Tesla factory Software
With six years of experience designing software for Tesla's factory operations, I have successfully crafted over seven distinct software solutions, ranging from web-based platforms to HMI touchscreen interfaces and mobile applications. My designs have significantly enhanced efficiency within Tesla's factories, effectively addressing complex challenges related to data, factory robot/self-driving carts, and material management.
Station Controller
Station Controller is a cutting-edge lineside software tailored to empower car manufacturer operators in building vehicles with utmost efficiency. Designed to streamline the production process, Station Controller offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features meticulously crafted to optimize workflow and enhance productivity on the assembly line. From managing inventory and orchestrating assembly tasks to real-time monitoring and quality control, this innovative software solution revolutionizes the manufacturing landscape by providing operators with the tools they need to build cars faster, smarter, and with uncompromising precision.
OverVIEW
As the sole UX designer, I played a pivotal role in shaping the user experience for our Station Controller software. I had the opportunity to engage directly with end-users, including operators and engineers, to deeply understand their needs and the intricacies of production logic. I’ve translated these insights into designs that are highly efficient, intuitive to use, and capable of scaling with our growing operations.
Now Station Controller is used by all Tesla factories.
Responsibilities
Conduct extensive interviews and user research with operators and engineers to gather insights into their workflows, pain points, and requirements.
Collaborate closely with stakeholders to define project goals, user personas, and design requirements.
Develop wireframes, prototypes, and user interface designs that address user needs and align with project objectives.
Conduct usability testing sessions to gather feedback and iterate on designs for optimal usability and efficiency.
Work iteratively with cross-functional teams to refine designs based on user feedback and technical constraints.
Document design decisions, guidelines, and best practices to ensure consistency and scalability across the Station Controller platform.
Design Process
Research: The process begins with thorough research to understand the users, their needs, behaviors, and pain points. At the start of the project, I spent a couple of days working as an operator to gain a deeper understanding of my users.
Analysis: After gathering research data, I analyze and synthesize the information to identify patterns, insights, and opportunities. This helps in defining user personas, user journey maps, and key business goals.
Strategy and Ideation: In this phase, I brainstorm and generate ideas with stockholders to address the identified user needs and challenges. Techniques like sketching, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative workshops are commonly used to explore a wide range of solutions.
Design: Based on the ideas generated during the ideation phase, I create wireframes, prototypes, and mockups to visualize the proposed solutions. These design artifacts serve as blueprints for the final product and help in communicating design concepts to stakeholders.
Alignment: Work with other designers in the same area to align designs to make sure the final product is consistent with the Tesla Design System.
Testing: Once the initial designs are developed, I’ll test the prototype with real users to gather feedback and insights. Usability testing, A/B testing, and prototype testing are commonly used. All the testing scripts and results are documented.
Iteration: Based on the feedback received during testing, I iterate on the designs to address any issues, refine the user experience, and improve usability.
Tesla Design System (TDS)
TDS Factory
As a primary contributor to the TDS factory, I engaged in audits, designs, specifications, documents, and testing of all key components. Established a user-friendly, scalable factory software design system. Collaborate with teams and leadership to align experience expectations across multiple product lines.
TDS Web and Mobile Design Alignment
Assist various factory software systems in aligning with TDS components, and collaborate with teams and leadership to ensure consistent experience expectations across multiple product lines.
Tesla Supplier Relationship Manager
A Supplier Relationship Manager oversees the selection, negotiation, and management of contracts with suppliers to ensure favorable agreements and smooth operations. They maintain strong relationships, monitor performance, and mitigate risks while driving continuous improvement in the supply chain to maximize value for the organization.
responsibilities
User research - interview script, useability testing, A/B testing, test result documents
UX design
Prototype testing
Design proposal presentation
Tesla Design System alignment
Design QA
User feedback
SKID Manager
As the only UX designer, I contributed to the design of software to manage all skids (small carts used for automated material transport) in the factory. My responsibilities included user researching, writing requirements, IA design, and finalizing mockups and prototypes for testing. Furthermore, I iterated on the product continuously based on user feedback and requirements.
ION
ION serves as a database that oversees all part and VIN number data within Tesla factories. Its user interface is heavily utilized by process and control engineers for viewing, modifying, and accessing factory components. As the sole designer, I was deeply involved in the entire product development lifecycle, contributing to the ION team's delivery of a user-friendly and efficient database management tool.
Conductor
Factory robot controller and programmer software
Participated in user research, user analysis, prototype design, prototype testing, and the final implementation stages of Conductor, the software for controlling and programming factory robots.