whatever is blocking you. Successful projects emerge from diverse and unexpected sources.   

2. Share your ideas - For everyone benefits from amazing results.

3. Iterate, Iterate  - The best projects do not emerge fully formed at once or in the final days. They are a constant series of sprints. Don't wait for the perfect idea. Just start somewhere and go