During my internship on the Innovation Team at Stanley Black & Decker (SBD), a third-party vendor approached the team with a prototype for a new product: a measuring wheel that had the capability to connect to a smart phone. The vendor knew they wanted a companion app to interface with the wheel, but they lacked design and UX resources. They approached our team seeking guidance on creating the companion app. I was tasked with familiarizing myself with the product and creating designs for the app.
I started off doing a bit of discovery with the engineers that had access to the prototype. I wanted to learn how measuring wheels were typically used and what data the wheel could send to the phone. The engineers also provided notes for features the vendor had asked be present in the app. The overall goal was to combine GPS data from the phone and accurate measurement data from the wheel to create digital plans and site layouts.
After gaining an understanding of the product, I began sketching screens. I started by creating a screen for each requested feature and then created intermediary screens to link them together. I then brought the sketches to my team for feedback. They helped identify any gaps in functionality and provided input on the early flow of the app.
The result was roughly 30 screen designs and accompanying documentation. The documentation provided a thorough breakdown of each screen and the app’s intended functionality and flow. While creating my designs, I made sure to adhere the SBD’s established brand standards — especially the guidance for digital platforms.
The initial app requirements from the vendor mainly focused on the smart wheel itself, but I took a holistic approach with my designs. I wanted the wheel to function as part of a larger project ecosystem instead of singular, standalone tool. I wanted to bridge the gap between work at a project site and in the office. The app uses the phone + wheel combo to create digital site plans that users can then upload to the cloud. These plans can then be imported into users’ preferred design software. Users can create site plans and send final drafts back to the app. This allows them to access plans on-site, and use the wheel’s “guide mode” feature to lay out project elements with specific measurements.
This project wrapped up toward the end of my internship, so while I was not able to present out to the vendor, all assets were packaged and handed off to the SBD team for further development.